Over the Falls (Seabreeze Amusement Park)
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| Manufacturer | Seabreeze | ||||||||||
| Product | Custom Log Flume | ||||||||||
| Builder | George Long, Seabreeze | ||||||||||
| Designer / calculations | Euclid Beach Park | ||||||||||
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| Height | 40 feet | ||||||||||
Over the Falls was the original Log Flume ride at Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester, New York, USA that opened in 1958 and closed in 1984.[1][2] The ride's plans were purchased by George Long, then owner and operator of Seabreeze Park, from Euclid Beach Park. Long had the ride constructed along with a large lagoon in the center of Seabreeze Park. Remnants can still be found today in the footprint of the current log flume that took the place of Over the Falls in 1984.[1][2]
Design
Over the Falls featured a large cement trough where large log shaped boats traversed around the perimeter of a man made lagoon. After navigating the course around the lagoon, the boat would arrive at the base of a 40 foot belt driven lift hill. Once at the top, the boat would plunge what was then heralded as the steepest log flume drop in the world at 55 degrees before entering a splashdown trough at the base of the hill. From there the boat would return to the main station.[2]
Boats
The ride vehicles for Over the Falls differed from the original plans that were purchased with the ride due to miscalculations by the designers. During testing, the original boats barely fit through the troughs and would often get stuck. George Long devised a plan and Seabreeze designed their own custom ride vehicles. These vehicles consisted of large carved out heavy wooden logs secured by large angle irons and were sealed with caulk to ensure the boats remained watertight.[2]
Other Notable Features
The ride contained a large lagoon that provided water to circulate through the flume troughs.[1][2] As part of the scenery, a large paddle wheel was included to "move" the water through the troughs. The water, however, was often criticized by guests as having a foul smell to it due to problems with the filtration system. This led to pranksters often dumping bottles of soap into the water at the bottom of the drop where large pools of bubbles then emerged.[2]
Important Note:
*Over the Falls was located in the same placement of the current Log Flume at Seabreeze, however, the current log flume is an entirely different ride with a different layout and lift hill.[1][2]