Giant Dipper (Belmont Park)

Giant Dipper
Wooden roller coaster in Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Coordinates
Mission Beach Roller Coaster
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
California Historical Landmark #1044
San Diego Historic Landmark #90
Site in U.S. state of California
Location	3000 Mission Boulevard, San Diego, California
Coordinates
Area	2.8 acres (1.1 ha)
Built	1925
Architect	Thomas Frank Prior, Fredrick A. Church
Architectural style	"Bobs"-type coaster
NRHP Reference #	78000753
CHISL #	1044
SDHL #	90
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	December 27, 1978
Designated NHL	February 27, 1987
Designated SDHL	December 7, 1973
Status	Operating
Opening date	July 4, 1925
General statistics
Type	Wood
Manufacturer	Frank Prior, Fredrick Church
Designer	Frank Prior, Fredrick Church
Model	Twister
Track layout	8 layers of laminated wood strips topped with a 1/4" x3" wide steel rail.
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	70 ft (21 m)
Drop	60 ft (18 m)
Length	2,600 ft (790 m)
Speed	55 mph (89 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:45
Max vertical angle	40 degrees at the bottom of first drop°
Height restriction	50 in (127 cm)
Giant Dipper at RCDB Pictures of Giant Dipper at RCDB

The Giant Dipper, also known as the "Mission Beach Roller Coaster," is a historical wooden roller coaster located in Belmont Park, a small amusement park on Mission Beach in San Diego, CA. The Giant Dipper was built in 1925. The roller coaster, along with its namesake at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, are the only remaining roller coasters on the West Coast designed by noted roller coaster designers, Frank Prior and Frederick Church.

In 1997, the Giant Dipper held a coaster–riding marathon sponsored by local radio station, Star 100.7. The marathon consisted of eleven consecutive days riding the coaster for more than 12 hours per day. The radio station arranged a second marathon in 1998, which was eventually won by contestants who split a check for $50,000 in cash prize after riding the coaster for 70 days.

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website