Roller Coaster, 1971

When I was about 13 years old we would vacation in Santa Cruz. One week I would come with my family and bring my best friend, and then the next week I would stay with her family. That meant 2 weeks visiting Santa Cruz and the Boardwalk.  The best memories were standing in line for the Giant Dipper, waiting for the seats in the very last car. When we managed to get the last seat we would stay in those seats and ride time after time after time after time. Sitting in the best seat and handing the operator tickets each time the ride would finish so that we could ride again is the best memory I have!

Cindy

Rainy Day, 1977

I remember a rainy day at the Boardwalk. It was well into late fall, the best time to beat the crowds and avoid the sunburn that plagued us. Because of the bad weather, the place was deserted except for some bored ride attendants. My father and I went on the Giant Dipper, still my all time favorite roller coaster. Since there were no lines, there was really no reason to get off. We rode that coaster 11 times straight, getting soaked, screaming and laughing and loving every minute of it. Now that is a thrill ride!

Elise

Saratoga, 1960

We used to go to the Boardwalk because it was not far from our home in Saratoga.  I remember going into the funhouse...scary and FUN.  I particularly the spinner. You sat down in the center and the faster it spun, the harder it was to stay on. When you couldn't fight centrifugal force anymore, you were spun out to padded mats. I wish they still had something like that!

Later in High School (Saratoga High) we would cut school to go to the Boardwalk on occasion.  We also had our Senior Sneak Day there in 1965 and one of my classmates, Steven Spielberg was the official photographer of the day.  They showed his footage at our 20th class reunion.  

Laurie Oberhaus Huff

Riding the Dipper on Opening Day, 1924

My Grandmother lived in Santa Cruz much of the 2nd half of her life.  She went to the Boardwalk to see the Giant Dipper on it's opening day to the public.  She was not a fan of fast rides, knowing how conservative she was, so I imagine she had no intention of actually riding it.  But either through peer pressure or a moment of personal challenge, she decided to give it try.  Though she was in her thirties, she had some false teeth and, sure enough, somewhere on the ride her teeth popped out and fell.  The maintence people searched for about one hour underneath the tracks but to no avail.  I do not believe she ever rode it again.

My children have a standing order that if they ever are in Santa Cruz, they must bring me back a box of taffy from Marini's Taffy.....ether vanilla or banana only! A national treasure!!

Dennis Curran

Days Gone By, 1960

I remember going into the funhouse...scary and FUN. I particularly remember something like a spinner.....you sat down in the center and the faster it spun, the harder it was to stay on....when you couldn't fight centrifugal force anymore, you were spun out to padded mats....gosh, that was so much fun!

Later in High School (Saratoga High) we would cut school to go to the Boardwalk on occassion. We also had our Senior Sneak Day there in 1965 and one of my classmates, Steven Spielberg was the official photographer of the day. They showed his footage at our 20th class reunion. Great memories.. I took my own daughter many times to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk to ride the great wooden rollercoaster...still the best ride in the world!

Laurie Oberhaus Huff

Working my way through school, 1935

As I sit around at age 86, after a long caeer including four years as a Naval Officer during WWII, a long career with NASA-Ames, including managing Space Projects, I recall it all started while working on the Boardwalk at Santa Cruz.  

At age 14, in 1935, I worked my first summer at a Pin-ball Gambling concession called Sportland, located next to the Merry-Go-Round.  For the next six years, I worked at Winnies Turnover Pie Shop, located in the main Casino building between the Penny Arcade and the Plunge. The job provided most of my income while attending Santa Cruz High School, Salinas JC, and UC-Berkeley, where I graduated in 1942 as an Electrical Enginner before joining the Navy as a Combat Information Center Officer.

My Pie Shop job involved arriving at the Boardwalk every day at 7 AM, swabing the floor around the stools, lighting the oven, making coffee, and serving the early customers before the other help arrived aroung 9 AM.  The rest of the day was devoted to making the pie fillings, cleaning baking pans, etc. The early customers were mostly boardwalk employees or managers.  Typical were Skip Littlefield, the Seaside Company public relations and salesman, and Malio Stagnaro, who managed his family speedboat concession at the end of the Pleasure Pier.  

Occasionally, I served Don Patterson, the star of the Boardwalk's Saturday night Water Carnival in the Plunge.  I listened in while Skip told my boss how he was going to name Patterson as "The Mighty Bosco" after a popular health drink at the time, and have him ride a cable from the top of the Casino to the end of the Pleasure Pier, while wrapped in cloth, soaked in karasene, and on fire.   Ultimately, Patterson made this spectacular ride on many Saturday nights, while I watched.  

It ended when one night, the pully stuck after they had lit him.  He showed up at the Pie Shop later, all bandaged, and said,  "Never Again, it's not worth the pay."

Jack Foster

The Plunge, 1951

When I was 5 years old my Grandparents, Amy & Dick Luke, took me to the Salt Water Plunge, to learn how to swim!  I remember walking down a long set of stairs from our Vacation Cottage up on Beach Hill, holding on to Grandmother’s hand.  Then we walked along the beach and entered this big building with an arched ceiling that echoed with the sounds of laughter and whistles.

One of the most vivid memories was the smell!  Hot, steamy salt water has a definite odor, but I got used to it quickly.  Grandmother walked down some step into the water with me hanging on like a clam!  She told me the salt water would help me float and sure enough, soon I was on my back with Grandmother pulling me through the water!!  

The whistles I soon found out were from the life guards who were working to calm down the hyper-active kids that just couldn’t keep from running, jumping & splashing.  

After swimming we took showers and dressed to go ride on the Merry-Go-Round!!  I wasn’t tall enough to grab the rings, so my Grandfather grabbed them for me for me and threw them through the Clowns mouth!

After a fun day of rides and cotton candy and playing in the sand, Grandfather would go back up the hill and bring down his big car to take us back to the Cottage.  I remember he always had wonderful wrapped salt-water taffy in his pockets for me.  It was fun to have them tuck me into my own little bed after having some warm hot chocolate.

Little did I didn’t know then, that I would come back to Santa Cruz, several decades later and start a Vacation Rental business that would continue to provide wonderful memories for other families at the Beach Boardwalk!

Judith