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CanobieLakemakesLogFlume Rideits debut with asplashBy CAROL McQUAII) Hun StiffSALEM, N H. - It’s a ninety-degree, 95% humidity day at Canobie Lake Park. The benches are sticky, the soft ice cream is soupy, and remnants of cotton candy are adhering to the zoo cages I look towards the rides for relief. Is it worth waiting with the throng for a two-minute breeze on the roller coaster? I decide against it, and continue trudging across the park.But looming in the distance Isee water - it’s not the publicpool, or the lake, or a mirage -it's a flume ride, and spells instant relief. As I approach, the size of the crowd waiting in line becomes increasingly clearer I weigh the alternatives: pass the line by and continue to swelter,or wait for forty-five minutes fora quick shower. I reluctantly opt for the latter as the lesser of two evils, and stake out a place among the throng.My annoyance grows with every passing minute as the line crawls at a snail's pace, and I am tempted to hop in my car and drive away But the lure of the water overpowers my impatience, so I stayFinally I am at front of the line The final drop in the ride is look ing more and more ominous - do I really want to get on this thing’’ My stomach already feels queasy just looking at it, but the scorching sun and the forty-five-minute wait convince me to forge on.The rideI get into a four-passenger hollowed “log,” and naturally, end up in the front. As memories of Space Mountain flash before my eyes, we take off, up the slight grade where we receive that first splash. The log continues its winding course on a water filled track through a densely wooded area, as the one wise guy in the boat gets his thrills by rocking it wildly.We approach the ominous final hill with the excruciatingly slow climb that roller coasters alwaystake before the stomach-wrenching drop. After what seems an eternity, we reach the top, teetering over the edge...then the final plunge, 35 feet into a water reservoir, and with a couple of flip-flops of the stomach and a hefty splash, the ride is over. We’re all cooled off - and ready for a return trip on the flume later that day.Even in the heat, it really is worth waiting in line for the Log Flume Ride, Canobie Lake Park’s newest attraction. The Flume should soon become a highlight of the park, which features standard amusement park rides - the merry-go-round, roller coasters, kiddie rides, flying helicopters, ferris wheel - as well as a swimming pool, a midway. and a small zoo.Brisk businessThe ride splashed onto the scene a few weeks ago, with Governor John Sununu and familythe first to experience the flume. Inclement weather put a damper on the flume’s early days at Canobie, but now that the rains have abated, business is brisk. According to Tom Morrow, operations coordinator for Canobie, the success of the flume has “absolutely exceeded our expectations. We really don’t have any figures, but it’s usually at least a half hour wait.”He predicted that the flume, which reaches a maximum speed of 35 mph, may overtake the roller coaster as “our most popularride.”444444When the flume made its debut recently, some mechanical prob-, lems occurred involving the conveyor belt. Morrow said that all iswell now, and laughingly attributed the first-day problems to Murphy’s Law.Mark Hayes of Agrafiotis Associates, Inc. (Canobie s marketing agent; echoed Morrow’s sentiments that the ride is even better than we had hope-d...it’s already very popular.Our biggest problem has been the rainy weekends - people not coming out,” he continued. If the weather continues like last weekend, we'll be in good shape.”Hayes elaborated on the first-day snags: “The flume runs on a conveyor belt, and that day the belt was coming off the rollers It’s been repaired, and it’s now 100% functional.”What's unique about this flume ride is that it’s a replica of a 19th century saw mill, complete with mill house, water wheel and saw. The creation was the brainstorm of O.D Hopkins of O.D. Hopkins Associates. Inc. of Contoocook, New Hampshire. The company, founded in the early 1950 s, has designed over 100 aerial tram ways and nine flumes in the U.S. and two in Canada.The Log Flume Ride is covered under Canobie’s F O P.” (“Fay One Price”) policy, where you pay one price to ride all day. Access to the ride can also be gained with separate tickets. Canobie Lake Park opens at noon daily, with closing times subject to changeFlume Ride at Canobie Lake Park
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