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A Lifetime of Fun, 1969
I have lived in Santa Cruz County for 38 years. My son, who is developmentally delayed, was seven years old when I first allowed him to go on a ride. At the time he was terrified to stand on a scale, but he overcame his fear of movement under his feet after going on the rides. Thank you!
Sophie Russell |
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My Playground, 1950s
In the 1950s my brother and I would ride our bikes from King Street to the beach and spend the entire day there...summer after summer and even during the winter, scouring the beach to find some treasure that had washed up on the sand.
Skip Littlefield was a good friend of my family. He was so kind to my brother Joseph & I after my father died . We would look for him at the Boardwalk to see if we could get passes to different rides and he always said yes.
My dad, Joseph D. Kenney was a deputy sheriff & jailer and my mom, Opal, was active in the Native Daughters & other community organizations. Skip Littlefield and the Canfield's were names I grew up with. I believe Larry went to school with my brother, Joe Kenney...a king-sized football player at SC High.
My mom took on two jobs to support us after his death in 1952. She was a social worker during the day and a cashier at the plunge at night . Many an evening would find my brother, Joseph, and I at the plunge while my mother worked. We didn't have much money but I was the richest child in Santa Cruz because of the Boardwalk.
The smells have never left me. The ocean, the Plunge, incredible hamburgers , fries and Delaware Punch soda. What more could a child ask for? My playground was the Dipper, Skee-ball, bumper cars, the Arcade with the fortune teller, beauty contests and the best fireworks ever. I could go on for a long time.
Happy Birthday to the Beach Boardwalk. May you create another 100 years of memories for adults and children everywhere. Thank you Skip and Lawrence for keeping the torch lit.
Opal Frances Kenney |
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Frank with unknown woman!, 1942
This was a photo I found of my Father, during a time back in the day when he escorted many of the Richmond, CA Independent Newspaper's paperboys for a well earned trip to the Boardwalk back in 1942.
Calandro
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Summers with our Mothers, 1957
My fondest memories of growing up are the times
I spent at the beach with my mother Dorothy, and her best friend
Marlowe. Every summer my mother, my sister Chris and I drove
from Modesto to San Jose to pick up Marlowe and her daughters, Kathie
and Jill. Just "the girls" for a vacation at the
beach. The summer of 1957 I was 10 years old and it was the
first time we made the trek. We came every year after that
until 1965. So many memories: the Haunted House, the
first time on the Giant Dipper, the Carousel (I still have a token)
riding the waves in the ocean on my mothers back, salt water taffy,
playing skee ball, taking our pictures in the booths. Walking out
to the wharf to eat shrimp cocktail. Once we became teenagers, the
boys, boys, boys. Surfers. Dances at the Coconut Grove. Seeing
the Beach Boys and Sha Na Na. Laying on the beach in front of the
Giant Dipper playing cards in the sand. Driving out E. Cliff and
parking to look back at the Boardwalk at night. What a beautiful
sight. Our mothers in their silly shorts and halter tops. I
still love to come to Santa Cruz to see my dear friend Kathie who
works at the Boardwalk now. Our mothers are gone, but what a great
gift they gave us. I can still hear their laughter and remember
their love of life at the beach. It just doesn't get any better
than that.
Jane |
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Bonnie's Hair Saved Me
When I was 7 years old I begged my
mom to ride the Wild Mouse roller coaster with me. After hours
of begging she finally agreed. My mom has never enjoyed riding
roller coasters so this was a great act of love towards me. I sat in the front
of the car and she sat behind me. I had very long thick blonde hair
and as we went around corners my hair covered my mom's eyes so she
couldn't see where we were going. As soon as we stopped she
yelled in my ear "good thing you have such long hair because
it saved me today!" She still remembers this story and tells
people any time the Boardwalk comes up.
She's not in great health now and my family and I took her and
my dad to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and beach last summer to see
the ocean and she brought the story up while we were on the beach.
I will never forget the memories of going to Santa Cruz with my
parents and my own children.
Now the Giant Dipper is my family's favorite roller coaster in
the whole world because of the memories that my hubby, children
and I have enjoyed over the years together!
Bonnie Van Conia |
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Report Card Day, 1974
The memory that stands
out the most about the boardwalk was Report Card Day. You
would take your report card to the ticket booth and with an A
grade you got a day pass wristband for all the rides. We
lived in San Jose at the time. We would go for the day or
sometimes the weekend with the Margos, Renellas and Ferraris every
year. The kids would ride the rides or play in the water under
the train trestle and the moms would play cards on the beach.
They even got me on the Giant Dipper. One time and one time
only.
Now 22 years later, my husband Roger and I take our 3 kids. We
live local now and it is one of our favorite things to do
with them. Breanna, our oldest. likes the Roller Coaster and rides
it all the time with her dad. As for Lexie and Anthony, they
like the smaller rides and games. I myself like to watch
them have fun. No more riding rides for me, unless it is the
Merry Go Round.
The boardwalk holds a lot of fond memories of my childhood and
now I am making new ones with my kids.
Christy Menacho Azevedo |
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