Anyone Else Here Ever Ride On the Comet?

[T&C]

39 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

Let me know if you do and want to grab a beer!

Will do... also have another Bills guy in that area too.

[Buffalo_Gal]

2 hours ago, T&C said:

What was the Bullet ride? Have no recollection of that one. Do remember the suckers though.

 

 

1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Same here @Buffalo_Gal... I just asked my wife, she has no recollection either....They went every year too with her father's work picnic.  (We) Don't recall the Bullet.

 

I have no idea what it was called (small "b"... I "think" there were two heads this thing, cone shaped, looked like a bullet head to me as a kid).

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

34 minutes ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

 

 

I have no idea what it was called (small "b"... I "think" there were two heads this thing, cone shaped, looked like a bullet head to me as a kid).

 

Thanks... Gonna ask around... My siblings.  I remember Giant (Yellow Coaster):

 

[apuszczalowski]

I only went there once as a kid, may have been the year before it closed or the last year. I think my parents took us because it was closing. Wasn't old enough to ride much, I do remember going on some cars that you drove that were attached to a rail. And going on the beach and having to cross a line of rocks in the water to get back to sand below

 

Now, most of the land is a private gated community, mostly filled with Americans owning the houses as summer vacation homes. The majority of the houses are 2-3 storey vinyl sided houses with no garages that were selling for around 3/4 million. From Voictoria Day/Memorial Day weekends in May, til Labour day the place is packed with people driving golf carts around, after that its deserted and the only people usually around are contractors doing work on the houses.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Was right there once and my mom absolutely refused to ride with me so i was out, i was Friggin pissed at the time. Never got to ride it.

 

 

[CowgirlsFan]

No.

 

However I have riden The Texas Giant at Six Flags over Texas in Arlington.

 

Like others have mentioned about the Comet,it's a rough ride.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

4 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

The Comet is currently in Lake George.  It's fun, but it's painful.  The older I've gotten, the more painful it's become and I'm done riding it.  Just a very uncomfortable ride and I may have CTE.

 

those wooden roller coasters are spine tinglers , big nope for me. Want to go on that dragster ride in Sandusky Ohio someday.

 

 

1 hour ago, apuszczalowski said:

I only went there once as a kid, may have been the year before it closed or the last year. I think my parents took us because it was closing. Wasn't old enough to ride much, I do remember going on some cars that you drove that were attached to a rail. And going on the beach and having to cross a line of rocks in the water to get back to sand below

 

Now, most of the land is a private gated community, mostly filled with Americans owning the houses as summer vacation homes. The majority of the houses are 2-3 storey vinyl sided houses with no garages that were selling for around 3/4 million. From Voictoria Day/Memorial Day weekends in May, til Labour day the place is packed with people driving golf carts around, after that its deserted and the only people usually around are contractors doing work on the houses.

 

What else would it be filled with??

 

 

 

 

[Marv's Neighbor]

Had  an uncle, that was incredibly cheap, used to always point out the sign near the Derby Rd entrance.  It said SUCKERS!

 

Loved the Comet and the Giant Coaster too, in a much calmer way.  Worked at the Peace bridge for 2 summers while in college.  The toll was .25 each way.  We used to have to roll the freakin quarters!  And separate the American from the Canadian.  There were some employees, much older than me, that used to pick the silver quarters out of the rolls, and replace them with the newer "sandwich" types.  Years later, the Hunt Bros. (Lamar Hunt KC Chiefs) actually crashed the silver market because they couldn't cover their margin calls on silver.  Kind of like the Eddie Murphy movie Trading Places.

[Turk71]

7 hours ago, WotAGuy said:

One of the Buffalo supermarkets used to give free ride tickets for every A or B you got on your report card. It was a great incentive to do homework and get good grades!

Loblaws I believe. Me and the siblings would get piles of free tickets.

[Turk71]

  Loved the Comet as a kid, and just being at Crystal Beach in general. The yellow wooden coaster was cool too. Didn't like the Wild Mouse, thought I would fly out. Saw someone throw up on their own face riding the Rotor when the floor dropped away. The Scrambler was fun, but don't get squashed. We would always go through the big fun house last before leaving the park. The Magic Palace or something like that. At the end you would ride down this big carpeted belt and exit the building. 

  As teenagers we hung out at cottages on Bay and Crystal Beach. Lots of good times.

[Turk71]

6 hours ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

 

 

I have no idea what it was called (small "b"... I "think" there were two heads this thing, cone shaped, looked like a bullet head to me as a kid).

 

I rode that ride. The capsules would turn as the giant arm spun them around. I could draw it. My belt came loose on their as well and I got banged around inside the cage til the guy heard me yelling and stopped it. I lost a bunch of quarters out of my pockets too. The Aero something I think, or something to do with rocketships.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Turk71

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

43 minutes ago, Turk71 said:

I rode that ride. The capsules would turn as the giant arm spun them around. I could draw it. My belt came loose on their as well and I got banged around inside the cage til the guy heard me yelling and stopped it. I lost a bunch of quarters out of my pockets too. The Aero something I think, or something to do with rocketships.

The original version of this was over by the Giant Coaster, tucked around the west side.  There was a hall there where BINGO and similar prize awarding games were played. I recall that it was gone by the late 60s.

’Crystal Memories’ by Rose Ann Jankowiak Hirsch was published in 2004, gives a good accounting of the park’s rides, and what became of them.  Erno Rossi, who is noted for his book on the Blizzard of ‘77, also has written a book about the park (Crystal Beach - The Good Old Days), published in 2005.

[Punching Bag]

My brother and I went on it first year we were able to as kids.  I loved it and went on as many times as I could even going alone on my 2nd time in front seat.  My brother never went on again.

[T&C]

3 hours ago, Turk71 said:

  Loved the Comet as a kid, and just being at Crystal Beach in general. The yellow wooden coaster was cool too. Didn't like the Wild Mouse, thought I would fly out. Saw someone throw up on their own face riding the Rotor when the floor dropped away. The Scrambler was fun, but don't get squashed. We would always go through the big fun house last before leaving the park. The Magic Palace or something like that. At the end you would ride down this big carpeted belt and exit the building. 

  As teenagers we hung out at cottages on Bay and Crystal Beach. Lots of good times.

Is this the one kind of by the Comet where the attendant actually had a water hose to wash away the puke?

[ExiledInIllinois]

5 hours ago, Marv's Neighbor said:

Had  an uncle, that was incredibly cheap, used to always point out the sign near the Derby Rd entrance.  It said SUCKERS!

 

Loved the Comet and the Giant Coaster too, in a much calmer way.  Worked at the Peace bridge for 2 summers while in college.  The toll was .25 each way.  We used to have to roll the freakin quarters!  And separate the American from the Canadian.  There were some employees, much older than me, that used to pick the silver quarters out of the rolls, and replace them with the newer "sandwich" types.  Years later, the Hunt Bros. (Lamar Hunt KC Chiefs) actually crashed the silver market because they couldn't cover their margin calls on silver.  Kind of like the Eddie Murphy movie Trading Places.

Was that the same Hunt family of the Chiefs!  The ones that crashed the Ag Market?  I never made the distinction!

 

Oh... Somewhere your cheap uncle is proud!  ? ? J/K

[ExiledInIllinois]

22 minutes ago, T&C said:

Is this the one kind of by the Comet where the attendant actually had a water hose to wash away the puke?

Ahhhhh... The good old days, when people weren't in freak out mode and sickness had clear vectors!

 

Speaking of puke.  My wife still talks about the time we were entering the flume at Cedar Point... Some other guy: "Oh Miss, oh Miss... Don't enter that boat, there is "sickness" in it!"  LoL... She reveled in his politeness the way he handled it.  I guess there is hope for us Americans.  He was probably from overseas.  LoL... Couldn't have been an Ohioan.  I know @Cripple Creek, he was no Cripple Creek... LoL... Oh... Just kidding.  CC is very polite, for an Ohioan. 

Edited February 10, 2020 by ExiledInIllinois

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

13 hours ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

Now about those great candy suckers...

Still made in limited flavours.  There was a dust up a few years back since one entrepreneur apparently had the original recipe, another had the machine from the park that made them.  Arguing over which was the ‘original’ Crystal Beach sucker.  Similar to the Cronfelt / Smeader argument over which was selling the authentic Crystal Beach Loganberry.  The Jankowiak-Hirsch book has a good write up interviewing one of the girls who worked in the sucker stand.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[PromoTheRobot]

I'm old enough to have been to Crystal Beach many times but never liked coasters, so I never road the Comet. I did do the Wild Mouse once.

 

The family of one of my friends growing up owned Potts Furniture. They had a house on the cliff overlooking the beach. We used to rent ice at Fort Erie Arena (when it was still the old barn) at 1am for a pickup game. Then we'd go to the house and drink till dawn. Good times.

Edited February 10, 2020 by PromoTheRobot

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

24 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

The family of one of my friends growing up owned Potts Furniture.

 

Was Mr. Potts really ‘off his rocker’?  ?

[shrader]

I'm sure it's a perfectly safe process and a ton of careful work goes into it, but the thought of relocating a ride like that scares the hell out of me.

[apuszczalowski]

27 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I'm old enough to have been to Crystal Beach many times but never liked coasters, so I never road the Comet. I did do the Wild Mouse once.

 

The family of one of my friends growing up owned Potts Furniture. They had a house on the cliff overlooking the beach. We used to rent ice at Fort Erie Arena (when it was still the old barn) at 1am for a pickup game. Then we'd go to the house and drink till dawn. Good times.

What you do in the privacy of a bedroom with a large iconic Canadian animal is your own business and didn't need to be posted here........

 

Are you refering to the big dune that was right next to the park along Erie Road? I used to hate having to go to those places cause you had to park then walk up a ton of stairs on the one side to go down a bunch more to get to know of those cottages. Some of the people there have little carts on rails that they can use to move their stuff up and down the hill.

 

 

49 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Still made in limited flavours.  There was a dust up a few years back since one entrepreneur apparently had the original recipe, another had the machine from the park that made them.  Arguing over which was the ‘original’ Crystal Beach sucker.  Similar to the Cronfeld / Smeader argument over which was selling the authentic Crystal Beach Loganberry.  The Jankowiak-Hirsch book has a good write up interviewing one of the girls who worked in the sucker stand.

I know a former councillor for the town has a food truck/trailer he would go around with and sell the Logan berry, suckers, and sugar waffles from at other events

[Seasons1992]

13 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

The Comet is currently in Lake George.  It's fun, but it's painful.  The older I've gotten, the more painful it's become and I'm done riding it.  Just a very uncomfortable ride and I may have CTE.

 

It was violent LONG before we got old........

 

I remember taking a ferry from Buffalo up to Cyrstal Beach once. 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

1 minute ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

It was violent LONG before we got old........

 

I remember taking a ferry from Buffalo up to Cyrstal Beach once. 

Considering the Canadiana quit running before I was born in 1956, you probably rode the Block Island ferry which was renamed the Americana when Ramsi Tick and associates arranged to bring it to Buffalo and run it in the 80s.

[PromoTheRobot]

20 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

 

Was Mr. Potts really ‘off his rocker’?  ?

 

His kids were.

17 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

 

Are you refering to the big dune that was right next to the park along Erie Road? I used to hate having to go to those places cause you had to park then walk up a ton of stairs on the one side to go down a bunch more to get to know of those cottages. Some of the people there have little carts on rails that they can use to move their stuff up and down the hill.

 

Exactly.

[Marv's Neighbor]

1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Was that the same Hunt family of the Chiefs!  The ones that crashed the Ag Market?  I never made the distinction!

 

Oh... Somewhere your cheap uncle is proud!  ? ? J/K

Same Hunt's!  Was thinking of that when I saw Mrs Hunt on the SB.

[teef]

14 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

The Comet is currently in Lake George.  It's fun, but it's painful.  The older I've gotten, the more painful it's become and I'm done riding it.  Just a very uncomfortable ride and I may have CTE.

gug...what's the name of that whacked out little amusement park for kids in lake george.  it's the one where someone looked like they designed it on acid.  storybook land or something like that.  we're coming back up to lake george this summer, and someone told me it was turned into something else...a dinosaur park maybe?  it was great for the kids.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

I rode the Comet for the first time this summer, as my son was finally tall enough to ride all the coasters at 6 Flags Lake George.  It was okay, but really tough on the body.  I think just about everyone got off the ride holding their head/back and complaining about pain.  It’s like taking a 5 minute ride in an industrial sized drier ?

[Gugny]

25 minutes ago, teef said:

gug...what's the name of that whacked out little amusement park for kids in lake george.  it's the one where someone looked like they designed it on acid.  storybook land or something like that.  we're coming back up to lake george this summer, and someone told me it was turned into something else...a dinosaur park maybe?  it was great for the kids.

 

LOL.  You're talking about Magic Forest. 

 

https://www.lakegeorge.com/business/lake-george-expedition-park-23689/

 

 

[Seasons1992]

1 hour ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Considering the Canadiana quit running before I was born in 1956, you probably rode the Block Island ferry which was renamed the Americana when Ramsi Tick and associates arranged to bring it to Buffalo and run it in the 80s.

 

This is 100% accurate.

[Marv's Neighbor]

18 hours ago, Gray Beard said:

There was a wooden roller coaster at Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire that I used to enjoy.  According to wiki, it was designed and built by the same people who built the Comet, but it was smaller. 

 

At at this point in my life I think a roller coaster would cause me to lose my equilibrium and have a bad day. 

Fortunately, I don't have that problem, but my wife does.  Keeps me away from the parks now because I don't want to ride alone.

[snafu]

I loved going to Crystal Beach.  I rode the Comet on Closing Day.  Went to the park with two friends.  The line to get on the Comet was at least a two hour wait.  There was NO line/NO waiting to ride backwards -- so that's what we did, twice!!  That backward ride on the Comet was the greatest.  You couldn't tell when you were going to turn right or left, you couldn't tell when you were going up or down.  It was like being rag-dolled for two minutes.  The only thing holding you in was that little bar going across your lap.  There were three of us so one trip I rode alone -- nobody to bounce off, so it was hold on for dear life.  Many years later I learned the Comet was in Lake George.  Rode it again -- facing forward.  I was still an excellent ride.

 

I'm always reminded of that old TV commercial with Mike Ramsay and Mike Foligno arguing about riding forward or backward.

 

 

[plenzmd1]

13 minutes ago, Marv's Neighbor said:

Fortunately, I don't have that problem, but my wife does.  Keeps me away from the parks now because I don't want to ride alone.

Wife has always said that having babies did something to her internals and she no longer rides coasters...and we were both huge coaster fans , i still am! 

 

That all started with the Comet..with free ride tickets for Loblaws! Along with hockey sticker books!

 

The real question is who else grew up in or near the Falls and used to beg their dad to go to Pages Whistle Pig so you could get one of the rides there. My Pops never, and i do mean NEVER, would pay "those outrages prices for a hotdog..let alone the dollar a ride cost"....so I never once ate at or rode at the Whistle Pig..scarred for life i am!!!!

[snafu]

2 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

Loblaws! Along with hockey sticker books!

 

That's a memory!

 

[T&C]

21 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

Wife has always said that having babies did something to her internals and she no longer rides coasters...and we were both huge coaster fans , i still am! 

 

That all started with the Comet..with free ride tickets for Loblaws! Along with hockey sticker books!

 

The real question is who else grew up in or near the Falls and used to beg their dad to go to Pages Whistle Pig so you could get one of the rides there. My Pops never, and i do mean NEVER, would pay "those outrages prices for a hotdog..let alone the dollar a ride cost"....so I never once ate at or rode at the Whistle Pig..scarred for life i am!!!!

I didn't grow up near the Falls (Lancaster) but I have never heard of this place... would think I'd at least heard the name but no. Was it like Glen Park?

 

Every year we'd go here for the 4th of July weekend... hit the park, watch the fireworks over the lake, ... they had some place across the road called Fairyland Forest. The Blue Streak is an awesome coaster and is still up and running strong. Not that far a drive from WNY really.

http://www.newconneautlakepark.com/

 

http://www.newconneautlakepark.com/attractions/historic-blue-streak-wooden-roller-coaster.cfm

Edited February 10, 2020 by T&C

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

23 minutes ago, snafu said:

I'm always reminded of that old TV commercial with Mike Ramsay and Mike Foligno arguing about riding forward or backward.

Thank you!  Couldn’t remember the players, and couldn’t find the video spot.

[Gray Beard]

59 minutes ago, Marv's Neighbor said:

Fortunately, I don't have that problem, but my wife does.  Keeps me away from the parks now because I don't want to ride alone.

My wife never was a fan of fast rides.  My kids used to get me to go on them, but that was many years ago.  Now my daughter won’t go on rides after a bad vertigo incident on the Tower of Terror.  My son still likes to go on them, but we haven’t been together at a big amusement park in many years.  

[Marv's Neighbor]

56 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

Wife has always said that having babies did something to her internals and she no longer rides coasters...and we were both huge coaster fans , i still am! 

 

That all started with the Comet..with free ride tickets for Loblaws! Along with hockey sticker books!

 

The real question is who else grew up in or near the Falls and used to beg their dad to go to Pages Whistle Pig so you could get one of the rides there. My Pops never, and i do mean NEVER, would pay "those outrages prices for a hotdog..let alone the dollar a ride cost"....so I never once ate at or rode at the Whistle Pig..scarred for life i am!!!!

Had not thought about Loblaws in a very long time.  Not aware of Pages, but growing up in S Buffalo, didn't get to the Falls area very often, till college.

[ExiledInIllinois]

1 hour ago, plenzmd1 said:

Wife has always said that having babies did something to her internals and she no longer rides coasters...and we were both huge coaster fans , i still am! 

 

That all started with the Comet..with free ride tickets for Loblaws! Along with hockey sticker books!

 

The real question is who else grew up in or near the Falls and used to beg their dad to go to Pages Whistle Pig so you could get one of the rides there. My Pops never, and i do mean NEVER, would pay "those outrages prices for a hotdog..let alone the dollar a ride cost"....so I never once ate at or rode at the Whistle Pig..scarred for life i am!!!!

We had so many of those completed NHL sticker books... Uncles worked in the Loblaw's warehouse... My mother worked in the admin offices.  Get us all the stickers we wanted. They probably all ended up in the garbage. Should check to see if one is laying around.

 

Probably worth something... Was the year Capitals came into League with the Kansas City Scouts.  

 

/smh...

[snafu]

18 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

We had so many of those completed NHL sticker books... Uncles worked in the Loblaw's warehouse... My mother worked in the admin offices.  Get us all the stickers we wanted. They probably all ended up in the garbage. Should check to see if one is laying around.

 

Probably worth something... Was the year Capitals came into League with the Kansas City Scouts.  

 

/smh...

 

If I remember right, I had a book when the Golden Seals were still around.

Long gone now.

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

7 minutes ago, snafu said:

 

If I remember right, I had a book when the Golden Seals were still around.

Long gone now.

 

 

The Seals (Oakland, then "California") were in that sticker book with the Scouts (Devils) & Caps.  The books I remember were the expansion season of 1974-1975.  Sabres Cup Final year ('75)!  Wish I could find one, mom probably tossed them!  Seals became Cleveland Barons in 1976, then merged w/Northstars....