I've always been fascinated by "The Zipper". I've ridden it twice in my life. Both times, while standing and watching it, I couldn't wait to get on it. But then, while riding it, I couldn't wait to get the hell off! Such is the magic of "The Zipper"! Excellent video!
Zipper update 2013! All the loud music on the ride has been turned OFF! So the operators can hear someone scream "Let me off"! What a drag! Ride the ZIPPER before our litigious nanny state outlaws it! Still the best ride ever!
This is a hybrid Zipper. It was made in the late 80s and it has the newer seats. The Zippers made from 1968 to 1970 had a spring latch and nothing else. The spring latch would expire and not be replaced and that's why the doors opened. Now this ride has the lighter seats that have the pin. The Zippers made from 1998 to 2005 have the heavier cages. Those have 2 spring loaded slider latches and the lap bar latch.
This is the most enjoyable on-ride video of the Zipper on the internet. The music. Your enthusiasm. It's really great. Thanks for sharing this video of my favorite childhood ride.
Its only fun if the operator knows how to properly run the ride...sometimes you run into newbie operators who dont get how to make the gondolas whip around the corners as the whole thing is turning.
Like I said, most are of the portable 12-car variety, thus allowing the ride attendant to stow (lower hydraulically) the entire ride onto the attached trailer without having to remove the cars from their carriages whatsoever...The other types I spoke of had to be disattached completely from the trailer and assembled manually onto a stand, being that they were taller, and designed for more permanent season or year round applications...I've never seen the 20-car version. I think they came later...
Yes Michael Jackson did at one time own his own Zipper ride I remember seeing a documentary on television years ago where Oprah Winfrey visited him on his Neverland Ranch and they walked around his own personal Carnival and the Zipper was one of the rides that he had.
Its not really a forest. I go there every year and it just looks like that in the video. Just where this fair is, there is a lot of wildlife and trees but if you look at the trees on a ride or just standing you can see the road(s) and other stuff.
This is the BEST ride at the carnival byfar... it is TERRIFYING! You get whipped and thrown around at what feels like 100 mph... the best part is when you are at the end of the arm, and you hit the spinning part that whips you around super fast... you know what I mean if you have ridden it!
I went to the fair with my grandpas girlfriends grandsons, and one of them and me went on it together, and I was wearing flip flops, and they fell out and hit him in the face while we were in the cart. And I screamed so loudly and one of them asked "Was that you who was screaming?!" And I'm like "Yeah." (: love this ride.
Although few in number, Chance also made the "Super Zipper" and "Mega Zipper" (slightly taller 16-car or 20-car versions, respectively) designed for theme park applications where a less portable set-up was preferred...I've only seen the 16 car version in use at a theme park...
@WEBERisAbadCOACH Yea apparently some early model zippers have (had) lighter door and lock assemblies that spun easier, but were prone to opening while underway. The newer heavy doors are hard to spin.
@andrewcroad just go up to the operator and tell him you're solo and he'll hook you up with another solo rider right away. That's exactly what happened here.
lol I remember when my friend rode a Zipper at my fair and he thought that you held your hands onto the lap bar instead of the bars on the inside of the cage. he was hanging for dear life till he found out u were supposed to hold on to the bars on the inside
I went on one (first and last time) at the Melbourne show, it was the bad ass one, my friend and I both smashed our faces on the inside of the door and we constantly flipped until it finished. Never again
The ones in Australia are not new. They are way more violent than that one!!! They are old and creaky and will flip with just a jolt. I was continuously flipping for the whole ride. One of my favourite carnival rides for sure!!
That's outstanding! The early models had the lighter doors and faster RPM on the chain drive...that's what I remembered from riding the Zipper in '78. Post us a video of it!
Your zipper is all colorful and friendly looking. The one at my town has a brownish color because of the rust, and the cars make about a thousand different noises when you're in them. Who cares...still riding it.
Wow super cool carnival in the woods like that. I'm scared of this ride, the one I rode was missing teeth on the main sprocket. I felt this was indicative of the overall maintenance. Not to mention it was manufactured by a company named "Chance Manufacturing" which natural leads to a weary eye. The whole thing is held together by large hitch pins...yikes...Still the greatest machine ever built 'in my opinion'. Always see which car flips at the top. Ride that car!.
my sister went on this when she was 4.... she went on jumping up and down all excited and smiling.... she came off crying! i cant remember if she puked on the other kid or the other kid puked on her.
my dad is sick and I told my mom when my dad is better me and her can go in the zipper she said ok and my sister does not want to go there she thinks it's scary I told my sister that the zipper is not scary
So they have this for spring break down here in lake havasu, in a park where you pay 40 dollars, and you get everything free (not to mention free funnel cake and burgers). I love this ride, but I fucking hate doing front flips on this shit
