Its BBBBBBAAAAAACK!
More hilarious Action Park memories from the new issue of Weird NJ. They got alot of follow up mail from the article, but Imma only post some of it now ill do the rest later when i got time. Theres like 3 pages of letters of other people who wrote in after seein the first article. Including a letter from another person who worked there, that is more hilarious than the first one below but its also alot longer and that would take more time so this is all for now.
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I just finished reading your article on Action Park. When I first picked it up I started to laugh, but as I read it I realized it was extremely truthful and not fabricated or embellished at all. You see, I am a former manager - in fact, the former head of security - for the now defunct Traction Park. It sounds more impressive than it was, any security officer who lasted more than 2 years seemed to get the job eventually.
I got it at the mature age of 21. I was unfortunately there when many of the ill fated occurences took place including the 1987 drowning at the grave pool, numerous horrific accidents, and wild brawls which led to trips to the hospital.
One reason for this was our extremely high Hispanic turnout. Now, before you go screaming racism, let me explain.
After slide-burning and maiming all the white folk, the Braintrust decided they would start tapping into a demographic yet untouched by the worlds happiest place.
They started advertising on Spanish-speaking radio stations and publications. The only problem was when these folk arived, there was no Spanish speakin staff or Spanish instructions posted to guide them along the way. As a result, well I dont have to say what occurred. This was only part of the problem.
Action Park was Extreme before Extreme ever was. Extremely stupid. Numerous bars and beer stands scattered strategically around the park could keep one in a alcohol-induced state of bravado practically all day! Combine that with a terrain which allowed for a lot of mischief to go unnoticed and a crowd that acted more like the idiots on the TV show Viva La Bam than adults, and youve got the makings for, well, a lotta Action.
Action Park attendees were affectionaley referred to as "gumbys" because you bouced off the ground when you hit. I dont know anyone who grew up in Vernon in the 70s or 80s who didnt work at and or get injured there.
In the four years I was there, I could fill an entire issue of Weird NJ with gross and strange things I witnessed. One thing i do know for sure, NO ONE shed a tear when the place known as Vermin Valley/Great Gore was closed. I have not been back in years, but I know some people who work at the new resort standing in its footprints and I have been told (and observed from a distance) that it is a fine company trying to make Vernon the wonderful resort town it always aspired to be.
So if you are looking for something macabre, you will have to look elsewhere, the canonball loop has left the building.
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I just read the articles about Action Park in the lastest issue of Weird NJ and I wanted to share an experience I had there in the early 90s. I went there with a church group for what I thought would be a day of fun. Besides having my flip flops and towel stolen and going barefoot all day (my feet hurt so bad) I saw something I will never forget.
A man was walking when he suddenly fell down on the pavement and began having what looked like a seizure. A park janitor was sweeping the area, and instead of going to help the man, he swept round him and then stepped over him and walked away! I could not believe it. I ran over to him and the friend I was with and began yelling for help.
Finally a cart with what looked like two 16 year olds showed up and took him away. God knows what happened to him. No wonder that place closed down.
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Does anyone remember the gruesome signs at Action Park? Next to each queue stood a large color billboard of an injury dealt by that particular ride with a "This could happen to you" warning. You could tell how dangerous a ride was by the amount of injuries shown. I remember the Alpine Slide had at least three.
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I definately remember Action park as a kid. My mom and her friend took me my brother and her friends kids to Action Park only once. After much nagging my mom finally agreed to take me on the Alpine Slide. My first clue that this was a bad idea should have been the blood-covered teenager being carried half way down the mountain after her car flipped over.
Of course I was too young to think "this might be a bad idea." Well I was scared out of my wits and almost ripped the so-called "brake" right off, I was pulling on it so hard (to no avail.)
I dont remember going on anything else because I think I probably blocked it from my memory. My friend that came with us put all his clothes in a locker so he could go on the water rides.
After getting about half a dozen bruises, he headed back to get changed and found that his locker was broken into and all his clothes and his sneakers were stolen. he then got to talk back to the car on glass-laden blacktop in a soggy bathing suit. Oh yea, great time was had by all.
