Zipper Rides Information and history - Flat Ride Of The Week 21

Well this was a really sad video to make, the final FROTW on my channel for some time. Glad we got to cover the long requested Zipper though. Be sure to subscribe to Alex's channel for more FROTW, and see you back on this channel for FROTW in November.
Alex's Channel: / @schwarzkopffanboy
Join Our Discord: / discord
Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipper_...)
showmensmuseum.org/vintage-ca...
www.ride-extravaganza.com/thr...
www.chancerides.com/zipper/
Credit (discord usernames)
Schwarzkopf Fanboy (alex)
Music used:(from youtube music database)
Royale (start)
Workout (end)
Other music provided by Epidemic sound and used with license. For specific song requests comment below with a timestamp.

[@Coyotek4]

A carnival without a Zipper can never truly be a carnival.

[@edwardkirkland2022]

agree!

[@Bluberry]

97th like and fr tho

[@tygovanheumen2701]

Laughs in european

[@teddybearkiller5271]

The fair I go to has two Zippers........ :)

[@scpslfreak1353]

my carnivals dont have one and its still a carnival

[@c-mar9820]

“I recommend you... don’t read that.” 😂 Good luck at Cedar Point!

[@devonritchie1899]

The zipper is the best carnie ride ever invented esspecialy when you get an operator willing to give a "good" ride

[@Pinklemonaii]

15 spins baby

[@Porcf81]

I’ve achieved over 120 flips on a zipper before. Most of that was by rocking the car during the load/unload process. When the ride is running I find the ride does better when I don’t try to influence the flipping and just let it do its thing.

[@scottyjbd]

Devon Ritchie I once had like 8 so so rides in a row but I had to stop becUse I was so dizzy. We then decided Tilt a Whirl was a good one to do next. That operator gave the best tilt a whirl ride of my life, but I was miserable because I was so dizzy from the Zipper

[@lilyp396]

Greg Nuse When I was like 10 my cousin kept flipping it and kept hitting my head and banging around so I can’t ride it anymore without being super scared 😂😂

[@xdarkknightx09]

@@Porcf81 I remember someone in front of us doing that, so we tried to as well and the operator got pissed.

[@melasn9836]

Ah, my most hated nemesis at the carnival. There’s a difference between “scary” and “straight up uncomfortable”.

[@itsconzo5095]

I actually enjoy the uncomfortable experience that comes with this ride, me and my friend cant stop laughing.

[@firebirdofnight5957]

First time ever on it shoes come off and keep hitting me in the face. Curse this ride

[@teddybearkiller5271]

It's not that uncomfortable if you push yourself into the seat so your head doesn't bang up against the bars. Though it is kind of difficult when you're trying to rock it, I did that once crazy experience, never doing it again though. 0_0

[@FrankieWashburn]

I don’t get why ppl find this ride to be uncomfortable...The inside of the cage is padded. I think ppl are getting uncomfortable and claustrophobic mixed up.

[@GenericPast]

@@itsconzo5095 Me with the strawberries carnie ride. 4 grown men inside one spinning it to its maximum was a terrifyingly awesome experience.

[@crouse_2248]

Most people ride them wrong because they don’t hold the bars and secure themselves the right way. I’ve always have great rides in these rides

[@teddybearkiller5271]

I know right every time I ride this with someone that's never been on it, I always tell them to put your hands on the bars and push your back up against the seat so you don't bang your head on the door.

[@katelynmmcb]

It’s because people are dumb 🤣🤣

[@AddATudez]

Love the Zipper :-) 2 things: 1) the old/fast models are called 'wet models' because they had to be sprayed down with water so much (due to the puke). Apparently, some Australian showmen actually mod their Zippers to be at wet model speed. 2) The Zipper was the inspiration for X2 :-)

[@aaura8805]

omg!!!!!!!! forgot about the hose down thingy. LOL Got over a hundred rides on that faster Zipper in the '70s.

[@speederbrad95]

Well most of the Australian zippers (which a lot were locally built by Ferrari Engineering under license) follow the original patent design with hydraulic drives. and yes just about every one I’ve seen run a lot faster than they do in America.

[@AddATudez]

@@speederbrad95 Crazy! I'd love to see a wet model speed one in action in real life sometime haha!

[@tgwest62]

Rim Iron is what you call them mostly!

[@tgwest62]

The hose was for cleaning out the vomiting!

[@kevinmckenzie100]

I saw an interview with Alan Schilke he said growing up this was his favorite ride and actually his inspiration when designing the 4D coaster with Arrow

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

kevin M Cool

[@abairdk]

You go to Magic Mountain to ride the X. And you catch a ride on the Twisted Colossus while you're there. You go to the fair "because" they have an operating Zipper.

[@Heavens-Humanaterian-Army]

I'm sad to hear this.

[@Novadolls]

I rode one of these back when I was in fourth grade- I was a few inches shorter than the minimum height but, my dad and I didn't realize at the time and the operator checked my height and said I was clear to get on. This was before over the shoulder restraints, so it was just the lap bar and the door. Everything was fine until the first inversion. Since I was so small, I began to slip up from the seat. My dad had to lean over and hold me in place. It was the coolest thing fourth-grade me had ever done, because I didn't realize how that could have ended much worse until several years later when I mentioned the ride and my dad told me what actually happened. Sometimes it still freaks me out that I was almost a carnival horror story.

[@maggie-tp6bc]

this happened to me at disney world. i was like 7 and they let me on the jurassic park ride, my cousin had to hold me in at the huge drop or else i actually could've flew out and died 😭

[@lightningboat]

@@maggie-tp6bcthat’s called airtime and your restraint can hold you in, it just doesn’t seem like sox

[@njdotson]

I've actually never seen one with the extra restraints

[@Jade-kd5nx]

Yeah me either and I was at the fair in 2021 in August and I’m going again so huh

[@Luke_Domino]

As me and my friend call these "ferris wheel on steroids".

[@teddybearkiller5271]

I call them chainsaws... ;)

[@slayerfan2]

You 2 should apply that to the SkyWheel

[@TimDavisThaTycoon]

@@teddybearkiller5271 I can see that.they even sound like them

[@seanmce8132]

Steroids and meth

[@derekbatchelor4063]

This is quite possibly my favorite flat ride of all time. If I see one, I HAVE to ride.

[@Kitsuku]

Zippers are my all time favorite! But! There is a way to ride them (At least the originals) The seat is super comfortable and you wanna sit pressed flush against it so your back and legs are all touching the surface. Next there are a few ways to go about not being thrown around. Either you're big enough so the top of your knees can press up against that padded door bar to hold you in place, or more commonly you press your hands up to the upper part of the door right where the door ends and the padding begins. The full inside of the pods are padded minus the screen type door. That padded lap bar helps to hold your body back, but if you plant your feet firm and hold your hands to the top padded area you easily can keep yourself from being thrown around. Also this method is great because even if the door popped open (Which was super rare and doesn't happen today with the new system) you can hold yourself in still for it to allow time for the time to be stopped. (You'll understand if you try it) I operated one myself and the ride operation is interesting but rather basic, though you can do manual things to perform tricks like keeping the cars still while the main "Wheel" turns. Definitely one of my favorite rides though as you never get the same ride twice or ever again and you can get major airtime. I always told people who are first time riders how to brace on it (In the way I described above). For those unsure about riding if describe it like a Tilt-A-Whirl spinning effect just vertically.

[@ranamurzda7657]

I was going to mention this. This is definatley the way to ride. I've ridden these ever since I was a kid with my friends. It was our favorite ride at the fair. Sadly the only place I've seen this ride nowadays in my part of the country is the IX Indoor Amusement Park in Toledo Ohio. I've since taught my kids how to ride it safely and it is now their favorite ride also. Ironically they have passed how to ride it onto their friends and any first time riders in line with them. Thank you for doing the Zipper.

[@Kitsuku]

@@ranamurzda7657 IX Indoor is amazing! I only been once though as I live fulltime in California. Zippers are still common in traveling state fairs and small carnivals though from what I see. They are super easy to maintain (I mean for a portable ride), only take one truck to transport and are more so a spectacle so I think that is why they are still pretty common at least on the west coast where I am at. I really want the company to produce a double where both sides can move independently. It definitely needs a successor model for sure!

[@ranamurzda7657]

@@Kitsuku That idea is amazing! I would love to see that!

[@aaura8805]

Exactly what I ws thinking during the vid. How I use to position my body, toes, hands. Toes play a BiG ParT. You could push your feet right up to the lip of the door frame in front of you. I didn't move around inside the cage. I rode the zipper hundreds of times as a child...the faster version 1970's. FAVorite ride. We use to see how many times we would spin around. Or get the operator to give you a spin as you take off. I am now 60yo, don't think I could do it today.

[@hairyhunk44]

True if people are being thrown they are of small build or not bracing. I just lock my arms straight forward with firm grips on the padded bars and the padded lap bar was enough to keep my lower torso in place.

[@jenb5792]

I’m sad about the new restraints.. the unkown knock arounds was the best part. My friends and I would laugh our asses off during this ride. This will always be my favorite fair ride

[@jeffanderson3962]

I can literally sit and watch this ride all day. I did ride it once, but just felt like I was in a washing machine.

[@scottyjbd]

Also, The Zipper rides arent painful at all. You just have to brace yourself! I havent been on one since 2006 and every ride I ever had was the lap bar attached to the door, always knew these were janky af! But they were the only good ride at most traveling carnivals, they deliver some incredible whip and air time, better than what most coasters can provide. I absolutely adore this ride. That said, ive ways thought I would someday hear about accidents involving this ride, but I am not going to read any reports.

[@ChiSportsNut18]

There were indeed some accidents on this ride. As a result newer models of the ride only run at half the speed.

[@Heavens-Humanaterian-Army]

If the average kid can just go on it with no special ways to ride it...like any other coaster and flat then its a death trap and basically a tumble dryer for smathing humans around...never agian...was wounded for weeks...they are not safe at all..you should not need a manual to survive a ride...it needs to be gone.

[@scottyjbd]

@@Heavens-Humanaterian-Army how exactly were you wounded? Didn’t hold onto the handle bars in front of you? Don’t tell me you had your hands up like a roller coaster

[@oofmodzz8101]

It looks like the cranium shaker from the diary of a wimpy kid book Roderick rules

[@CoasterCollege]

The ride in the book/movie was based off the Zipper.

[@RealBabyChanel]

U mean dog days

[@oofmodzz8101]

Yung Stone pretty sure

[@annetteslife]

You have not ridden a cranium shaker until you rode the Ring of Fire or for some countries they are called Fireball

[@BassGuitarSlide]

Ah yes, I also read that book series and was like "Hey, this thing is also in Rollercoaster Tycoon 3!" :D I always compared this ride to a chainsaw...

[@shmackatrotsky5394]

fun fact: the zipper has the most recorded instances of any ride in amusement park/fairgrounds history of one rider vomiting onto a rider in another car/gondola.

[@coasterblocks3420]

I could believe that. I went to a massive rave once (Adventjah Dance Music Festival) in Brisbane Australia which had a Zipper. That was wild for us to ride off our chops!

[@midliferising]

Zipper is the ultimate classic ride. Unpredictable and extremely thrilling. One of the best classic flat rides of all time!!

[@Oneinthehand1]

I've ridden a zipper once, and I actually really enjoyed it. The specific one I rode was the old model with the lap bar on the door. I thought is was a very fun ride, and I didn't feel uncomfortable.

[@Temptazer]

You are a special person.

[@Oneinthehand1]

@@Temptazer I have no idea how I actually enjoyed it

[@katelynmmcb]

I love the zipper it’s my favourite ride

[@donaldpratt7099]

Rode it once back in the 90's and never again. All I remember is going full force towards the ground face first.

[@hairyhunk44]

Me and a friend went full force head first toward the ground and we yelled all the way down like we were falling to our death...we loved it!

[@donaldpratt7099]

@@hairyhunk44 your funny. I love watching the ride. Its cool. Have a good day.

[@ihatezilla8187]

I still believe I never came back to life after riding this when I was like 9

[@Thrillrider10]

My local county fair has one of these every year. That ride gave me a concussion last year.

[@NewEnglandPatriotsfan]

It's a rough and violent ride wouldn't doubt it. Hope your okay now

[@apollofell3925]

I remember being terrified of this ride as a kid, for years and years I never wanted to try it... then one year I got the courage, and it immediately became my favorite.

[@sheriffcowboythecountrywol4465]

Same with me its my fav ride now

[@ptifurry4070]

Same dude

[@VeeTHis]

Ah, one of the rides on my "Never In 9 Million Years" list.

[@giancarlofelicianocastaned9316]

Wimp

[@VeeTHis]

@@giancarlofelicianocastaned9316 Zippers are literally one of the sketchiest carnival rides and there's been multiple incidents of people falling out of them. How am I a wimp lol

[@elidanko1912]

I have seen them being rusty and old paint, with the operator sitting there with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

[@CarrotAndCo]

Everybody gangsta till GP uses Scar's time lapse music.

[@kristalic]

*howling intensifies*

[@libnic]

Ìokpkjnonzxfvgv6 5 the only thing that you can also be used to be a good time 66 66 7 is 96 73 4sadgd6 11 the same. the only thing

[@CarrotAndCo]

@@libnic ?

[@KubickQ]

@@libnic haha funny autocorrect thing I think that only appears on samsung or android or something

[@Walubot]

Howl is a great song

[@legok6037]

As a kid I was always scared just standing next to the thing lol

[@wreathofbarbs123]

this is the ride that made me a coaster enthusiast. Obviously, not a coaster- BUT it gave me a love in being inverted, intense rides, and the craziness that can come with coasters. This is what started it all for me, as a little kid!

[@PurpleSceneNinja01]

You don’t know true fear until you’ve ridden a zipper with the old cage and lap bar 😳

[@kenlacey6781]

I love the Zipper, have rode this ride multiple times, when I was in my teen years, me and my friend were riding it at a local school carnival and we were spinning the cart, we had figure away to sway and make it go around many times in a row before reaching the round about. I believe we had it rotate 7 or 9 times and the tension cable that creates an X between the 2 car pods snapped and they had to stop the ride and bring it down, it was fun and I still ride the ride now and then

[@Simonsays90]

Zipper has always been my favorite fair ride, since the day I was tall enough to ride it. That being said, about half the time i’d ride it it would be amazing and the other half you’d get a litte banged up. There was one time that i’m pretty sure it gave me a concussion though... I totally remember when the accidents happened in the 90’s, didnt stop me or my friends though. At that age were dumb enough to see it as an added thrill

[@docdeth904]

I loved the Zipper back when I was a carnie. It was easy to set up, only took 3-1/2 hours with 2 of us, and if we could get someone who knew the ride to help, 2-1/2. After we got all the scenery and other things out of the possum belly, I would hang a tarp up and use it as my quarters while we were on the spot. I worked the zipper for 4 seasons and was always the test rider after we got everything together. Another thing about the Zipper, it was the ultimate shaker ride. If you had a good operator, and ours was one of the best, you could clear 20 to 30 bucks in loose change from under the boom area, as well as knives, watches and other pocket paraphernalia. The worst part was replacing those fluorescent light bulbs when they went, because you had to do it at night when you could see them well, and they had colored sleeves you had to put the bulbs into. We also had a daily R-Key check, looking for missing pins, bolts and R-Keys on the K-Frames and the tubs, that wasn't too bad, and if the crew (all 2 of us) knew what we were doing, and we did, we could complete in about 15 minutes if everything was good. edited for autocorrect correction.

[@kamsavart]

Years ago me and another kid rode a zipper at our local fair. It was my first time and didn't know what to expect. Needless to say it was indeed intense and unpredictable. And what made it more memorable is that the operator forgot about our cage and because of this we ended up going through 3-4 cycles. By the time we finally got off we were very disoriented.

[@coastx6140]

You forgot to mention that Michael Jackson holds the world record for the longest time on a zipper.

[@Spiderific]

Yes and if I remember correctly, didn't he own one at his Neverland Ranch?

[@MrMywildside]

Spiderific! Yes he did.

[@Scioneer]

@@Spiderific Yep, and it was one of the old faster ones.

[@Spiderific]

@@MrMywildside thanks!

[@Spiderific]

@@Scioneer thanks for the info. that's pretty cool that he had one of the old fast ones.

[@timtrickz92]

These are really common in my state (Utah) and found at almost every carnival/ fair. It’s definitely in my top 3 favorite carnival rides however due to the no single rider rule, I don’t get to ride them quite as often as I’d like. My friends are always too afraid to go on them 😂.. They can be super crazy at times. Very forceful sometimes. You Gotta keep your arms straight to avoid hitting your face. Also sometimes you hit/ smash your head on the ceiling, especially when the cage whips and flips around at the bottom. Every ride is different, and have even experienced Tame rides. They are definitely not for everyone but if you like a good thrill I highly recommend it!

[@MrMywildside]

Yeah it can be a violent ride. And like you, I don’t get to ride it very often because of the no single rider rule. The carnies are often rude about it too. As for the reason for the rule I get it, but you would think they can be more accommodating. They perhaps can call for any other singles in the line, or make a single rider holding area that a single rider can wait in so that when another single rider comes along they get called up to ride. I have seen some children in tears when they were turned away because they were a single rider. They are definitely not treated fairly at this ride.

[@timtrickz92]

Mike Ford I too have seen kids and adults pretty upset after waiting in a huge line for this only to be turned down for being a single rider. The single rider standby idea, would be awesome! And yeah... Gotta love those carnies. Once one started insulting my friend for not playing his carnival game. They are just part of the carnival experience!

[@jamesturner8080]

@@timtrickz92 i was lucky enough to ride solos in the 70s

[@vcakes3287]

I'm in the US and there was one that the cage snapped and it fall partially. No one was seriously injured thank goodness

[@ZachGrabas]

The first time a saw a Zipper was in RCT Touch, and it looked like a torture device. And it still does.

[@HardcoreHeely]

The only zipper I’ve seen in person had BAD ASS ZIPPER written on each carriage (it was a travelling ride in Australia)

[@Bruuuhh314]

Love the zipper,its a classic at the fair where it goes abt 2 or hours or 1HR and 30 minutes away depending on the speed your going at

[@Brian_P]

Holy crap you're a ride enthusiast and you've never wrote a zipper?! You've got to find one to ride. I love roller coasters but the zipper will always be my all time favorite ride!

[@rebekahjollie5053]

Rode a zipper for the first time today! For a while it’s been the only ride I pass by at my local fair, but I decided to give it a try today. I really liked it and will definitely ride it again. It was honestly less jerky than I expected and the flips gave some nice air time, especially after the ride operator sent the ride backwards. Definitely brace with your feet and back and hold tight to the bars in front of you and you shouldn’t have an issue with being thrown around (which had been my main fear).

[@the_angry_empath]

Also, those new harnesses look secure, but it takes away the fun of being able to rock and flip your own cart. I was able to count 76 flips during one of my best rides.

[@sb-tb1oh]

Rode this many times as a youth in the US in the 80's. No shoulder restraints. Just the door holding you in place. Me and my two best friends would all fit into one. We loved this ride... I do remember seeing puke sprayed from a car while waiting in line... it was blue from someone obviously feasting on blue cotton candy 😝 the carnival would come to town during the summer, around the time of the 4th of July. I had no idea it was dangerous, but it was a different time. Good memories! Thanks for the vid!!!! Ride one if you can! They were awesomely fun to ride. One of my favs, as was the tilt a whirl 😁

[@robertescher3082]

In my 52 years of being on rides... This is the only one where I had to call the rid op to stop and let me off. I hit the bar on the door so hard I instantly threw up. I was very embarrassed... Fortunately, the ride op was very understanding and took me over to a trash can and stayed with me while I finished. I think I was ten or 11... That said, I still think the Chance Turbo is a more 'intense' ride as far as not knowing which direction you're going to be spun next. And no, I have not ridden another Zip since my incident. heh...

[@TimDavisThaTycoon]

52 is my favorite number

[@shadowrealm10]

MY ALL-TIME FAVE! 😍

[@seanm7785]

The Zipper remains the only flat ride I cannot muster the courage to ride. 34 years old and I just can't get myself to sit in one of those cages.

[@sandraweilbrenner67]

We collected a lot of change after closing from the ground under this ride lol.

[@nrdythugg4102]

I wish we had them here in Germany. I never saw anything like that here. Hopefully I will be able to ride one when I make vacation in the USA.

[@joyoustye2326]

That patriotic zipper is so beautiful

[@rocketbackhander6280]

This ride was my intro to inverted rides. This and the version that rolled over on the other axis. This is the first I've heard about no solo riders as I never had anybody else ride with me.. Then again this was in like, the late 80s.

[@LandNfan]

Summers of ‘67 and ‘68, I worked part time at Joyland Park in Wichita. One weekend in ‘68, Chance brought a Zipper to the park to field test. Not only do I love to ride the Zipper, I love to run it. It literally RAINS money under the ride, as its random tumbling shakes it out of riders pockets. I picked up over $8 in change that weekend. The Zipper has much going for it. It sets up and tears down faster than most rides on the midway, and it racks on a single trailer. Traveling shows love them for that. Operators love them because they are so easy to run. A cable mounted control box you can drag around with you, contains just 4 buttons, 2 for the boom, 2 for the cable. Super easy!

[@edreid7872]

It was one of my favorites rides....until one summer day at Coney island during the 70's, I was a single rider, and the operator seem to be experimenting with the speed and and the amount of time...which was about 3x longer than usual.....I was terrified...

[@yay4this]

Rode this about 100 times over my teen years in the mid-80s and up to 1991.. never got bored or injured with the lap bar. Only felt slightly nauseated once after just eating.

[@CoasterCollege]

You can watch the next episode here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIXdmnR4n9l1qdU

[@moosepickles1882]

I’ve done it twice!! I think that’s enough for me though... I’m not a huge fan of having to brace yourself to enjoy a ride.

[@raver2be]

I've been waiting for this one because it's my favorite carnival ride!

[@mikeyd946]

Common in US AND Canada. Every fair ive been to since I’ve been a kid and I’m 36 had had a zipper ride here in Canada.

[@rjkral]

I’ve been riding this for literally decades. Folks if you brace yourself it’s fine and enormously fun!! Always have ridden it with the old bar, never seen the over the shoulder restraints ever. Just hold the bars that are in front of your face and push yourself back into the seat this way, bracing yourself. Fantastic ride.

[@nikkiwikki73]

God, I can’t even imagine what it must be like for someone to puke in one of those 🤢

[@sugargenius1821]

Someone actually puked in one of these zipper rides and it wasn’t great either

[@toddament8035]

My days of riding The Zipper are long gone. I just watch now and listen to the screams.

[@chiltonschilling2732]

Not as painful as Green Lantern First Flight at Magic Mountain was. Glad that's gone. Hopefully La Ronde does it justice

[@awildfilingcabinet6239]

The zipper is uncomfortable? I don’t know, I’ve never had that problem. There’s not that much room, so it’s really easy to brace yourself. And if you want to rock so you flip better you’ll be bracing yourself anyways. It’s definitely one of the most fun flat rides out there. There’s not much else that’s anywhere near as intense. Just grab on tight for the ride of your life

[@jennifermckenzie3099]

I was on a Zipper when I was younger, at the Vancouver PNE. My friend and I rode it many many times. The last time I rode it (ever), the ride operator was working really fast to get riders "secured" and didn't fully latch our door fully. Our cage went up a few spots before he heard us screaming about the door being open and they called our cage back down to lock it. We rode it but that was the last time!

[@-abacchus]

Interesting to hear how popular and common these are in the US. As Alex says, they're sparse this side of the Atlantic. I think I've only seen one in the UK, years and years ago at a huge fair in Cambridge. I think the only similar ride I've ridden is a small Ferris Wheel with egg-like cages that spin like crazy (and also has crappy restraints that allow you to get bashed about).

[@MarcLloydZ]

Zipper the KING of Carnival rides

[@eddrck4679]

I been riding them for a long time and i have never moved inside those cages.

[@FrankieWashburn]

@eddrck46 Same. People who find this ride uncomfortable clearly don’t know how to ride it.

[@morecklechat5280]

iI love Zipper rides! I grew up on them when fairs would come around the San Antonio area. They did terrify me, but the rush was worth it!

[@jasminejohnston6393]

There’s the Zipper, but there’s also a ride called the Salt And Pepper Shaker that’s similar

[@stevethepyro420]

The whip and flip at the top is what makes this ride popular.

[@Alex_Bonneau]

When I was a kid, this was by far my favorite ride!

[@Mattie-Ai]

I'm operating at Lagoon Park this season. I wish you good luck with your season! Thanks for the videos. 😊😊😊

[@SweetestHoney86]

This was one of my faves growing up. It really throws you around though.

[@MrJviner1]

My favorite fair/carnival ride ever. I can't remember a county fair without one.

[@edwardmiller4709]

Our light man and I got on a zipper when the band I was in was doing a carnival. The sax player told the operator to give us a long ride so he kept us on for 3 cycles. I was glad to get off.

[@Triveom]

This ride got me into thrill rides when I was a little kid... I'm so glad I rode it cause it gave me a love for amusement rides and it probably made me a coaster enthusiast haha

[@1981mrdavid]

The zipper is one of those rides that is more of a workout to run than it is to set up or tear down. The doors on those things are beasts. Opening and closing them all day can get rough.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

When I first saw a Zipper I was in Seattle and I was instantly fascinated. Thanks for the history. I don't think it would be trivial to build one of these unless you had the design schematics.

[@the_angry_empath]

Getting launched over the top when the boom is vertical is AMAZING

[@dadude1425]

I rode one of these back in 2009 or 10. I am, and always was, a pretty small person but I really don't remember it being painful at all. But that may have been because I had never ridden anything like it before and was pretty terrified so I was probably tensed up and that myself in place lol. Hey man, love this series. Have fun back at work!

[@mufalo]

Zipper is my all time favorite ride. It comes here every year and I have probably ridden it fifty times in my life. I got to take my son on it for the first time last weekend and it took a bit of coaxing but in the end he loved it so much we went four times

[@DeathValleyDays]

I can distinctly remember being in the cage and watching the operators snapping the safety pin into the door lock. TRAPPED!

[@bizjet]

Thanks for this video. Funny though, that you’ve never ridden one. As others have said, to get the best ride experience takes practice. Many years ago I rode three or four times with a friend and was quite sore for a day or two afterwards. It takes some stamina to brace yourself against the back of the cage, plus we learned that by shifting our weight toward the bottom, then the top of the cage, flipping resulted. A good cycle can produce intense negative and positive G-forces. I can’t recall ever getting beat up on a Zipper, but the Skydiver rides were quite brutal. When Chance introduced the Chaos, I saw it as their attempt at a higher capacity Zipper, since all seats could be loaded/unloaded at the same time. While vertical flipping was random, it was missing all the G-force extremes of a Zipper.

[@richardmartin6533]

I way I hear it, While working with Blue Grass Shows ... They were named the "zipper" because once you got off the ride, that's all you saw for the next 10 minutes, your zipper!

[@lucasss6416]

That one dislike from that GP who considers this a roller coaster.

[@gobbleswells2883]

I'm shocked to hear you two have NEVER ridden this ride, w the exception of the cohost telling us his one and only experience. Even more flabbergasted to hear that these ridws aren't popular overseas, like, I'm thinking back to all the thrill ride videos I've watched and am realizing I never did see one pop up during my viewing of foreign thrill rides..It's cool. Good job, guys.

[@WilbertAdams1]

The one "Zipper" I rode was actually called the Chainsaw.

[@nthgth]

That's a better name for it.. I wonder if it was invented before chainsaws existed though

[@natesface]

I would have been 13-14 the first time I ever rode a zipper, the first carnival ride I had ever been on in my life. Been in love with that thrill ever since. Only ever rode it two more years after that before it was retired and I imagine they didn't want to import another one. This gives me so much nostalgia.

[@seanybob6999]

Makes you wonder why some got retired if they're apparently quite easy to maintain. I wish the UK still had one.

[@romapaul47]

I love this ride - rode my first one in the 1970s on the Ocean City Maryland boardwalk with my dad, its was AWESOME but scared the crap out of me. I have riden it several other times at various places and always have butterflys in my stomach while waiting to board - actually remember riding one in the late 70s that still had the cotter pin as the lock mechanism, scary stuff thinking back on it all these years later. GREAT ride, the best!

[@hallietessman772]

This is the most scary, amazing, majestic ride EVER! If you don’t have this at your county fair. WHO ARE YOU

[@princesskristan]

I've ridden the Zipper at a carnival when I was a kid and I remember it being really painful. Especially in my neck and haven't been on one since. Good luck at Cedar Point!

[@RowanMurray]

I love them however it's very difficult for me to find someone to ride with. So it's probably been 10 years since I have ridden one. Would love to again sometime.

[@spinningpeanut]

I rode the zipper for the first time back in like 2003 with the classic lap bar style. I was just barely talk enough. It's not enough. Kids if you want to ride this one I'd wait until you're taller. This ride is no joke. It was the first and only ride to cut my arms. The leather on the lapbar was worn and cracked and I was gripping that thing like my life depended on it. I feel bad for the young man I shared a seat with because I was terrified and the operator stopped the ride just so I could get off. Riding it as a teen and adult however was a lot more fun. I've yet to find one with shoulder straps but I bet it still hurts. Especially if they aren't keeping the fabric moisturized.

[@thecarwashesandmorechannel2892]

Flipping the cars is the best part about riding the zipper (about a week ago, older type.) Once you flip the cages, you won't stop flipping lol.

[@5outhp4rkf4n]

zipper was by far one of the scariest rides i’ve ever been on

[@ilikecheesegirlXP]

Love this flat ride. Haven't riden it in a while. Can't imagine shoulder restraints.. My brother in law was a carnie and he got me on it by myself and he gave me the ride of my life.

[@jameslitwin5635]

The goat of all fair rides

[@SM-sy5cd]

I love this ride! I went on it at our local yearly carnival in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I’m glad I didn’t know about the sketchy thing .

[@goblinmatt]

Back before I got sick Zipper was me and my sister's favorite ride. We hyped it up for the younger family members for years. When I finally took my oldest cousin on one for the first time she was 11-12, skinny as a rail. The lap bar was waaaay looser on her than me(I'm quite fat) and she kept sliding up and down. She was crying and telling me she loved me and her moms and the whole nine yards because she was sure we weren't going to make it and I felt so bad. She's 15 now and it's her favorite ride. She gave the younger cousins their first ride when they were tall enough. 😊😭

[@crazyfx5242]

I've never had an problem riding the zipper.. One of my favorite rides!

[@Porcf81]

They aren’t usually painful to ride. They are amazing rides. You can easily brace yourself inside them. I was 150 pounds and could ride with no hands just by straightening my legs. You did fail to mention that the original models had a rim/tire drive for the boom, and now they utilize a chain drive. They have also reconfigured the drive for the conveyer that runs the cars around the boom. I believe they were not rim driven before, but used a motor on the boom that went to a gear box to run the conveyer wheels from their axle. That’s probably the most significant change to them over the years until the more recent seating/restraint configuration. If you want to talk about lighting packages, the original zipper design (you even included a photo of it in your video) had mostly fluorescent lighting. That was later changed to the chevron design with incandescent lights, most of which have no been upgraded to LED, and finally we have the newer light package which you had in most of the footage in this video with the zig zag light patterns and LEDs. I believe those are the main three generations of light packages that have come from the factory.

[@aoilpe]

I had some rides at the Herbstmesse Basel in the ‘90. I loved the handbrake to fix the gondola and have some extreme dives...