Chance Rides

Chance Rides
Status Active
Founded 1961
Website https://chancerides.com/

Chance Rides is an American manufacturer of amusement rides.

History

Chance Rides was incorporated in 1961 as Chance Manufacturing Co. by Harold Chance. The company built replicas of the C. P. Huntington steam train - a product it still sells today - and trailer mounted flat rides. In 1970, Chance Manufacturing purchased the assets of the Allan Herschell Company and began building carousels.[1][2] Around this time, the Toboggan roller coaster model was launched. In 1977, Chance acquired a minibus company which has allowed the company to produce motor vehicles.

Company founder Richard H. "Harold" Chance retired in 1985. That same year, a holding company was created by the son of Harold Chance, Dick Chance, and the Chance business was split into three subsidiaries, "Chance Rides", "Chance Coach" and "Chance Operations". The coach line was sold off in 1998, however the company continues to manufacture people movers.[3]

The company bought Bradley & Kaye in December 1986.[4]

Michael Chance, son of Dick Chance, joined the company in 1998. He bought the roller coaster designs of manufacturer D.H. Morgan Manufacturing in 2001 and formed Chance Morgan, Inc.[3] Manufacturing was moved to Wichita, Kansas while engineering remained in California.

Chance Rides partnered with Dutch manufacturer Vekoma in 2006. The partnership resulted in four coasters, the last of which was Freedom Flyer at Fun Spot America in Orlando, Florida, USA, before the companies decided to terminate the partnership in October 2012.[5]

To mark 50 years since the incorporation of Chance Manufacturing, the company re-branded itself in 2011 as Chance Rides.[3]

Dick Chance's second son, John Chance, joined the company in 2016. President Michael Chance passed away that same year. Aaron Landrum joined the company as President and Chief Operating Officer the following year.

Chance Rides formed a financial partnership with Permanent Equity in June 2023. At the same time, Dick Chance announced plans to transition from the owner and CEO to a holding a minority interest in the company.[6]

Products

Rides

This list is incomplete, please expand it if you can.
Name Type Introduced Status
Astro Wheel Ferris Wheel 1970 or earlier Discontinued
Aviator Aviator 1998 or earlier In production
Carousel Carousel 1982 or earlier In production
Chaos Chaos 1996 Discontinued
Electric Car Ride Track Ride 2000 In production
Falling Star Rainbow 1984 or earlier Discontinued
Flying Bobs Matterhorn 1979 or earlier Discontinued
Freestyle Trabant/Satellite 2018 or earlier In production
Inverter Inverter 1999 or earlier Discontinued
Olympic Bobs Bayern Kurve 1968 Discontinued
Pharaoh's Fury Pirate Ship 1998 or earlier In production
Red Baron Jets 1975 or earlier In production
Revolution Frisbee 2002 or earlier In production
Rock 'n' Roll Looper/Rock 'n' Roll 1970 Discontinued
Rotor Rotor 1967 or earlier Discontinued
Skydiver Skydiver 1965 Discontinued
Space Shuttle Pirate Ship 1981 Discontinued
Trabant Trabant/Satellite 1965 Discontinued
Tumbler Tumbler 1970 or earlier Discontinued
Turbo Turbo 1980s or earlier Discontinued
UniCoaster Looper/Rock 'n' Roll 2010 In production
Wheel Ferris Wheel 1976 or earlier In production
Wipeout Trabant/Satellite 1991 or earlier In production
Yo-Yo Chairswing 1976 or earlier In production
Zipper Zipper 1970 or earlier In production

References

  1. "CHANCE RIDES / D.H. MORGAN". CoasterForce. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  2. "Thrill Ride Firm Buys Out Rival". The Wichita Beacon. 1970-07-19. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "History". Chance Rides. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  4. Michelson, Harry (2016-11-29). "Bradley & Kaye Amusement Company". The Amusement Parkives (in English). Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  5. "Chance Rides & Vekoma Rides decide to discontinue North America cooperation". Amusement Today. 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  6. "Chance Rides plans for the future and forms financial partnership with Permanent Equity". Amusement Today. 2023-06-30. Retrieved 2023-10-28.