Oktoberfest 2003 – Page 5
Michael Goetzke's Freefall, a Huss Shot'N Drop, is billed as the first portable freefall tower in the world. It stands 50 meters high and shoots 24 riders 42 meters up in the air. "Drei…Zwei…Eins (Three…Two…One)" is often hear the seconds before guests are thrown into the sky.
Colors swirl as the Gaus family's Playball, a Huss Flipper, spins next to thousands of guests. The Skater Top Scan is just a little further down the midway.
The Willenborg family owns this gigantic Riesenrad (Ferris wheel). This attraction has a commanding presence over the fairgrounds and affords some great opportunities to get pictures of Oktoberfest. It stands 50 meters high and was delivered to the family for the 1979 fair season by the manufacturer Anton Schwarzkopf, who used a design from Werner Stengel.
The Wilde Maus is owned by Münch and was constructed by Maurer-Söhne. This owner added an extra thrill by placing two wild mouse coasters next to one-another so that they "duel." Cars are released from the station at the same time and head toward one-another before careening around a u-turn. This version can be set up in only six days.
Eduard Rosai's Nightfly puts on a spectacular light show as 38 passengers are tossed through the night sky in a swirl of lights, fog and music.
Jasmin Kaiser's High Energy debuted in 2003 in Düsseldorf and only a few months later was thrilling riders at Oktoberfest. The ride is the first Star Shape from the Zierer/F.A.B. partnership and makes an impressive statement from the midway. It is essentially the business end of a Top Scan grafted onto an Evolution's boom, but the ride is truly one-of-a-kind.
This carousel is a double-decker, hand-carved model that dates from 1856. It is one of the oldest rides at Oktoberfest and the amazing shape it is in is a testament to the care it, and all of the rides on the German fair circuit, receives from its owner, the Stey family (thanks to Martin Schmitz, the webmaster of Ganz-Munchen for the information).
