Jim Owens' Float Trip Ride

[Zephon]

The "We Can Do It Together" music was commissioned by SDC, written and recorded especially for the American Plunge, by whom I couldn't say, but it was part of the AP from the beginning.  As we were finishing up on it's construction during the last month before it's opening, it played incessantly on a loop, and those of us on the construction crew got really tired of it.  I haven't been on the ride since they rebuilt the "cave" part, didn't even know that music had been scrubbed, and I can't say anything about the "new" characters.

The "daredevil" theme, if you want to call it that, in the cue line was original also, although I'm not sure it was limited to Ozarkian daredevils.  I seem to recall one "billboard" that described a fellow that went over Niagara Falls in a barrel.  I don't know if the original intention was to promote "daredevilry"...I always thought it had more to do with pointing out the American spirit of adventure.   

[Junior]

Crazy how memory works! I worked at the American Plunge extensively in the debut season, 1981, and to a large extent in the '82 season, and occasionally in '83. I was part of a large group of attractions workers that floated from location to location, cross trained to work where there was a need. (Although I was based at the diving bell.) I really don't remember any theme music! I do remember the daredevil theme...the sign that Zephon mentioned with the guy going over Niagra Falls, and a few other signs at the ride that discussed unusual feats. I guess I was too wrapped up in loading and unloading people to think about theme music...but really, I don't remember it. Weird. All this discussion about an outhouse scene...man, I don't remember it at all...unless they put it in for a few years after I stopped working there.

[Copper]

History Buff, I didn't take it bad.  I just wanted to state that the characters floating around in the AP are not original to the opening of the ride, but were added in the early 90s.  The signs, yes have been up as long as I can remember, but the Ozarkian Daredevil theme came after the Heroic American signs.  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53826242@N00/4755805464/
Where was this located on the Float Trip?  I'm sure this is where they got the idea for the one on the AP.

[Junior]

That is the outhouse from the float trip! It was located near that archway over the channel, in the area that is just used to cycle water through the AP channels. The old location of the outhouse is probably viewable from the AP or Wildfire pathways.

[mhguy77]

I have 2 questions on the float trip.

I loved this as a kid and seem to remember slow almost " Picking" music along the route of the ride, Is that correct?

The second question, I was looking at BetaMikes pictures of the float trip canal taken in 05. I was noticing the water level in some of the old canals seemed to be a little deeper, I remember there being more area next to the boat that was dry, it seemed like in these pics when they did the plunge they may have made the water level higher.
Am I crazy?

[Junior]

I worked at the float trip in 79. They did have some kind of music at various points...sometimes it was turned on and other times not. Just like sometimes there were animals in the little animal haven they had...usually goats, prairie dogs, or some other small critters...sometimes not. There was a bluegrass or acoustic traditional music pumped through speakers on park at that time, so visitors could hear music throughout the park. About the water levels...could be they are lower than in the past. Conservation. Green. Also part of those old float trip channels have been redone in the last few years as they got old and needed replaced, and to fit the current needs of the Plunge. SO it may appear those water levels are lower.

[betamike]

Junior is the expert on this, but I know two things that I have stashed away in my noggin that may shed some light.

There was at one time (not sure if it lasted until the float trip's final days) an audio track of a woman that would narrate....or just at certain spots.  At one point, water jets would bubble behind the boat to make it look like something was following you.  It gave this float trip that was supposed to be really nice and serene a very eerie feeling to a kid of about 4 years old.

The last part might help with your question mhguy77.  Most flat bottom boats like the ones used at the float trip, flooded mine, small world, etc...all have a simple bogey system underneath that keeps them from damaging the boat when they turn corners, no matter how gentle the ride or how slow they are going. 

The depth of the channel could be the same as it was during the float trip days, but you wouldn't notice it back then because there was a concrete barrier that held the bogey wheels in place and kept it higher than what you could see below.  After they closed the attraction, I would assume they tore out the bogey infrastructure.  Just my guess.
 

[Junior]

If you check my Flickr site, listed at the top of the thread, you will see a few new photos posted August 15, 2010 of the old float trip mill and a shot from the Wildfire line of the old float trip channel. It was fun to get to go to park again a few days ago and look at some of the places I worked so many years ago.

[betamike]

I waved to you (in spirit) when I drove through Pea Ridge this week.

[Junior]

Next time, you can stop by for a few moments...I have a home library decorated with some things you have not seen pictured on Flickr that would be of interest to you. Hope you enjoyed your visit home to NW Arkansas.

[oldsdcer]

has anyone ever sang ( particularly the National Anthem) while going up the AP life?

[okiebluegrass]

My memories of this ride are very faint, as I was 6 or 7 when AP opened. I remember the whirlpool. but that's about it

[Junior]

I've posted on other threads that I plan to purge my Flickr account to make room for new stuff. Most of what I posted in the 2010 season will vanish in about two weeks. However, due to ongoing interest in the diving bell and float trip attractions that I worked at all those years ago, I will be leaving most of that material on the site. Thanks, and I hope you have enjoyed the old stuff from the 1970s and 1980s that I have posted over the last year. God bless, and thanks, ya'll!

[mhguy77]

Sunday I was at the park I looked down from the Wildfire lift and could really see the old canals from the float trip, its a shame they dont put them to use.

Junior I have to tell you that when I was a little kid I loved the float trip.  I used to go around and around as long as they would let me.  I also used to like to get a boat to myself.  Maybe I felt like I was exploring a little by riding alone.
Being a young boy of 9-10 I liked to get into a little trouble from time to time as well.
I can distinctly remember floating alone in the boat one afternoon and after leaving the cave I decided to rock the boat ( I mean really rock it)  Of coarse the reason was to see if I could get it stuck in the canal. 
Well, it can be done, and when I did that the boats came up behind me and piled up.  I am laughing thinking I sat in that boat stuck and shrugged when the next boat came up to me with people in it as if I didnt know what had happened...LOL. It took a couple of minutes and then this guy kinda came down the side out of nowhere, he looked at me and again I shrugged.  He asked em if I rocked it I said 'no', but you know he knew better.  I think they made me get off the ride when I got back to the station or maybe I just got off and left hoping a new attendant would take the guys place.
Honestly I think I wanted to have to get out of the boat and walk back thinking it would be fun.
Hope that wasn't you Junior that got those boats unstuck, but it sure could have been.
But I bet I wasn't the only one to get those stuck.

[Junior]

The only "pile up"  that caused me any headaches was in fall of 1979 when the "stop" arm that stopped the boats for a few seconds at Echo Rock (so folks could be in proper position to holler out and hear the echo caused by a hidden microphone at that point) kept getting stuck. Usually there was a guy dispatching the boats and at least one or two other guys loading people in boats. This particular day everyone else was on a break. So when the boats piled up at the stop arm, I had to climb off the dispatch stand, try to run over and get the boats loose. When that failed, it was back to dispatch and a call to maintenance. I told the people in the boats...about a half dozen fully loaded boats...to stay put, it would take a few minutes and we'd get 'em going again. Well, these folks could not wait. They started climbing out of the boats and right up the rock walls surrounding the channel...about nine to 12 feet up. Then they walked through the woods right back to the dock and toward the exit. Let me tell you, I was freakin' out. I was a 17 year old kid in charge of the ride, no other employees were available, and I had about 50 people breaking all sorts of park rules and safety regulations by climbing out of boats and up a high incline...then wandering through the woods until they found their way back to the dock and the exit! By the time maitenance arrived, the ride was empty. The guests took off from the dock, too. Nobody wanted to wait five or ten minutes for the employees to get things restored. I thought I was gonna be fired. However, since nobody was around (fellow employees, that is) nobody saw anything...it was as if it never happened. The maintance guys fixed the stop arm, the boats made their progression around the channel, all was well when my coworkers got back from break. One guy made the comment about how slow it was at that time at the ride! If only he knew what had just happened. All's well that ends well.