Cyclone Racer, The Pike, Long Beach, 1956
Join me in Long Beach this Saturday afternoon, October 6, at 4pm, for my Big Retro Slide Show at the Art Theatre and after party on Retro Row. Come early and shop, see the show and stay for the free after party and book signing generously hosted by Inretrospect, a great big shop chock full of vintage goodies across the street. Sweets, savories and adult beverages will be served.
Speaking of Long Beach, The Cyclone Racer, a Southern California landmark and star attraction of The Pike for nearly four decades, upstages two well-suited women posing near a trio of tin trashcans.
Built in 1930, the all-wooden coaster thrill ride was different than most because of side-by-side cars on twin tracks that raced all the way to the finish. Over the years, the rickety rollicker claimed the lives of more than a few drunken sailors who ignored the “DO NOT STAND UP” sign.
Roller coasters are a combo of architecture and transportation. Call it archi-tation or transport-tecture.
The Pike was a carnival a la Coney Island conveniently located at the end of the Red Car line on the waterfront of downtown Long Beach. It began just after the turn of the century as “The Walk of a Thousand Lights,” a boardwalk for a fashionable resort hotel and plunge.
By World War II, the Pike had grown into an amusement park extravaganza of 15 colorful acres of tempting thrill rides, freak shows, arcades, shooting galleries, dance halls, bars and tattoo parlors attracting a Red Car-riding beach crowd and thousands of salty sailors stationed in Long Beach.
By the late sixties, the party at the Pike was more or less over and the legendary Roller Coaster was demolished in 1969. Little by little, the dilapidated remains of the Pike were demolished as the property was slated for redevelopment. Today, not one Pike remnant remains in place.
Here’s to the Pike, Cyclone Racer, ladies and you!
Charles Phoenix
October 3, 2012
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I remember THE PIKE well! My father drove the family to Long Beach in the mid 50′s (about the time of the photo above). We lived in La Puente at the time. (San Gabriel Valley)
Then in 1959 my father once again drove my sister and me to Long Beach to the Pike once again! My sister was only 6 and I was 8.
He told us the story of a sailor that stood up and was thrown into the ocean.
I never knew there were other sailors that died riding this wooden monster!
Anyway my father talked my little sister into riding it with him (I refused) and
I was so relieved when they came off the Cyclone roller coaster in one piece!
The Cyclone Racer was a scary ride!
I also recall a ride at The Pike where you stood on the side of it’s wall and the rest of the ride would spin and you would be stuck on the wall!
Thanks for the memories!
” Racing side by side to the end” Huh!! Sounds like “Carsland” to me.