KION Central Coast News Features “Lost Parks of Northern California”
Not even a day after our story aired on KSBW – leading off the newscast, no less – KION Central Coast News got in on the “Lost Parks” action, with their own report!
Special thanks to reporter Cassandra Arsenault for coming out and recording us! (And for nerding out briefly on Boston area amusement parks, too!)
On a side note – what is it about Boston area-born reporters and the Bay Area? That’s two now!
Second side note – we’re filmmakers – someone reported it – so it’s official!!!
Jump to the story by clicking the link, below:
Lost Parks Featured on KSBW Action News!
Chalk another news outlet onto the list that’s discovered the charm and passion of the “Lost Parks of Northern California” series…KSBW Central Coast News led their newscast with a story on our project!
Check out the the video, by clicking the link, here:
Lost Parks featured in the Huffington Post!
Add another media outlet to the list of organizations that have discovered the charm of the “Lost Parks” project – today, we’re featured in The Huffington Post!
Read the article, here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/16/lost-parks-of-northern-california_n_4456181.html
2013 has been an amazing year for coverage – I cannot wait to see what 2014 has in store for us!
The things people Google about Amusement Parks
I often take the time to review stats and info on this site, just to see what people are most interested in. But one of the search queries awhile back caught my attention. Check out the second search from the bottom:
This search result is not only eye catching, but it’s also quite relevant, too.
Now, as a proud member of ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts), I find this search term incredibly troubling. When I see a search term like that, it honestly makes me angry. It also makes me think that some of us in the human race haven’t learned the lessons from our past.
ACE prides itself on being one of the most organized, respectful enthusiast groups in the country (not to mention not-for-profit). But the fact that there are apparently people out there who are willing to risk their lives and the lives of others just to get an extra thrill – or worse – people searching for it online…that’s not cool, it’s just downright dumb.
Do yourself a favor the next time you want to get that extra thrill on a ride…think twice about what you’re about to do – is it really worth losing your life over? Is it worth hurting others around you? If you answer “yes” to either of those questions – then you are not a true enthusiast. A true coaster and park enthusiast wants only the best for the parks they visit – because without the parks, an enthusiast has nothing to be enthused about.
Featured in the San Jose Mercury News!
Big thanks to Mike Cassidy, who wrote a wonderful column (in the business section, no less!) about how we use technology to save parks that have been lost to the sands of time!
Read the full article, here:
Featured in the Register Pajaronian!
The hits just keep on coming – check out the latest coverage on the “Lost Parks” project, this time from the Register-Pajaronian, out of Watsonville, CA:
The hits just keep on coming – thanks to the Register Pajaronian for covering our “Lost Parks” journey!
Read the whole article by clicking here or, copying the link below:
http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=15497
Featured tonight on “Bay Area Proud” and NBC Bay Area
Bay Area residents – be sure to tune in this evening to NBC Bay Area (KNTV) at 5:00p.m., as you’ll get a behind the scenes look at our latest “Lost Parks” project, “Santa’s Village of Scotts Valley.”
Promotional photo by NBC Bay Area
If you’re not in the Bay Area, you can catch the segment here, once it’s posted online.
Garvin Thomas (Emmy award winning journalist) followed the whole Lost Parks crew for most of the day, to highlight the work we’re doing. For those who have not seen the show, “Each week NBC Bay Area’s Garvin Thomas profiles the people, the groups, and the companies making the Bay Area, and the world, a better place to live. Bay Area Proud stories are success stories; inspiring profiles of those making a positive change in our communities.”
Special thanks to Garvin Thomas and Claire the Intern for hanging out with us and seeing what “Lost Parks” is all about. Photo by ACE NorCal, used with permission.
Be sure to give him a like or follow to see many of his other uplighting stories and subjects. Even he had to admit, he has the best job in all of journalism – covering only positive stories.
Check out our video series here.
So, who’s inspired to go preserve a piece of history?
“Lost Parks” Goes Vertical!
With every video we’ve produced so far in the “Lost Parks” series, we’ve aimed to add one piece of equipment to make them better than the previous episode. For instance, in the first three episodes, did you notice:
Pacific City – DLSR camera slider:
The “nostalgic” intro shots, all done via the slider.
Luna Park – GoPro Hero 2:
Even though we measured, this trolley came way too close to crushing this camera!
Manteca Waterslides – Camera crane / jib:
We won this in a Facebook contest – seriously!
And now, for our Santa’s Village episode, may we debut our latest addition…FLYING CAMERA DRONES!
Andy’s “Little Bird” flying camera drone. Photo by ACE NorCal, used with permission.
Aptly named “Big Bird” who did most of the heavy lifting for the shoot. Photo by ACE NorCal, used with permission.
Well, two to be precise, “Little Bird” and “Big Bird.” They’re proudly owned by Andrew Hansis, an ACE NorCal member, who couldn’t resist seeing what they could do for the Lost Parks series.
Turns out, it was a TON! Look for their shots in our latest episode – debuting December 9th, 2013!
For more info on the “Lost Parks” series – click here!
Guiding “The Coaster Guy” around California’s Great America
Recently, I had the pleasure to give a “Grand Tour” of California’s Great America to “The Coaster Guy.” Kurt runs a very in-depth site that focuses on his home park, Six Flags Magic Mountain – but also covers other parks that he visits in his travels.
Photo by The Coaster Guy – used with permission.
If you’ve never been to his site, I HIGHLY recommend taking a few minutes to go over there and peruse it. It’s always great to meet up with like-minded enthusiasts – and especially ones who share the same passion for parks that I do. I just hope I didn’t make him completely sick showing him all the intense flat rides at the park!
Kurt, I promise that I’ll make it out to Magic Mountain – and look forward to a “smooth” free fall on Drop of Doom!
For more information or to see the Great America update, visit: www.theCoasterGuy.com
San Mateo County History Museum Presentation a Success
For everyone who attended my “Lost Parks” history presentation at the San Mateo County History Museum last weekend – an immense THANK YOU is in order!
Over 60 of you attended the event (which was a VERY large crowd for these sorts of events, according to the museum staff). And the feedback we received was universally positive. If you’ve never been to this museum – the building itself is a piece of art, in addition to all of the exhibits!
If you missed the event – don’t despair – we’re already working on a video of the presentation, so you can attend “virtually.”
Remember, you can always help support Great American Thrills™ by liking and sharing our updates with your favorite cable channels social media pages – or just tell your friends about the work we’re doing!
San Mateo County History Museum Presentation Tomorrow
Don’t forget!
Tomorrow afternoon is my “Lost Parks” presentation at the San Mateo County Museum.
The presentation starts promptly at 1:00pm – don’t be late!
Learn more here: http://www.historysmc.org/main.php?page=docket
“Lost Parks” featured in the San Francisco Examiner!
No, it’s not a broken record you’re hearing – I really am featured in / on a major news outlet for the second time this week!
This time, it’s the San Francisco Examiner, who were very kind to promote my “Lost Parks” presentation at the San Mateo County History Museum.
For the full article, pick up a copy of today’s Examiner, or click the link below.
Let’s hope to keep this remarkable streak alive and continue to build awareness for the brand – feel free to share Great American Thrills with all your friends, family and favorite television stations / networks!
Read the article here:
Or copy / paste this link:
Featured on BBC News!
Yes, you read that correctly – I had the honor of being featured in a BBC News video released today about roller coaster technology and the “plateau” some say we’ve reached. (I don’t think we have, by the way).
You can view the whole video by clicking here.
Or, you can copy and paste this link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24553630
The backstory behind this interview is just as intriguing –
I had already planned to attend Six Flags Discovery Kingdom’s “Ghoulish Gathering” VIP event last Friday. When the tram dropped us off at the front entrance, I noticed a OMB (One Man Band) setup, with a man struggling to cope with the sound of the many rides in the area. In hindsight, I should have gone over to offer my assistance – but I digress…
When I asked the Public Relations person at the event about the cameraman, she immediately said, “Oh, he’s with the BBC…I should introduce you to him!”
Pinch me.
After we grabbed a bite to eat at the event, I got to talking with Richard, who quickly found out (and said), “I should interview you…”
You had to ask?
Careful to make sure I didn’t step on any known “land mines” when you do interviews like this, Richard slapped a lav mic on me, and into the sun he pointed me!
Now, it should be noted, that short of begging, I did my best to convince the segment producer to stay longer, so my Lost Parks Producer, American Coaster Enthusiasts Asst. Regional Rep AND all-around quality news source on all things coasters, Nicholas Laschkewitsch could arrive to be interviewed as well – but sadly, Richard had to leave before Nicholas could arrive. Thanks, BART Strike…
But, for now, it’s yet another milestone in my journey to be in the world of television. “Great American Thrills” has officially jumped the pond and gone international…WOW.
History Museum Presentation This Saturday
Planning your weekend already? Don’t forget about my “Lost Parks” presentation at the San Mateo County History Museum at 1:00pm this Saturday.
Join me as I take you back in time to five different defunct amusement parks from the greater Bay Area, as well as explain why our history is so important to preserve. In addition, you’ll see how you can still experience pieces of these long gone parks in our modern world. See you there!
Learn more, here: http://www.historysmc.org/main.php?page=docket
Are Inversions Overrated?
The “Flip Flap Railway” punished riders with high, uneven g-forces.
Photo from the Orange County Archives.
The People Behind “Lost Parks” and the Manteca Waterslides
Despite how it may look, there are many, MANY people who are involved in the production of “Lost Parks of Northern California.”
Without them, I would not be able to look as good as I do presenting it. With that, here are all the people it took to bring the Manteca Waterslides episode to life:
Al Garcia, Waterworld California: A big thanks goes to my longtime friend Al Garcia, who is the Marketing Sales Coordinator for the park. He gave us his personal stories of Manteca – in addition to allowing us to capture some unbelievable angles of the water slides in his park – including this particularly moist one. Visit his park (when it’s open) at: www.waterworldcalifornia.com
Roger Ross & Ryan Davies, California’s Great America: For allowing us to film inside their Boomerang Bay water park and make that historical connection to the slides in Manteca, I am forever indebted to you both. Here’s hoping that we get to work together again soon, or maybe even catch a Sharks game together this season. Visit their park at: www.cagreatamerica.com
Mike Brown and the Entire Brown Family: Mr. Brown – thank you for giving us the opportunity to share your family story with us – and thank you even more for opening up to us about all the history you hold in your memories. I can always say that I hung out with the owner of the Manteca Waterslides, and bought him lunch, while we shared stories and went through old photo albums. We will wear our Manteca “Anniversary” hats with pride.
Debby Moorhead, Vice Mayor of Manteca: Debby was crucial to us tracking down and getting permission from the current owners of the slides, as well as a great interview and one of the few, genuine politicians we’ve ever met. Sounds like Manteca is THE place to be in the coming years…we can’t wait!
ProAM USA: There is no way we would have been able to capture some of the beautiful shots in this video without winning a Facebook contest from these guys. (Seriously, we actually won a Facebook contest and got a camera crane!) Our new DVC60 camera jib was put through it’s paces this episode and we cannot wait to see what else we create with it.
Oh, and we’d love to model some of your other products, by the way…
Robert Ingle: Those promotional photos of me in the slides “acting” were all captured by Robert – who’s got quite the eye for awesome photos. But, his real skill is to blend in so I don’t even realize he’s taking my picture. I think there’s a career for you at TMZ if you’re interested, Robert.
And for those of you wondering, it’s Robert’s face that closes out the first episode in the credit roll…
Taylor Evans: I’ve never had a script supervisor before – but if I ever can hire one, it would be Taylor. He kept me on track and motivated as best as the Costco hot dog I bought him for lunch. For such complex shots, he was able to let me relax and do my thing, while he made sure the script still made sense. He also was responsible for the “summer winding down” edit that we thankfully caught that day.
And finally, I’ve saved the best for last – and with good reason, too.
Getting direction from Nicholas, with Taylor holding the sun reflector. (Photo by Robert Ingle)
I first met Nicholas Laschkewitsch a little less than a year ago – and I couldn’t have asked for a better person to partner with on this series. We’re three episodes into this once “little” project – and he somehow continually finds ways to both amaze and astound me with his work, both as a cinematographer, video editor and field producer.
This, mind you – without any professional training or experience. Nicholas simply has an eye for good work – and I could not be more fortunate to have found him and work with him on this series. He is just as much responsible for the success of this series as I am in front of the camera and doing research. Here’s to many more fun projects with the best producer I could ever have asked for.
If you haven’t seen how all these people came together on this project – look no further!
Lost Parks, Episode 3: “Manteca Waterslides”
I am proud today to release our third episode in the “Lost Parks of Northern California” series, focusing on the “famous” Manteca Waterslides!
Learn how the modern water slide was born just off of Highway 120 in Manteca, where you can still go to experience pieces of the park today and why people still call the chamber of commerce, asking about the slides…nine years after the park closed for good.
This was on all accounts – the most difficult video we have produced thus far. The technical aspects alone were enough to make both myself and my producer, Nicholas Laschkewitsch throw a fit. But, we persevered – and are proud to show you our work of the past few months.
“The Lost Parks of Northern California” is produced in association with the American Coaster Enthusiasts, Northern California region. Learn more about them at: www.acenorcal.org
We’re Presenting at the San Mateo County History Museum!
Great American Thrills is honored to announce that we’ve been selected as a presenter in the San Mateo County History Museum’s “Courthouse Docket” series, exploring the rich history of the region.
Come down on October 26th at 1:00pm and see “The Next Huell Howser” – aka Kris Rowberry – show you how you can still experience some of our bygone amusement parks…today!
Who knows, you just might learn something, too!
How Can I Help with the “Lost Parks” Series?
We get this question fairly often in the ol’ e-mail box. The short answer – YES! YES YOU CAN HELP!
How? Well, that’s easy:
1.) Share your park experiences with us:
A souvenir, photo, home video or even just a story – part of the mystique of these lost parks is the strong memories they evoke. We’re always on the hunt for a visual way to tell the story of the parks we’re featuring.
2.) Share us with the World:
We’re big on social media – so we’d love to expand our reach. But that’s where YOU come in. If you see a post that you enjoy, here’s a few ways you can help out the “Lost Parks” project:
“Like,” comment on and share posts, photos and video on Facebook.
Retweet items from our Twitter accounts.
+1 things from Google Plus.
Post our videos on your own website via an embedded file.
Plus, we’re always looking for new partnerships, so feel free to shoot me an e-mail at kris.rowberry {at} gmail.com
Having trouble finding items on our social media feeds? Just use hashtag: “#lostparks” to find most of our work.
Tell your favorite cable channels (Discovery, Travel, Destination America, History) or local broadcast stations that these guys would make a great series for them via, their social media pages.
3.) Tell your friends:
Seriously, even in this uber-connected world we live in, word of mouth is still one of the best ways to get the word out on what we’re up to. Tell your friends, show your family – heck, you just might find a few memories come up in the process!
With just those three simple steps, you can help Lost Parks of Northern California grow by leaps and bounds. Who knows where it will lead us (but that’s part of the journey – so let’s ride!)
Lost Parks Episode 3 – Manteca Waterslides Preview
Debuting September, 2013!
If you lived in Northern California odds are you remember this water park not just because they were a technological marvel of their day – but because of their catchy ad jingles. So, “Slip away today and leave your cares behind – they’re the world’s greatest, so come and ride…the Manteca Waterslides!” (1974-2004).
What does #LostParks Mean?
We’re “The Lost Parks of Northern California” – a web video series trying to track down any and all remaining pieces of the 30 amusement parks that have closed here in Northern California over the past 150 years.
And odds are – you saw us at work at California’s Great America today!
#LostParks quite simply, is our hashtag – a way for people to find out what we’re up to in a fun and engaging way across social media platforms. Come for the journey – stay for the history…ride with us!
Our Next Lost Park…
We’re hoping that by choosing this park, we just might bring summer back this year…it’s freezing in the Bay Area right now!
Well, you know it from it’s catchy jingle or if you ever drove through the Central Valley on the way to Yosemite or Sonora…
That’s right! We’re going back to the “famous” MANTECA WATERSLIDES!
(SKIP to 2:40 for the good stuff…)
Thank you to the San Jose City Council, District Three!
It’s an honor to be featured in this month’s “Community Spotlight” section of the City of San Jose’s, District 3 Newsletter!
It turns out – quite a few people didn’t know about the origins of Luna Park, including the City Council!
Full text, here:
Kris Rowberry: The Lost Park of San Jose
“Great American Thrills” is a web video series that follows amusement park connoisseur, Kris Rowberry, as he hunts down the original sites and memories of Northern California’s 24 bygone amusement parks.
“I’ve always been fascinated with the history of the amusement parks I’ve visited,” said Rowberry. “This series is truly a journey back in time.”
Joining Rowberry on his journey is the Assistant Regional Representative for the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) Northern California, Nicholas Laschkewitsch. He also serves as the show’s cameraman and producer.
“One of ACE’s missions is to promote the importance of preservation of both roller coasters and amusement parks,” said Laschkewitsch. “I hope the ‘Lost Parks’ series will do just that.”
Through their research, done mostly the old fashioned way in the King Library, both Rowberry and Laschkewitsch have stumbled upon countless, incredible stories about Luna Park.
“To find out that San Jose, not San Francisco, had the first pro baseball team in the Bay Area was a real shock,” said Rowberry. “Luna was built as an entertainment complex – amusement park and baseball stadium. It puts the whole territorial rights issue today in a whole new light. Plus, from the descriptions, it sounds like it was theplace to be for fireworks on the 4th of July.”
So how did he come across such an obscure piece of San Jose’s history?
“It honestly just came as inspiration driving through the Luna Park Business District and seeing all the banners,” said Rowberry. When I saw the carousel horse on one of them, I knew there had to be an amusement park here at some point. That’s the real impetus for wanting to highlight this park – well that and I lived in San Jose for nearly 26 years and never knew about it.”
Thank you Kris for bringing back the memory of Luna Park and a piece San Jose history!
Learn about Luna Park for yourself, here:
Lost Parks of Northern California – Episode 2 Preview
It’s finally here!
Episode 2 of the “Lost Parks” series is in the bucket and ready for release. So until the actual episode debuts, check out this quick preview of San Jose’s OTHER long lost amusement park – LUNA PARK!
Look for the actual episode to debut later this month!
Great American Thrills® 