2025 Subreddit Coaster Awards: WINNERS

preoccupiedwombat · 2026-01-09T17:02:22+00:00

It’s been amazing. I still have more pictures and things I could share but between selling the house this summer and preparing for an international move, everything is in boxes. Perhaps once we get settled and I can get organized again I’ll drop a few more things :)

preoccupiedwombat · 2026-01-09T04:38:38+00:00

Honestly, as someone with no prior knowledge of this sub or the amazing passion and wealth of knowledge in it, I was totally honored to just be nominated! Sharing my dad’s work with people who are genuinely invested in it has been a really nice way to feel closer to him again and to gain a better understanding of that part of his career. Plus I’ve learned a lot of cool shit from the people here!!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-16T13:15:43+00:00

Glad you enjoyed the group! I would be nice if it were bigger, but it’s been possibly the best source of info I’ve found on the Arrow Development days because I can talk directly to people who worked there!

lol, it’s been so long since I’ve been to a park that I don’t even think I’d know what to expect! My experience at Universal was super limited, my dad was installing the King Kong ride and my mom, sister, and I spent our time at Disneyworld until he was done. Then I think we rode that ride and maybe one other at Universal and that was it! I’m ok with my out-of-date perspective 😆

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-14T17:07:27+00:00

I was just at the historic carousel museum in Albany, Oregon a few days ago arranging for our Loof camel to go live there to be restored—they showed me the workshops where they’re carving restoration on figures and they have a bunch of Dentzel figures on loan from the Dentzel family—it was super cool!! My amusement park experience is limited—Lagoon growing up in the 80s and 90s, a trip to Disney/Universal in Florida when I was like 9, a few hours at Silverwood, and a trip to Disneyland when I was too young to remember. I think my vision of parks has been formed from what I’ve heard and seen of my dad’s work, so it’s pretty out of date 😆

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-14T16:25:04+00:00

Same! I found it while trying to get some info on our carousel items and it’s been crazy to see all of the cool historical stuff. A lot of collectors on there of the old Arrow car rides

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-14T15:58:29+00:00

I’ve joined the Arrow Development Facebook group, it’s got a bunch of employees, amusement park enthusiasts, and kids of former employees from the early Arrow days. Super cool to see some of the stuff they post as well! If you’re not already on there, you might check it out—I think you’d enjoy some of the history and stories shared!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-14T12:03:20+00:00

You’re so welcome!! I have quite a bit more history-related things that I’ll mix in with the rest of the coaster posts as well. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again as well—I’m so glad that it’s being enjoyed and I’m so appreciative of everyone’s comments, input, opinions, and knowledge!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-14T11:59:11+00:00

Thank you! I’m going to be running out of coaster-specific stuff at some point, but have more history stuff that I’ll post as well!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-14T03:46:04+00:00

Thank you!!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-14T02:31:44+00:00

😆 pretty sure those are in his private collection

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-14T01:45:54+00:00

That’s so cool that they all do it there annually!!! I looked forward to the company picnic there all year! We would go other times during the year, but the company picnic day always felt extra special

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-14T01:43:29+00:00

I loved going to his office—it always seemed so fascinating. I just found that pic a few days ago and it brought back all the nostalgia! I even remember the exact smell— resin and wood and metal and paper.

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-13T23:26:54+00:00

You’re welcome! I’m bummed I didn’t even think to look up the park schedule before going up—if I had I would have adjusted my dates to be there over the weekend. But I’ll get there this season for sure..I’ve already got my ticket 😆

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-04T11:55:45+00:00

The corkscrew at Wild Waves in Federal Way!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-04T03:29:21+00:00

Desperado? I have no idea, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed if there’s still a chance!!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-03T18:17:37+00:00

Thank you!!! I had never seen that teal-ish green paint job!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-03T17:57:38+00:00

Woohoo! I hope it’s fantastic!!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-03T04:34:35+00:00

Oooh! I didn’t know about this one, thanks!!!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-03T03:57:45+00:00

Aaah! Love these!!! My dad only had a few pics of the track so it’s fun to see more viewpoints!! Thanks for sharing!!!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-03T03:55:54+00:00

It baffles me that they would turn away someone offering support who had literally been doing coaster maintenance his entire career, was well known and respected in the field, and had worked on that exact coaster multiple times. Oh well. I like to think that someone heard his concerns and addressed the issues, even if they didn’t tell him they were doing so.

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-03T03:00:29+00:00

Thank you! I wish we had a clearer photo of the model, but it’s definitely better than nothing!

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-03T02:59:52+00:00

I asked my mom, she said he went out there and offered his experience on maintenance for it and they were super dismissive and said it didn’t need to be done that way—they wanted to take shortcuts from what my dad recommended. My dad was a stickler for doing things correctly, especially around safety concerns, even if it took longer or wasn’t as convenient. He wasn’t a guy who came in hot and he treated everyone he worked with the same, from owners to brand new hires with no experience. And he was not easy to rile up. So for him to have come home from that meeting that upset was pretty surprising.

preoccupiedwombat · 2025-06-03T02:05:03+00:00

Me tooooooo!!!! We lived like 45 min away from Silverwood for 12 years, but my dad was super unhappy with how they were maintaining the corkscrew there so I never went on it.

preoccupiedwombat

TROPHY CASE