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Cannonball Loop was a looping body water slide located at Action Park in Vernon, New Jersey, USA.[1] It is commonly known as the first and only water slide to feature a vertical loop open to the public.
History
In 1982, a 15 foot tall and 200 foot long pair of slides named Human Cannonball opened at the park, the next year, a slide called the Cannonball Loop was built, inspired by the design of the Human Cannonball, but with a vertical loop located at the bottom of the drop.[1]
Many stories and rumors of the slide's testing exist, including test dummies leaving the slide with missing limbs, employees being paid $100 just to ride it, and even one person going down the slide in full hockey gear.[2]
It is unknown how consistent the operation of the slide was, as it had been mentioned in news articles and advertisements over several years, but its advertised opening date was May 28, 1983.[1][3][4][5]
The slide was shut down after a month of operation during the 1985 season by the Carnival and Amusement Ride Safety Advisory Board.[6]
In 1990, the slide had "not been used for the last couple of years", and had been redesigned, but was still awaiting state approval.[7]
It operated sporadically during the mid-90s, and there are unconfirmed claims of the slide operating during the 1995 and 1996 seasons for a short time before being shut down permanently.[2][8]
The slide was removed after Action Park closed in 1996.[2]
Etymology
The was inspired by and named after the Human Cannonball slide, also at Action Park, it was named due to the end of the slide being high above the pool below, causing riders to hit the water like a "cannonball".[1]
Design
The slide's layout consisted of a drop followed by a vertical loop, all entirely enclosed.
Riders commonly did not make it through the loop properly, to help with this, riders were hosed down with water before entering the slide, still, a hatch was installed to remove riders who did not complete the loop.[2][9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Reilly, H.V. Pat (May 27, 1983). "Action rides return to Vernon Valley". The Herald-News. p. 44. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Benneyan, Bill (2020-08-26). "I Was a Human Test Dummy on the World's Most Dangerous Amusement Park Ride". Men's Health. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ↑ "Action Park: new rides, shows, stars". The Central New Jersey Home News. May 26, 1983. p. 60. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ↑ "Resorts report 15% decline after record 1983". The Herald-News. September 2, 1984. pp. 1–3. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ↑ "Discount Park Tickets Available". The Ridgewood News. June 13, 1991. p. 69. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ↑ Moran, Mark; Sceurman, Mark (August 26, 2023). "Blood Sport: Revisiting Traction… Er, Action, Park". Weird N.. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ↑ "rides are what make Action Park unusual". The Morning Call. July 29, 1990. pp. F4. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ↑ "Action Park", Wikipedia, 2024-09-02, retrieved 2024-09-07
- ↑ Rosenblit, Rachel (2020-07-01). "'Action Park' looks back at one very dangerous amusement park". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-09-07.