Comments on: WT Carny Ride #1: Sky Diver

By: Wendy

Wendy — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 20:45:27 +0000

Don’t count on finding one of theses with fluorescents. This used to be a regular at my county fair, until Belle City got a SkyWheel in 1984. About the only photo I remember at the fair before I started taking my own was a picture of the SkyDiver in the junior fair building looking like a bull’s eye with its red, white, and blue lights (yeah, the photo got a blue ribbon). A few years later, they brought it back, and they probably shouldn’t have. Our fair has a tendency to get rain at least one day out of the six, and every so often, you’d hear this loud boom–another fluorescent had fallen off the SkyDiver and hit a water puddle. Dumb luck they didn’t hit anyone in the head.

By: Amber

Amber — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 20:58:33 +0000

In reply to Bill. No broken rib but I did almost fall out of it at 5-6 yrs old. Way too small to ride it but they still let me get on it. I slid right out from under the bar and was going right out the open window part in the front. My dad was holding me by my feet. I was so scared. Definitely my brush with death lol

By: Amber

Amber — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 20:53:21 +0000

In reply to JBscar. I almost fell out of this as a kid. My dad was holding me by my legs as I was hanging out the damn thing. It was the scariest thing that ever happened to me. So be glad they raised the height. I was was too small at age 5-6 yrs old. They shouldn’t have let me go honestly.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 09 Dec 2017 03:47:01 +0000

I rode this w/my son at the Florida State Fair, Tampa. Shortly after loading, we rotated (the whole wheel) upward just past 1/4 of the way up. The car then slightly rolled counter clockwise so that my son( on my right) slid into me. Beings that we were still loading people, we just sat there with NO way to upright the car and get relief. I was pinned to the car’s cage wall with my son kinda on top of me and neither one of us could move! That’s when it happened! I felt a pop then quickly another pop! I broke 2 ribs!!! Needless to say, It was was the longest ride of my life…w/2 broken ribs!! Anyhow, I was working on my car the other day, pulling very hard on a wrench w/that same side of my rib cage against the car and pop! It brought back this memory. I was actually looking to see if anyone had a similar experience (broke a rib) on this ride?

By: Sun

Sun — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 04:37:04 +0000

OMG yes I remember this ride as a kid. The line was always crazy long to get on it because it took them forever to load it and I remember the painful smashing while stuck on it waiting for them to load the rest of the cars. I thought the ride would be fun and scary, but it just hurt. I wanted to get on that ride so bad but I was over it after the first ride.

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 31 Aug 2014 06:30:28 +0000

I discovered a carnival in Malibu that has one of these complete with the old style lighting scheme I really want to ride it now.

By: JBscar

JBscar — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 21:11:57 +0000

Love the Sky Diver!! I remember as a kid when the travelling fair came to town and set up at the local mall, I could see the top of the SD from my grandmas house and I would watch it out her window all night long! Every year I tried to get on it, but I swear that they kept raising the required height every year! SH*T! Took 3 years, but I finally was tall enough, and must have went on it about a dozen times that first year!
If I win the lotto, I am going to get Chance to build me a custom one! Then I will invite everyone to come ride it for free!! 🙂

By: Janna

Janna — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 18:33:27 +0000

On the small show I grew up on in the ’70’s and ’80’s, the Diver was a Spec and top of the food chain, along with the Flying Bobs. All the hottest guys worked them, and they had the best music on the midway. At 17, I could get 3.5 car revolutions from fence to fence riding alone, which would have gotten me in big trouble had the foreman caught me. I loved this ride and it deserves this #1 ranking! Very cool site you have here, my first time visiting.

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 04:17:28 +0000

Getting a good ride on one of these is absolutely phenomenal so it’s too bad they can be in such clunky condition but I don’t think I’ve ever felt as giddy as when my friend and I rode this and, going down, he yanked the wheel and we did this crazy vertical spin. The loading process is a total nightmare, though. I’d love to see an upgraded version that loaded horizontally, so everyone could get on at once, and then spun and rose horizontally like an Enterprise.

By: Okamifan1

Okamifan1 — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 04:49:42 +0000

In reply to Bruce. I just love this ride it is very fun so I don't get what y'all complaining about and once you get it spinnining oh boy is it a wild ride.