Bob Sled Dipper - Chutes at the Beach
By 1920, Arthur Looff and John Friedle were ready to pull it all together.... Chutes at the Beach was going to be a reality. WWI had ended, the Seawall construction was back in full swing and soon there would be a paved road to bring all those Automobiles from the city to the beach! They needed to kick it into high gear!
Looff's 1919 Figure 8 Gravity Coaster was only a year old, but the style and technology were outdated. Coaster technology was improving fast, as were the coaster cars! Looff couldn't stand watching those Figure 8 cars bump and grind their way around the track... He wanted something fast and exciting!!
Whether coaster builders Prior and Church had a little or a lot to do with the design of the Bob Sled Dipper, we may never know. We do know much of Prior and Church's car and track technology was utilized. Arthur Looff's name is all over this coaster, it was obviously designed to FIT into the limited space between Balboa and Cabrillo. Looff had a knack for strategically packing a lot into a little space. The Bob Sled Dipper did just that.
It's hard to say whether Looff designed the Midway to fit around the rides or designed the rides to incorporate the Midway. The Bob Sled Dipper and Shoot the Chutes rides were only separated by the Midway running between them.... or so it appeared. Looff managed to design the two rides to work with each other, visually and structurally. Within feet of where the Chutes rose from the ground, the Bob Sled Dipper dove past the Chutes Boat riders. Both within visual sight of the opposite riders. Looff had an eye for creating an atmosphere where the sight and sound would dramatically increase the excitement for everyone. We see this over and over at Chutes at the Beach. Whitney's knew how to put on a show, but Looff knew how to mess with your senses! More on this, as we look at the photos.
The Bob Sled Dipper (1921-1929) was a cutting edge roller coaster for it's time. Later, Prior and Church became known for their BOB's rides, as well as, their classic "Double out and back" coaster design. Playland's Bob Sled Dipper was a big hit! Steep hill and drop with hair raising twists and turns..... and surprises!
Arthur Looff cut most of his ties with John Friedle by 1924. Looff went on to take over The Pike in Long Beach. All went well with the Bob SLed Dipper, until April 16, 1929 when their was a severe accident.... a car jumped the track and landed in the Midway! Many were severely injured...
John Friedle was fearful of lawsuits and possible jail. He demanded the Bob's be demolished, then sent himself into exile in Germany. The accident and closure of the Bob's became a major turning point for Chutes at the Beach. George Whitney stepped in and became the major shareholder..... Buying out Friedle's controlling shares.... George would change the name of the park to Whitney's at the Breach or what we know as, Playland at the Beach.
The Bob Sled Dipper went under many knick names, two of the most common were "The Bobs" and "The Grizzly."
James R Smith Collection
The Bobs grew up and around the existing buildings. Part of the coaster was built into the Chutes superstructure. Both rides were built at the same time.
View from Great Highway. Concession were built under the superstructure of the Bobs. - James R Smith Collection
The Midway was open to Great Highway at Cabrillo and at the Bobs sight too. James R Smith Collection
The Bobs are in action! The Chutes are still under construction.
From Great Highway and Cabrillo, we see teh Midway and Bobs... Marilyn Blaisdell Collection
Shorpy image
Outsidelands.org
While it may look rather simple, the Bobs had some interesting tricks up it's sleeve.
Riders slowly rise to the top of the hill and other riders whiz past... - James R Smith Collection
A drop with a surprise! That second hump would throw riders forward in their seats. Giving them the feeling of being almost throw forward and then into a gut wrenching drop.
As the riders have been thrown forward and then pulled down.. they being pulled out of their seat... only to be slammed back into their seat as the track makes a harsh sudden rise.
You been thrown forward, then pulled out of your seat, then slammed back into your seat with some intense negative G's.... Now the coaster car throws your into a sharp angles right turn AND into an outside sever left 360' turn.!!! WOW!
Out of the turn, the coaster plummets down and into the darkness UNDER the Midway! It flies quickly out of the darkness and speeds through some camel humps. Jame R Smith Collection
...and into another sharp right turn. This never straightens out, as it continues into a high speed Figure 8.. James R Smith Collection
...and the coaster throws you skyward. Seen in teh center of the coaster in photo. This track then goes into a double flat corkscrew....
Out of the corkscrew, the coaster jumps up again, taking a right turn into the station.
You can see the flat corkscrew under the BOBS sign.. - James R Smith Collection Wild one... 4th Oldest Coaster in the World. Ride it!
Jack Rabbit @ Seabreeze. Built around teh same time as the Bobs... 5th Oldest coaster in the world! Ride It!
This photo is deceiving... This is not the loading station... This is taken just after finishing the flat corkscrew. A staged photo... those hats would of been all over the Midway and Great Highway if they had just finished tihis ride..
Look pretty well groomed.
The Bobs looks like it rising and falls right into the buildings...
The Big Dipper becomes the BIG Coaster in 1922.... but the Bobs never lose their popularity...
Hourdes of people flock to CHutes at the BEach. The Bobs becomes known as the GRIZZLY.... until..
James R Smith Collection
James R Smith Collection
