thumb|265px|Zipper operating at [[Kent Island, Maryland]]

The Zipper is an amusement ride designed by Joseph Brown under Chance Rides in 1968. Popular at carnivals and fairs in the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico and New Zealand, it features strong vertical G-forces, numerous spins, and a noted sense of unpredictability. Chance Rides had manufactured the ride continuously from 1968 to 2001. In 2015, Chance built a Zipper for Skinner's Amusements. Since its debut, 222 models were produced. Only one of these was specifically designed for an amusement park, Galaxyland, at the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. However, it was eventually removed due to frequent breakdowns as this ride was not designed for full-time operation. In 2025, Chance Rides announced they were resuming production on several rides including the Zipper.

Most models of the Zipper follow a similar basic format: A long, rotating, oblong boom with a cable around its edge that pulls 12 cars around the ride. Except at peak times, most operators will only fill half of the cars at one time with riders. Like most carnival equipment, the ride is designed to be portable; it can be disassembled onto a truck and transported from site to site.

Though a staple of amusement parks and carnivals, the original models of this ride garnered a reputation for being unsafe due to their rough nature, and a series of deaths on the rides in the late 1970s after car doors came unlatched led to a series of revisions, primarily restructuring of the door lock system. Nevertheless, the ride has amassed a cult following over its decades in operation, and was named by Popular Mechanics as one of the strangest amusement park rides in the world.

History

The Zipper was created by Joseph Brown under Chance Rides in 1968 in Wichita, Kansas, and registered under patent 3,596,905 in 1971. The central difference between The Swooper and the Zipper was the ability of the Zipper's frame to rotate as the cars travel along it by cable.

Many newer models of the ride have solved this problem by completely restructuring the door lock system, also eliminating the need for an R-key. These newer models have also increased the weight of the compartments, reducing the spinning, which decreases pressure on the door latches.

Zipper operators are encouraged to employ a "no single rider" policy. The manufacturer's concern was that a person riding alone might turn sideways in the seat and remove their legs from underneath the lap bar, risking serious injury as the capsule spun. The manufacturer sent out a bulletin to Zipper owners in 1995 pointing out the risk.

Ride specifications

;Duration

  • Ride duration (recommended): 2 minutes
  • Ride duration (maximum): 2.5 minutes

;Dimensions

  • Maximum height:
  • Total ride weight:

;Passenger detail

  • Number of passenger compartments: Anywhere ranging from 4 to 16 seats
  • Passengers per seat: 2 adults or 3 children
  • Maximum passenger weight per seat:
  • Total passengers: Maximum 24 adults or 36 children (12-seat Zipper)
  • Maximum total passenger weight: (12-seat Zipper)
  • Height requirement: 48 Inches (122 cm)

;Mechanical speed

  • Boom: 7.5 RPM (formerly 11 RPM, see above)
  • Cable: 4.0 RPM (formerly 7 RPM, see above)

;Direction of travel

  • Boom: travels clockwise or counter-clockwise
  • Cable: travels clockwise or counter-clockwise

;Power requirements

  • Boom drive: Electro-hydraulic
  • Cable Drive: Electro-hydraulic
  • Power rating:
  • Suspension type: Air ride

In 2012, a documentary titled ZIPPER: Coney Island's Last Wild Ride was made, dealing with the ride's eventual removal at Coney Island and the economical reasons behind it.

Recording artist Michael Jackson operated a Zipper at his Neverland Ranch. He claimed to hold the world record for riding the longest at 35 minutes during the early 2000s. After Jackson's death in 2009, the ride—among several others—was auctioned with his estate, and began traveling with carnivals across the country, advertised as a piece of history.

In Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Greg Heffley rides a version of the Zipper called "Cranium Shaker". The ride also appears in the movie version, as well as the Poptropica island, Wimpy Boardwalk island, but the ride is different from its book counterpart, as it is a Skyscraper instead.

See also

  • Skydiver (ride)
  • Swing ride
  • Rock-O-Plane

References