SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — As riders put their hands in the air in preparation for the first big drop, the clank of the steel gears was heard on the roller coaster track of Dorney Park's Thunderhawk.
Thunderhawk, one of the few wooden roller coasters still operating, was built in March 1924.
On Saturday, Dorney Park's staff, along with roller coaster enthusiasts, gathered to hold a centennial celebration for the beloved attraction.
No. 1 fans
Cliff Herring, a retired pastor, is Dorney Park's first season pass holder and worked as part of the coaster crew on the Thunderhawk in the 1980s.
His job was to manually pull on the brakes as the Thunderhawk came to a stop.
A responsibility, he says, required a great deal of hand-eye coordination.
The fact that we have been able to ride Thunderhawk throughout all of these hundred years and what has been brought to us in our lives is incredible. It's truly a salute to the individuals that have the determination and the intention to keep it running every day for us."Elizabeth Ringas, president American Coaster Enthusiasts
"I call it the largest skill game in the world because you beat it when it came in, you manipulated the skid brakes to have it come in because if you did nothing, it would stop, because the brakes were always up. You would pull them down to get there," he said. "When you're looking at the train, you judge the speed that it's coming in. And that's how you judge how much you put the limit."
Over the years, the Thunderhawk has had some mechanical upgrades — it's no longer manually controlled. In 2016, the attraction received some enhancements including new lap bars and paint.
For its 100th birthday, its cars have a new hawk emblem on top of the maroon and gold colors.
Still, the thrill remains as it was 100 years ago.
"It's getting [to see] clouds going up the hill, the wind blowing through your hair, the rumbling back and forth through the track. It's a secure rock. It's just a secure, controlled vehicle."Tom Rebbie
Dorney Park's wooden roller coaster, or "woodie" as they are commonly called, has a few drops and dips, with the largest at 65 feet.
"It's getting [to see] clouds going up the hill, the wind blowing through your hair, the rumbling back and forth through the track. It's a secure rock. It's just a secure, controlled vehicle," said Tom Rebbie.
Rebbie owns Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, the company that built Thunderhawk, along with the wooden roller coasters at Knobels Amusement Resort in Elysburg and Hersheypark in Hershey.
His first ride on the Thunderhawk was at 11 years old.
Years later, he came to Dorney Park to inspect the ride, which at the time was making an odd noise.
"I spent the day just riding the roller coaster. All day long, three or 4 hours, and I had to get off the whole time. People were wondering if I was tired of riding it all day, but I enjoyed it," Rebbie, also an ACE member said.
'Special to the world'
American Coaster Enthisiasts (ACE) is a nonprofit, which describes itself as the world's largest club of amusement ride enthusiasts, and dubs its members "ACERS."
Founded in 1978, the organization, which has about 7,000 members, also researches and ranks roller coasters, along with dedicating time to preserving rides like the Thunderhawk, which was given an ACE Coaster Landmark plaque in 2021.
In May, Rebbie and ACE President Elizabeth Ringas traveled to California to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Giant Dipper, another wooden roller coaster, or "woodie," located in Santa Cruz.
Ringas says wooden roller coasters like the Thunderhawk — one of 10 left operating still — offer something that the modern ones lack.
"We get to connect across generations and experience history as we sit down in that coaster train. How many people here have ridden Thunderhawk with someone who has since passed away," Ringas said.
"It's about memories. And doesn't it bring back that emotion and memories when you ride that again? That's what preservation is about. Thunderhawk is not just special to the Lehigh Valley, but to the world.
"Think about what the last hundred years has brought to the world. The fact that we have been able to ride Thunderhawk throughout all of these hundred years and what has been brought to us in our lives is incredible. It's truly a salute to the individuals that have the determination and the intention to keep it running every day for us."
