West Coast Bash - SFMM - The BIG Photo TR!

So it's that time of year again...West Coast Bash 2008.

This year though, things are a little different from the past. Traditionally, West Coast Bash was a morning of ERT, then hanging out with friends and enjoying a day in the park. But earlier this year, we pitched the guys at Magic Mountain an idea for an event that we thought could be a "Solace Killer."

We wanted Magic Mountain to be THE day of the weekend and the park wanted to showcase all the changes that have been going on this past year.

We added more coasters to the morning ERT session, added multiple backstage tours, added presentations and guest speakers, and then the big surprise of the day was that *ALL* of the parks operating coasters would be running for night ERT.

I don't think in theme park event history that there has ever been an ERT session with *THIRTEEN* rides running at a time.

Overall the event was a huge success. It was truly a showcase for the "new" Magic Mountain. Now onto the photos of the event....

I will post as many as I can here, but the full update is about 150 photos. I'll post a link to the full update at the bottom of the page.


"I'm looking for an "Al"--last name "Coholic."


"Yeah, hi, he tricked me...it's some coaster enthusiast event...what? No! There aren't any strippers here at ALL!!!"


What park enthusiasts think about while walking through the gates...


Tatsu and Revolution were open for us this morning....


Unlike Ryan's Delorean, Tatsu was running today


"Stay out of trouble boys!" =)


And yes, all of their socks have been knocked flat off.


These are easily the three least threatening white men on the planet.


Oh, yeah...welcome to West Coast Bash!


All of these guys still cannot put away as much food as one ACEr.


Jay Thomas, Park President. Neal Thurman, Director of Operations. Tim Burkhart, General Manager.
Now known as "Manny, Moe, and Jack!"


Ok, who spiked the punch?


"Everyone gather around for the world's most amazing...one and only...tours of bolts and dirt!"


"OMG!!! You caught me trying to make off with this sexy yellow sign!"


"...and on your left is a very nice shrubbery..."


Yo, yo, yo...it's the ShockWave rap!


I'm camouflaged behind this old Flashback nose car..."you cannot see me...I am not here..."


There used to be a wooden coaster standing here...but this dirt lot is actually much better!


Prototype car for X? Hmmm....


This is a sad, sad moment for Joey...but a happy moment for the rest of us!


Can we ride it like that?


The cast of "West Coast Bash: Yellow Team!"


Tim Burkhart does the X2 rap.


X. A roller coaster barely alive.....


We can rebuild him....


We can make him better than he was....


Better. Stronger. Smoother?


Oooh....artsy shot!


F-4TH-VEH-588 is the next secret "numbers" code from Lost. You heard it here first! =)


Thar she goes!


Mmmm....sexy!


XTREME...CLOSE...UP!!!


"Hey guys, remember me?! Guys? GUYS?!?!!?"


Very soon all this dirt will be replaced by fun stuff for kids.


Oh, hey...Goliath Jr. has been turned around! Be prepared for its 4th coming as "Percy: The Small Engine."


The new "Diggerland" version of Spin Out was nearing completion.


Sierra Twist is still there...it's just using that new cloaking technology.


Scream! was open...but wait...it wasn't just "Scream!"


It was "Rockin' Scream!"


We had over 300 people show up to West Coast Bash 2008!


Neal Thurman, Director of Operations started off the presentations in the Magic Moments Theater.


IBU = Individual Business Unit. It is the core of what is going to help bring Magic Mountain back to greatness!


Jay Thomas, Park President & Tim Burkhart, General Manager, joined the group for the Q&A session. Then the big night time ERT announcement came - "EVERY SINGLE COASTER" will be open for ERT! (Well, all of them that are operating!)
*PLUS* The winds died down so Sky Tower's Magic of the Mountain Museum is open as well! I think this may be a park enthusiast event first! I can't think of any other event where as many as 13 rides were open for ERT!


Then we had Kevin Rohwer from S&S show us lots of new stuff coming out of Logan, Utah.


Then we got to see some old-school Magic Mountain commercials...which a few "extra" captions! =)


Night time sets and before we go ride *ALL* the coasters during ERT, let's go check out the Sky Tower.


Short version of the story - This is Brandon Bruce. A Sr. Area Supervisor who pitched Six Flags on the idea of re-branding the Sky Tower as the "Magic of the Mountain Museum" and filling it with memorabilia from the parks 30+ years of history. It's a *GREAT* idea! Many park employees have donated artifacts to the museum which are now being put on display for everyone to see.
Tonight, the park previewed the museum for the first time to attendees of West Coast Bash.


t was so awesome looking at some of this stuff. Here there were park maps from the early 1970s to look at.


Signs from existing rides, past rides, old ride op uniforms...


More concept art, control panels, etc...if you are at all into the history of parks, roller coasters, or Magic Mountain, you will want to see this display!


And yes, the taco wearing a sombrero is also here!


You ready for night time ERT? *EVERY* operating coaster is open for West Coast Bash!


320 people spread out between 13 different rides means we have the park to ourselves!


"They opened the park just for us!!!"


They even open Canyon Blaster for the real credit whores.


And that is us!


We'll end our night with a few rides on Tatsu. How's it going guys?


Another West Coast Bash is over. What will be done next year to top this event?

THANK YOU AGAIN for joining us at West Coast Bash 2008. See you next year!
To see the even LONGER version of this Photo TR click HERE!

--Robb Alvey
www.themeparkreview.com

ps. Save the date! Monday, August 4th is Behemoth Bash at Canada's Wonderland! Details will be posted soon here:
http://www.themeparkreview.com/events/

Special thanks to the following people for contributing photos to this update:
Antonio and his family, Dan Angona, Colincoon, PeopleMoverMatt, CedarPointFanGirl, Garret Jacobson, Steve Silvas, jdsmartdude, Jhcbiinoc, WillMontu, ajinaz, and to anyone else who sent in photos!

[jayman]

they took out sierra twist? and left deja vu? and what's this about spinout, the last REAL rotor on the west coast? well i at least hope they undid the trims on revolution for y'all.. yeah right..
if i go to one of these that park manager is gonna get sick of me asking "when are you gonna sell off deja vu to a mini golf course and fix revolution and collossus with the money?" or why did you build (i'm sorry "erect") a peice of I Love You! like deja vu instead of fixing psyclone or "what the hell does magic mountain (best damn park this side of the rockies) need a piece of crap like deja vu for anyways?"
HOWEVER the magic mountain museum is a good sign.. it suggest that there is an eentsy beentsee tiny shred of something resembeling a possibility of hope that they might actually start pretendting that they sort of almost kind of care about the things that make it something resembling the ghost of what was a classic amusement park..

My friends and I absolutely loved Deja Vu at SFGAm.

[jayman]

i liked it too.. it was a fun ride..but my favorite thing about it is that at any given time on a moderately busy day 2 hours worth of other guests are THERE and not waiting for something worth waiting for.. yAY

Originally posted by dcs221

My friends and I absolutely loved Deja Vu at SFGAm.

I <3'ed it too... I'm gonna miss it this year [:(]

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Nice captions [lol][lol]