I remember our family vacationing in Capitola from 1960-1973. The big treat was the one night we would go to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for the night. Mom and Dad and my Aunt would go to the wharf and eat out while us kids would amuse ourselves with a hamburger dinner and the funhouse.
Often times I would look up at that Giant Dipper and wonder if there would ever come a time when I would have the guts to get on that ride. Low and behold in 1969 while dating a girl I very much cared for, she actually talked me into taking my first ride at 17 years old with her. After getting off the ride I had told myself that I had wasted a lot of time being scared of that ride. It is now easily my most favorite ride on the boardwalk all these years later. I just cannot get enough of that ride. I now ride it with my daughter who loves it as well.