Earlier this week, on Monday, August 10, 2020, I made the almost three hour journey up to Knoebels for the first time since June 2019. I usually visit Knoebels once or twice a year and boy, do I ever wish it were a tiny bit closer. Why? Because I love this park. I have from the first time I visited with my friend, Sarah, in 2013.
Since that first visit, I have gone back to the park annually at least once a season, introducing different friends to the park. Sometimes I’d take just one friend, like I did with Kelly when we went in 2014, but other times, we’d need a few cars, or I’d have to ask my dad to borrow his van, which seats seven. Then there was last year. Last year I planned a workplace amusement park trip, which I’ve done annually now for over 15 years. I picked Knoebels as our destination for the first time in the group trip’s history. We had our biggest turn out too with 63 people wanting to go. The largest group prior to this one was in the upper 30’s. I know not a single person left that park that day disappointed. We all had a great time and talk about it even to this day.
With that large trip being my last visit, I was really looking forward to getting back up to Knoebels this year. There was one problem. Covid-19. I didn’t know if I’d even get to one park this year at the start of this, but I’m glad that Knoebels was one of the ones able to open. From my visit, they look to be handling things quite well in that regard too. Some rides and stands are down, but that’s the same across the industry right now. There is still plenty to do nonetheless.
Monday’s trip was my most unique trip in a while as I didn’t just go up for pleasure. Nope, I also went on business. Be sure to give my recent blog, “Getting Back to My Journalism Roots at Knoebels,” a read for some more information and backstory on this aspect. I’m going to focus on my day below without getting into all those details over again.
Now, onto yet another wonderful day at Knoebels…
Public Relations
My plans for the day had me arriving at Knoebels at noon to meet the park’s Public Relations Director, Stacy Ososkie. We had touched base even before this site had been launched about the possibility of working together on some articles I wanted to write. Although Covid-19 put a halt on those articles’ themes, I was able to come up with several others. I was really looking forward to doing some features themed to Knoebels and came up with some awesome themes to replace the originals.
Ososkie ultimatly compiled a ton of information for me, even tapping Dick Knoebel, the president of Knoebels himself, for some historic details. Again, read more about this meeting in the blog found above.
Off-Ride Footage
Since I began We Were Inverted, I have been taking my GoPro Hero 8 Black with me to each and every park. Ososkie, however, gave me a permit to be able to film on ride with the camera fastened to my chest mount. I would be filming my first ever POV’s of a non-mountain coaster. I was excited, but that would have to wait. I wanted to make sure I got in a ton of off-ride footage and photos using a combination of my GoPro, Canon Rebel T3i, and cellphone. I don’t normally lug out the SLR, but I grabbed it for the zoom lens. Otherwise, phones take such great photos these days and are easier to carry around at parks. I wanted to be prepared though.
I began my venture filming Flying Turns and the construction going on at that site. Knoebels is currently installing a fourth lift section to the ride, which I made sure to ask Ososkie about during our meeting. I will be featuring some photos and details about what’s going on there in the near future as well.
Since Flying Turns isn’t too far from Twister, that’s where I went next. I walked all around that massive wooden coaster, even going back into the campground to get some different angles of the ride. I think I spent the most time shooting Twister, without a doubt.
Once I was ready to move, the next logical ride to film was Phoenix. I got in a few off-ride clips of the coaster, but knew I would be doing some more after taking my camera bag and SLR back to the car. I was looking forward to shooting inside the new queue area, but I didn’t want to lug my bag through the line and then leave it on the ride platform while I rode. I love and trust Knoebels more than any park, but I can’t find it in me to leave that much valuable equipment on a ride platform, even with one train operations.
At this point I decided to wander the park and shoot anything and everything I could find. I knew the Giant Flume, Black Diamond, Kozmo’s Kurves, and Impulse (down during my visit) would be rides I’d focus on, but I ended up getting so much more. I shot statues, landscaping, signage, the rivers, and park decor. No really, I wanted to leave this park with more footage than I needed and I’m pretty sure I did.
Stick a Pin in Him!
After stopping at each of the ride I mentioned above, I was close to the parking lot and decided it was time to take my SLR and its bulky bag back to the car. On the way, I stopped at the gift shop in front of Impulse and saw they had a bunch of pins. I was in awe. You can’t always find pins, much less ones based on a park’s roller coaster collection. Knoebels, however, had two Phoenix Pins, and one each for Twister, Impulse, and Haunted Mansion. I also picked up a general park pin that I thought looked really nice. All in all, a good haul. And… I really need to get my pin collection photographed!
Time to Ride & Film
On my way back into the park, I decided to start things off with an easier ride to film (so I thought) in Haunted Mansion. Since it is a dark ride, I knew things wouldn’t be too wild. I wanted to make sure my chest mount was nice and secure and I felt safer doing this first.
Haunted Mansion was wonderful as always, but shooting at 4K/60fps resulted in video that was just too dark to really see. Sadly, I couldn’t really tell on the GoPro’s screen at the park since its so small. From here, I went right to Black Diamond and found the same thing to be true. Later on, after a drink break, I looked into some tricks to get better low level light settings by dropping the specs to 1080p/24fps. I gave it another go on Black Diamond, but it really didn’t make too much of a difference. Those rides are often pitch black, so I might need to borrow some ride footage/shots from Knoebels if I need ever some shots of either of those rides, sadly.
When it came to Twister and Phoenix, I faced another challenge. When I filmed on Wisp’s Mountain Coaster on Thursday, July 31, 2020, I didn’t have to worry about sitting down inside a train. Mountain coasters are much more open. Trying to adjust my GoPro’s position and tilt to compensate wasn’t easy. My first POV tries resulted in a lot of sky footage and my second attempts, a lot of inside of the cart. It was the third time on each that worked out nicely. Sometimes a bit of the train car pops in, but it’s not distracting. I’ll be posting those videos soon.
I also made sure to get in some POV footage of the Giant Flume. I’m a fan of log flumes as well, and with the GoPro being waterproof, I gave it a try. I got some good footage, but the large padded interior did block some of the view in the footage. Not terrible, however. Maybe I should have taken a seat in the back instead of the front?
More Rides & Being Approached by Kids
Not every ride I did involved shooting POV video. I also did several rides where I just enjoyed myself and kept my GoPro secured in my buttoned pockets. It was during one such time, where I was finally in line inside Phoenix’s new queue area, when a boy, probably about eight or nine, approached me. When I stopped filming he asked, “Are you a YouTuber?”
I think it was my mask that gave it away. I had We Were Inverted Masks made for the Flight Crew and myself and I was wearing the blue version. I think that, paired with my chest mount still being on, made him wonder. I told him I just started and that I do have a YouTube account, along with an Instagram, and entire site about roller coasters. I gave him one of my business cards and he said thank you and walked back to his friend and family. That’s when I remembered that I had some of the site’s pins in my GoPro pouch. I grabbed a couple and handed them to the boy and his friend. They were so excited and put them right on their shirts. I shared the story with the crew and they all began laughing saying that I finally made it.
Closing Time
After finishing up on Phoenix, I made my way to another gift shop to pick out a shirt for Sam. She’s been buying up shirts lately and with Knoebels only charging $11.95 for theirs, I got her and myself one too. We both got Phoenix shirts, but different with different designs. I also grabbed Greg some pins and magnets, and Jason a Phoenix pin that he liked when I sent him a photo from the gift shop. I also scooped up some magnets for Nicole from Coaster Appreciation Society, along with a park map. She collects both. Knoebels does a bang up job with their merchandise and doesn’t price gouge you on any of it. I wouldn’t expect them to since they don’t do it anywhere else in the park either.
When I finally left the shop I saw that I had 10 minutes left before close. I made a quick run over to Twister for one last ride. I secured the front seat and clicked my GoPro on one last time. I’m glad I did because that video turned out to be the best POV video for Twister on the day.
Once I left the station, it was time to go home. I had been at the park for eight hours and accomplished so much. It didn’t feel like I had been there that long, but that’s because a day at Knoebels is so relaxed and filled with fun. I was by myself and still managed to have a memorable time. I can’t wait to go back. When I do go, and if you’re there…
You can be my wingman anytime! (Top Gun, 1986)
Patrick
CREW MANIFEST
The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:
Patrick
CAG
New Credit(s): n/a
