Negative-G - Lakemont Park and The Island Waterpark 2015 Page Twelve

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Leap The Dips, The worlds oldest roller coaster at Lakemont Park and The Island Waterpark, Altoona, Pennsylvania

What saved Leap The Dips from being torn down was really a lot of bad luck for Lakemont Park.

In 1927 Lakemont Park added a second coaster called the Twister that featured John Millers track design and it had steep drops, and banked turns the likes that made Leap The Dips look pale and tame in comparison.

I assume the trolley company kept Leap the Dips going as they made a little money with it although with a modern more thrilling coaster with the Twister this coaster played second fiddle until 1935.

In 1935 an extensive flood destroyed the Twister leaving Leap the Dips as the only coaster in the park.

That same year the trolley company tired of loosing money with Lakemont Park donated the park to the county under the stipulation that it be ran as a not for profit park. That action made it so that Leap the Dips is here with us today as the county didn't have the money to invest in newer and better rides and the park needed a coaster so the perfect storm was created to keep an ancient coaster with us here in 2015.