Starfish (Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom)
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| Manufacturer | Chance Rides | ||||||||
| Product | Wipeout | ||||||||
| Capacity | 40 per cycle | ||||||||
Starfish was a Trabant/Satellite built by US manufacturer Chance Rides formerly located at Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom in Aurora, Ohio, USA.
History
The ride originally opened in 1998 at The New Marine World Theme Park in Vallejo, California, USA as Starfish. It was built near the park's Ski Stadium and entrance.
In May 2001 at the park, later renamed to Six Flags Marine World, a 41-year-old woman fell from the ride and suffered minor injuries. She later sued the park and the manufacturer Chance Rides, which prompted the park to install a secondary lap bar restraint.[1]
In June 2002, a four-year-old girl was taken to hospital with serious head injuries after falling from the ride.[2]
The ride was eventually removed in accordance with the state of California after this accident in late 2002 and was subsequently sent to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure in Aurora, Ohio, where it reopened in 2003, retaining the Starfish name and theme.[3] It was located near the Sea Lion Stadium on the park's wildlife side.[4][5][6]
The following year in March 2004, Six Flags Worlds of Adventure was sold to Cedar Fair by Six Flags, which immediately closed the wildlife side of the park. Starfish was taken down and stored during the 2004 season.[7]
In 2005, Starfish reopened on the ride side of the park, now renamed to Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom in a new spot near Steel Venom.[8]
On September 16, 2007, Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom operated for the last time. On September 21, 2007, Cedar Fair announced that the amusement park section of Geauga Lake had closed permanently with the Wildwater Kingdom water park only opening in 2008.[9]
On June 17, 2008, Starfish was sold at auction for $10,000 following the park's closure, but its buyer and fate remains unknown.[10]
References
- ↑ "Girl's fall from ride latest incident at Vallejo's Six Flags Marine World". The Berkeley Daily Planet.
- ↑ "Girl's fall from ride a mystery". The San Francisco Examiner. 2002-06-10. p. 12. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ "2003 Six Flags Worlds of Adventure Brochure". Roller Coaster Freak.
- ↑ "State says Marine World will scrap Starfish". VallejoNews.
- ↑ "Article clipped from The Cincinnati Post". The Cincinnati Post. 2003-04-17. p. 51. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ "Geauga Lake History". Geauga Lake Today.
- ↑ Using Google Earth Pro's time travel tool, the following information can be observed.
- ↑ "Starfish". Geauga Lake Today.
- ↑ "Geauga Lake silences rides; water park stays". Aurora Advocate.
- ↑ "Ride News / Relocations / Removals". Roller Coaster Freak.
