A Weird & Unique Ride, The Troubled History of Sledge Hammer | Expedition Canada’s Wonderland
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- čas přidán 8. 02. 2022
- Join the Expedition as we head to Canada's Wonderland to look at the troubled history of Sledge Hammer. This unique, yet somewhat weird flat ride is one of a kind and evolved as the second generation of HUSS, Jump attractions.
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Super Enthused - / superenthused
Theme Park Review - • Talocan - World's Best...
Sandhill Gamer - • Video
Mario Buitron - • Zipper Ride (Off-Ride)
Iain Hendry - • Sledgehammer (Construc...
Polyp Tonnie - • Kijkje in de fabriek b...
Ridefan101 - • Huss Enterprise
Fairgroundking101 - • Paul Hart's - Huss Top...
Canobie coasters - • El Volador Off-Ride Fo...
MichiSchmidt82 - • Fahrgeschäft "JUMP" He...
Carnyboy04 - • Huss Jumping (on ride)...
Sugath Jayatilake - • Test rides of Jumping ...
Wiktorhn1000 - • Video
Markjamesmurphy - • 09-10-11 Puyallup Fair...
Charivariplus - • Unfall Jumping Kiliani...
FUNFAIR WORLDWIDE - • "HUSS" RETRO CLASSICS ...
The Red Coaster Channel - • HUSS Shot'N Drop Count...
Ron - • Six Flags Great Advent...
Wiktorhn1000 - • Video
Nycomet - • Canada's Wonderland Sl...
Bestdriver in the world - • Canada's Wonderland: S...
Nuke Trust - • Sledge Hammer
CoasterCircuits - • Sledge Hammer at Canad...
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The Coaster Spot - • Sledge Hammer, One of ... - Zábava
What is your favorite Flat ride?
The consumer
I don't think I ever been on a flat ride, bedsides carousels, they are a common thing to me
huss magic.
Tilt-a-whirl
Probably the KMG Infinity.
As a Canadian, and a Canadian who LOVES Wonderland, it's great to see videos featuring the park. Too many channels only focus on Disney or Universal while Wonderland has some great, and often record breaking, attractions!
On a side note, it doesn't break down...that...much, anytime I've gone it's always been working 100%
I worked at Wonderland in the summers of 2012/2013 and even we were never given a clear answer on what was happening with Sledge Hammer. Thank you for sharing!
I agree it isn't extremely forceful but it is a lot of good fun especially with friends since you're face-to-face. I remember always trying to guess with friends when we would suddenly drop and made the experience really entertaining. Super happy that it's at my home park!!
🍁
@SuperNostalgia. Seriously, on a video about amusement rides? Can't you people just give it a rest? Do you honestly think this comment is going to do anything except annoy people?
I've had the fortune of running Sledge across a few seasons, and still stands as one of my favourite rides to op in the park. While it's spotty on reliability, we have a creative maintenance crew who is always trying new things to make it work.
@Joshua Martin The hydraulics aren't too much of a problem themselves, most of the issues stem from the ride trying to communicate between all their parts. The status of the seats for example needs to be relayed from the gondola to the arms, the cross then has to transmit that back to the tower, where it's interpreted by the control system.
TL;DR there are many games of broken telephone happening and the ride gives up if anything slightly doesn't make sense.
@@ninjapenguinblock How interesting.... I wonder if they've ever swapped out for a more modern electrical/wiring/sensor system? I know the pain of constantly trying to patch up legacy systems so the maintenace crew must be tearing their hair out... surely it would be worth investing the money into what could be one of CW's most popular rides (if it was more reliable). I just hope it hangs on until I can get up to Canade to ride it myself!
I remember hearing the original "half drop" to spook you was causing a strain. So I'm glad they looked into modifying the ride experience instead of giving up!
Definitely a stunner with it's creepy tentacle-like arms. Since it was back from the Paramount days, I assumed this was based on the juggling ride from Spy Kids 2 LOL.
I remember it doing that many years ago. It was so long ago I thought I was making it up 😂
It apparently has 6-7 different ride sequences, but the one theyre running is supposedly the easiest on the machinery. Theyve also finally got all the gondolas operating, there was a few year period where 2 of them were totally out of service.
Wonderland is my home park, and I remember when the construction started on not just one, but two new flat rides right beside each other, Psyclone and Sledge Hammer. They opened exactly one year apart, and have served as a fantastic ‘must ride’ double-dip for that section of the park ever since. Both rides are great, but Sledge Hammer is easily the better of the two, offering the more thrilling and unique experience. One of my favorite non-coaster rides in the park.
A troubled history or not, Peter Gabriel still sings about this ride!
Whenever I go to this park I always sing it as I walk by it to go to Behemoth.
Wonderland is my home park and have gone many many times over the years, literally have seen this ride closed more times than it has operated. I've only ridden it once since every time I try to ride it, it breaks when I'm in the queue, or it's just closed altogether
Went years ago and got on, making it probably my first flat ride ever. Loved it and still my most memorable part of wonderland, iconic and hope I can get back some day before it's removed
Sledge hammer is my favourite flat ride at wonderland, had no clue that it was one of a kind
I've been going to Wonderland my whole life and I've been on this many, many times. It's definitely my favourite flat ride at the park, and it's among my top favourite flat rides ever. The things that gets me about this ride is how it makes you laugh and giggle. The combination of facing other riders and the unpredictability of the motions is just pure fun. I'll be very sad when it meets it's demise. I didn't get to ride it in 2021. but I really hope to this year.
I agree 100% Canada's Wonderland has THE BEST line-up of flats rides of any part in the world. This has been the case for 20 years and it's that it is finally being recognized. I have rode Sledge Hammer so many times and I always thought it was a fun ride. This was awesome video :D
I was at Canadas Wonderland at least once a year for maybe 20 years and had a season pass one year for dozens of visits. Not ONCE was the Sledgehammer operating. A true legend
I love the work you did on this video! This has always been one of the most curious flat rides in my opinion. Keep up the great work!
The biggest thing I remember about this attraction is that when it DID operate (there was like a 75% chance it wasn't, especially as the years went on) people would consistently piss and shit themselves for some reason. Like, honestly, during a 20-30 minute wait, there would at least be one time where they needed to clean the seats, or they closed off the seat for hygiene reasons.
damn I forgot about this! I wonder why considering its relatively low intensity
Are you talking about little kids or incontinent old people? Because if it was normal healthy adults, they were probably just drunk or had gorged themselves like pigs
Too intense
Part of the fun - when it's working - is the face-to-face seating, allowing you to observe your friends, family or strangers as they laugh, cry, giggle, scream, panic
I worked at Canada's Wonderland from 1983-1986 (yes, shortly after it opened). I'm so happy to see Wonderland's rides being recognized. There's so many great ones there.
i just love how sledge hammer looks, i never have ridden it, but if i had the chance i would go for it.
My favorite flat ride is the Zamperla air race, i just love hangtime and you get plenty of it.
However i kinda love to look at some of those flat rides, instead of riding them, just because i am not a huge fan of spinning around. Die Glocke at Hansa Park is/was still my favorite in this in category.
Yeah - some more love for flatrides! :)
Canada's Wonderland is my home park and I'm not really a fan of flat rides, but I always ride this one when I visit ( when it's actually running).
Is it just me or does anyone else love Sam’s accent on the word “park”? It’s like pahk, so classy. Also…
“Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
-Sledgehammer
So good! My fave flat ride at my home park!!
Please please please do more Canada’s Wonderland videos! There’s sooo many cool defunct and extinct experiences at wonderland that are super quirky!
After they reopened during the pandemic it was closed for ages. My daughter kept asking me about it and wished she could ride it (at 6 years old ;) ). One day we went and it was actually operating. She lost her mind :) And then rode it 4 times back to back.
Guess this demonstrates how long it's been since I went to Wonderland regularly. I would have been going most frequently when Sledge Hammer was new, and it didn't break down as often - I don't recall being denied a chance to ride it. I thought it was pretty fun, but I really liked Psyclone next door. You got that nice weightless feeling every time the pendulum maxed its height, and it was fun to watch the ground flying away from you. Plus its lineup wasn't nearly as bad as the good roller coasters.
I love this ride. Whenever I visit the park and see it running I get so excited and run right to the line lol. Because it's my home park I have seen the ride go down multiple times. I'll never forget the day I was sitting around sledgehammer and heard a huge clunck when the arm's went up. Never seen the ride swing the arms back down so fast, it was quite the show.
Sledgehammer is a strange beast to me. Despite CW being my home park, it's one of the only flat rides I never bothered with. I think the fact that it's so often down plays a factor in my disinterest. I have always at least appreciated for it's unique history at least. And this was a great overview of that!
I was lucky enough to ride it when visiting. Some British person told me I'd better ride it because it was operating and goes down a lot so I did and am glad to have done so. Thanks for posting!
I have a unique love for flat rides such as this. As a heavy equipment operator i enjoy seeing some of the similar parts that make my equipment run used for fun and enjoyment.
Your intro alone, emphasizing what makes flat rides matter, earned my "like."
Yesss love the flat ride content! They are so fascinating from an engineering perspective, it just seems like they shouldn't be possible. Unfortunately I personally can't do spinning so I have to admire most from afar 😅
Same here! Made my stomach queasy just watching this. Love rollercoasters though!
Same here.
Love the fact you included the old Blackpool ride in this video. It's decades old, dates from the when the "Pleasure beach" literally was built on sand, but its still running and making people happy.
This was 100% my favorite ride at the puyallup fair 😩 It was constantly closed for repairs though . I enjoyed it so much !!
My friends and I call this ride The Board Room, because we like to pretend to be sitting in a business meeting across from each other and discuss business, quarterly revenues etc as we ride.
Congrats on 200k, I hope you have many more years of success and many more Halloween Horror nights! Couldnt happen to a nicer guy! We love you ETP!!!!!
Awww thank you so much!
Ayyy I love the Huss Jump and the flat ride support!
Such a stunning machine, this is such a bucket list ride. Thanks for another great video Sam.
Yes! I've been waiting for this one! Awesome vid! 👌
I rode this back in 2012 and it was good (when it works). It’s kinda cool knowing Canada’s Wonderland had the first Jump 2 by HUSS, but still has the technology errors just like the previous model.
75% time this ride is down but when its running , hawt dam its good.
Sledgehammer has always been one of my favourites in the park, so I was so pleased that it was running beautifully when I went last weekend (Oct. 2022), and the ride operator was having a lot of fun talking into the mic during the ride! Great video :)
Love all your content but especially the Canada's Wonderland videos!!
I saw the thumbnail and immediately remembered Jumping Jack Flash at great adventure! so glad you touched on it.
I love seeing all these weird rides! I still remember playing RCT3 and thinking, "does this actually exist??"
I remember when Funtastic shows had a Jumping at the Puyallap fairgrounds at the Washington state fair. They had it I think for 2 or 3 years before they took it out . It ended up at their Winter Quarters for several years and the refurbished it then sold it. I rode it twice and was fun but gave a strange feeling.
Thank you! The video I’ve been waiting for!
I hope they continue to maintain and operate it at the very least for another decade. This is my favourite flat ride of all time.
This flat ride looks so cool! I think my favorite flat ride would have to be the Gravatron or La Revolucion at Knotts
Never been much for flat rides, but, even as a kid - long before I would get on anything! - I used to love watching them operate. My favourite was (and still is) the Zipper, for it's incredibly complex combination of motions. Always wanted to run one somewhere where it was completely dark, mount a single light on one of the cars, and take a time exposure of it. See what kind of Spirograph pattern it traces out.
I do like the Looping Starship. It's the one ride that I always think, "Why am I doing this to myself?" as it starts. And I've had some fun rides on TopSpins.
But the most memorable one for me is the drop tower (can never remember what its name is) in Silverwood, in Idaho. Not the tallest by any means, but they seem to drop it farther, and consequently brake it harder, than any other one I've been on. Always a thrill!
They should put a three-faced head on top of the Sledge Hammer (and presumably change the name). It really does look like some kind of monster standing there waving its arms around.
I worked with a former ride mechanic from Wonderland, he said that Sledgehammer was hands down the biggest pain to keep running of any ride in the park. But the riders like it, management likes the crowd it draws and it's paid off so it continues to be repaired.
This SFGADV sequel about "Freefall/Jumpin Jack Flash" really brought on nostalgia. Makes sense to the bizzare sign, and the fact until like the last year it never had it's own proper queve for a big park (just ropes in temp poles set up and it always looked ackward where they placed it, as if it was last minute). Oddly enough, the ride SEEMED like it was operating better in the in-between years, when they cranked up the ride circulation to the spinning being at higher speeds, and an extra drop part. I have to say I definitely don't agree with riders who seemed to think the spinning distracted the drop. Nor the people actually riding it, because they all seemed pretty surprised when the speed increased and the dropping occured.
P.S. I miss having Huss rides around, but hopefully they (or someone near) willl at least get the "new generation enterprise" Zamperla Endeavour type, though I kinda wish IF the SF chain is going to keep getting them, SOMEONE would take a stab at the Huss 2.0 version. Kinda sad it's existence PLUS ability to be all the way up max height and straighten out is wasted. I'm at least glad a transportable huss frisbee was placed somewhat near me, as I prefer them not to most inverting ones but to the zamperla discoveries that don't spin much, the "GP pleasers" to me.
The lift looks bonkers! Nothing like the spin of a large orbiter but dang the way it raises you up like 20ft is pretty nutty
I love this ride, every time my brother and I ride this we sit facing each other and end up laughing so hard our faces hurt by the time the ride ends. It’s a shame that it faces so much down time because it’s definitely my all-time favourite flat ride
Congrats to 200k!
Amazing 🤩 thank you for the video
I've been trying to ride sledgehammer for ten years and somehow I am always in line with it breaks down. Shockwave is my favourite flat ride at Wonderland, but a classic zipper is the best flat ride ever made
I didn't know the Sol Loco (Enterprise) ride at CWL was made by HUSS. That was the first ride my future wife and I went-on for our first date back in '83. We were both employees of the Park at the time, and could ride 'anything' for free as many times as we wanted. The Sledge Hammer came years after we had moved-on from CWL, yet I recall taking our children to the Park when that ride was in-operation. It's design struck me as being ultimately unique, something not seen elsewhere.
I've only been on Sledge Hammer once since it's always down. :(
Eyyy it's fun to see a video about Wonderland! I got stuck on Sledgehammer once. Whenever I go we always joke that it's closed more than it's open. But it is very fun to ride when it's running
I have been on this ride and it feels good when your spinning up in the air looking over the park.
Happy to say not only does it now consistently operate, it even operated during winterfest this season!
I had no idea it was so rare to get a ride on sledgehammer! When I was 18 my friend and I went to wonderland instead of going to prom and there was nobody there , the first ride we always do is sledgehammer and because it was prom for all schools in the area no one was at the park and the ride attendant let us stay on the ride until we wanted to get off , we went for like 8 rounds lol! It was so much fun I'll never forget it, and after seeing this video realize how lucky and special that truly was ! 💙🙏💙🙏
Great video Sam!! I live a few hours east of Canada's Wonderland and at one point had a seasons pass for a few years in a row.
Ive ridden Sledgehammer when it was running it was fun but I prefer their good selection of coasters.
On a side note : the park is now owned by Cedar Fair and your passes from the USA are good at Canada's Wonderland
Love seeing videos about a local theme park! I remember when this ride was new and it always had problems lol Sledgehammer is a great ride but most of the times I ever went to Wonderland it was a gamble whether this ride would be running. It's a big favourite of mine tho, one of the free standing rides with heights I can do lol
I have been on this rid several times it's a really good way to end the day after a thrilling day. And yes the sledge hammer for some reason was always operating when I went to Canadas wonderland
The reliability has improved in my experience. I spent most of 2022 as a ride operator and I never saw it closed - I rode it 3 or 4 times, with no "observed" downtime - say for leaving one claw closed down to improve reliability
my fave flat ride at canadas wonderland
That is a crazy looking ride. Thanks fior sharing these unusual attractions
Canadas Wonderland loves their unique flat rides
Omg I love your vids and Canada’s Wonderland
Yesssss I have ridden Sledgehammer more times than I can count and am always sad when it’s closed!!!
You didn't mention it, but there is that one poor "claw" that's broken and can't spin. It's been broken for years and out of service :(
I have been on a other flatride that also have the name Sledge Hammer. It's a huge frisbee at Bobbejaanland and one of the best flatrides.
Lol @ the Slammer reference. Great video!
My heart both soared and dropped when I saw phantasialand’s talocan in the intro
Wait. And mystery castle too or am I going crazy?? 0:57
I've been going to this park since 87. I still miss Bayerns Kurve and Jet Scream. The indoor scrambler dark ride was one of my favorites at Center Island in TO.
jet scream always hurt my thighs haha
That's an attraction that's on my bucket list. I remember seeing es jump on the cranger kirmes in its debut year and was too scared and never had the chance to ride it again. That still sucks.
I've only been to CW once and the ride was operating that day.
Love all the shots of Blackpool pleasure beach in the opening! Would love to see some more videos of this park!
By far one of my favourite rides there. And I hope to hit it soon for another ride
I only got to ride Sledge Hammer once last season and it wasn't until the ride finally opened during my last visit of the year. Went on early in the day and the ride broke down while I was on it. Came back a bit later and saw it operating then it broke down while I was in line. So then we stuck around until the ride reopened after a maintenance check and surprised I made it through a ride cycle without issue. But then the next group that got on after us got stuck lol I love the ride because it's so unique and feel like it's a must ride at least once a season, but it's such a shame that it's a maintenance nightmare....
Only a suggestion but you could do the history of Furius Baco! An unique ride with a rocky history and unknown future
I dont know what this tide is but now i sure want to. This furious baco.
Great video, as always. I was fortunate enough to ride this in 2019. The best flat ride I've ridden, though, is definitely Tagada at Fantasilandia in Santiago, Chile. It's unrestrained insanity... something that would never work in the States! 😂
I was lucky enough to ride it a few years ago, it truly is a fun ride and good to watch in action
I really don't pay enough attention to flat rides - mainly because I love the journey of a roller coaster or dark ride, and just being spun around makes me more nauseous than anything else! But they're amazing engineering, the creative tweaks on the basic concept, endless variety... you couldn't have a park without them!
Never heaed of thid one! Good work peeps!
I don't think people really appreciate that amusement parks would not exist without flat rides... for every coaster enthusiast & thrill-seeker there are 10 or more people who either _can't_ or _don't want to_ ride the tallest/fastest coaster out there. Fun doesn't have to equal fast, thrilling or forceful!
I wish there were a better name than _'flat rides'_ because it implies they are dull & boring, but Sledge Hammer is the perfect example of how they are far from it 👍 As soon as I saw Sledge Hammer in a vlog I _knew_ I wanted to ride it.... it looks amazing, and frankly I'd prefer that it isn't forceful because then it's infinitely re-rideable (provided it's open! LOL).
I just remember it having a unique smell up there while spinning..... hydraulic oil and funnel cakes 🤣
I don’t think anything can beat that intro, timelessness
Oh my goodness the sledgehammer. I only seen it a few times when visiting the park when I was younger. You was an interesting sight. I still remember before I moved to the States hearing word of this ride being put in or was it when I moved and somebody told me about it. I don't remember so clearly since it's been so long. Then again I did grow up across the street from the park. So yeah my memory is not the best
Universal needs one of these themed to the Whomping Willow
I'd love to see you tackle a real legend in one of your expedition extincts: Riverview Park in Chicago. One of the biggest and best amusement parks in America for 60+ years.
I’m working on it 😀
Wow, that looks amazing. Doesn't surprise me that it's a nightmare to keep operating, but looks really neat. Ironically your footage at 10:30 shows one of the gondolas not rotating... I'm not a big thrill seeker but I guess I have one good flat ride credit, because apparently the Scat is actually pretty rare...
I agree, this is my favourite flat ride there, then probably Shochwave.
Nice video
My middle ear issues make that a giant "nope" for me, but it looks amazing!
It's a fun ride when it's working.
These rides are really unique and intense. They sure look fun when though they are not my favorite flat ride.
As always Sam you hit it out the park with this video.
Thank you so much
That's hilarious this ride has developed such a bad reputation of always being broken down that someone's done a video on it! I feel lucky to have been able to go on it then! lol
Lol. It constantly breaks down. I feel bad for the people who go on it and the ride only works for about a couple seconds. I did see that actually happen in 2019.
@@cursedstevehalloweenandgam1037 Oh yeah, I've seen people stuck mid air on the ride and had to wait hours to get down!
I went on it in 2012 lol.
Yeah more troubled rides!
A generous Zipper clip at 0:40