29yrswithaGApass Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 Click here to see the whole Spotlight! Comments and discussions welcomed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted May 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2010 You can bet that if Big Fury was on site when the park opened, it would have been included in Great Adventure's first souvenir book. Instead, the ride was not even mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted May 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2010 I have often wondered whether these three buildings had anything to do with Big Fury. They are possibly original structures and would have been located right around the rear of the coaster ride. Unlike many of the similar structures that were once found around the park for ground crews, these seemed to have been used for electrical/power supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Master Posted May 8, 2010 Report Share Posted May 8, 2010 They do look like old style GADV utility buildings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi Posted May 9, 2010 Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 (edited) Interesting spotlight, I didn't realize the park had another coaster besides Runaway Mine Train in its opening year. I know I would probably feel different if I was alive in the 1970's before companies like B&M were around, but today those type of coasters aren't that exciting to me like the Pinfari and Flitzer at Morey's Piers and are something I only ride since there isn't amazing coasters everywhere you turn like now at Great Adventure. Edited May 9, 2010 by Yoshi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted May 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 RCDB.com has photos of the same model coaster lit up at night. Ours probably looked just like this at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsim86 Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 There is a pinfari zyklon for sale on ebay. I wish I had alot of money so I could buy it and name it Big Fury! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted August 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 I snapped this shot of Keansburg's Wildcat. Their ride model was originally built in 1969 but installed decades later at their park. Previous post referenced below: Quote Over the years Great Adventure installed two different portable roller coasters on the same site, roughly the spot behind today's Chiller station. The first was a red track "Big Fury" coaster which opened late in the 1974 season and operated throughout 1977. In 1978 it was replaced with a blue track "Wild Rider" roller coaster which operated until the 1980 season, was SBNO in 1981, and removed just prior to the start of the 1982 season. Roller Coaster Database (RCDB.com) has the following comments listed for the history of Great Adventure's Wild Rider (aka Wildcat) coaster: Quote It is rumored that this Wildcat is now at Keansburg Amusement Park, in Keansburg, NJ. This information has yet to be confirmed. It is also thought these may be different sized Wildcats, thus making this move impossible even if the color scheme is the same. After checking out some old photos of both of GA's rides and viewing the Wildcat in Keansburg, the ride definitely is not Great Adventure's Wild Rider (Wildcat) ride although the track and configuration seem very similar to GA's first installation, the Big Fury ride. However, even with this ride there appear to be differences with the track (note the cross bars below). Great Adventure's Big Fury (1974-1977): And, Great Adventure's Wild Rider (1978-1980): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 ever wonder if big fury or wild rider are sitting up in one of the many maintenance bldgs tucked away in some rafters or covered by tarps and just rusting away giving some of natures wildlife homes...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted January 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 I love this "new" picture below. Big Fury was the perfect coaster for the flat-ride-filled sections of Strawberry Fair and Fun Fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThemeParkRider Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 I wouldn't mind having that coaster around now. There's still room... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlumeOp1974 Posted April 12, 2012 Report Share Posted April 12, 2012 Ok info on Big Fury..yes it was there in 1974 but arrived late..It ws installed at the end of July. It was the bigger version of the coaster and ran with 12 cars. it had two seperate stations a load and unload....And never had the topper on the lift hill. It was run with two cars in each station and the rest on the currect. each car would be released from the station just before the one on the lift crested and once it crested the lift it made the right turn and first dip ..as it turned right again before the second drop the next would clear the lift...thus causing the crossover you see in the pictures...It was interesting to see...how well the operations crew ran it..always watching and making sure that it ran at max. capacity...Needless to say this was a very fast laod unload to keep the timming right. There were no safty breakes only anti roll backs anywere on it. But in all the years one version or the other of this coaster was at the park..never was there a ccident with it. One reason for this choice of coaster was its apperance to a chang Windup toy..roller coaster,,,And thus added to the giant toy box look of Strawberry Fair... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAFanatic Posted April 12, 2012 Report Share Posted April 12, 2012 Notice how they put the coaster in the trees, removing only the ones necessary. There were trees inside the track. They did not plow down every tree in sight and place it on a cement slab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 i think one of the reasons the park has removed so many trees to put up coasters is due to the height and age, large trees potentially falling on the tracks could close a coaster for a season while a new section is made, cheaper not to risk it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted April 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 And never had the topper on the lift hill. What did you mean by "topper"? Are you referring to the structure below? That is an actual photo of the Big Fury at Great Adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlumeOp1974 Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 should have edited my post..The First did the Second one did not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted December 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 Click below to view the whole updated Spotlight! Here are some sample of more than 40 new photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted October 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2017 Surely this guy was brave enough to ride Big Fury in June of 1975. After all, he was probably just about 8 years old and already had tattoos! For reference, he would have been siting on the recently opened walkway between the Big Wheel and the new Fun Fair section of the park. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daved Thomson Posted October 1, 2017 Report Share Posted October 1, 2017 (edited) Just noticed the three utility sheds that were shown in this spotlight. These sheds were located behind the rollercoaster (parallel to it) in a small off-stage area that was also behind Big Wheel Burger, restrooms, Enterprise, Mad Hatter, Musik Express, Swabinchin, and later, Looping Starship. I know that two of the buildings were padlocked and not accessible and had high voltage signs on their front doors. The third building (farthest left in the photo) may also have had power related items in it, but it was definitely used by grounds crews as well for storage purposes and had benches and chairs outside it where grounds crews would often take smoking breaks. This area was also used as a central trash collection point for the area with literally trains of trash cars that would be pulled out at night by the tugs. Edited October 1, 2017 by Daved Thomson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yankees99 Posted October 5, 2017 Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 Love that photo you have showing toward the back of the ride and there's nothing behind it. That photo had to have been taken in 1974 before they started to build Fun Fair. I always loved the lights attached to the structure, especially when they lit up at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrummer Posted October 7, 2017 Report Share Posted October 7, 2017 love the fish eye shot inside the coaster looking upwards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted April 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 Here are two additional photos of GA's Big Fury coaster, both circa June 1977: This one offers a great view of the nearby Italian Ice stand. Note the simple picket fence separating the guests from the portable coaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted September 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2022 During the 1977/1978 off-season, the Big Fury coaster was removed from the park to make way for its replacement, the Wild Rider. Here are a couple photos from the ride's removal and preparation for the new roller coaster. It is interesting to note the power sheds from Big Fury remained and still do until this day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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