New Funland ride in Rehoboth Beach flips, dips, tips

There's a new ride at Funland in Rehoboth Beach, this one for thrill seekers 48 inches or taller.

They call it the SuperFlip 360 and Randy Curry, part of the family that owns the boardwalk amusement park, said it should give guests a new riding experience.

Part Sea Dragon-like pendulum, part flip with a pause and a drop to mimic the feel of a roller coaster, and part spin, Curry said the new ride is likely to appeal to tweens, teens and adults.

"Ever wonder what Funland looks like upside down?' asked Lynne Stewart, another member of the Funland team.

Bringing a new ride to Funland isn't easy. First of all the amusement park is packed into a blockwide stretch of Rehoboth's Boardwalk.

So, Curry said, when they start to consider a new ride, they have to think about the footprint that is available and what will fit.

For Funland regulars, the space they were looking to fill used to hold the old Super Flip and before that, Chaos, Curry said.

"We needed something a little more thrillling than the Sea Dragon," he said.

That's the giant pirate ship that swings back and forth like the pendulum on a clock.

The SuperFlip 360 made the list (in the list of rides it was actually called Midi Dance Party) of rides that would fit on the space available, Curry said.

They also needed something that could hold up in the weather because the ride will sit outside year round. Some rides at Funland are under cover but the bigger ones like the Paratrooper and the Sea Dragon are in the open.

Curry then took the list of rides that made the space cut to the over 20 family members who run Funland.

"This one was kind of on the periphery," he said.

While the decision is being made, they consider price and whether they expect the new attraction with inspire "re-rides," he said.

And there is always the consideration of not changing too much about what makes Funland Funland, he said.

Generations of children have ridden the same little boats, made the helicopters go up and down, and rushed to fires on pint-sized fire engines. There is also an arcade with games of chance and coin-operated attractions like Skee-Ball.

During that family meeting, someone said: "Why don't you look at this?" Curry recalled.

At that point the Midi Dance Party got a closer look. Months later it was delivered in two, 40-foot open containers and a crane was rented to put it in position and hold things while it was bolted together. When it arrived in Delaware, it came with a new name: Super Flip 360.

It took a full day to put it together with the help of a technician for Rides4U, the company that sold the ride to Funland.

Four generations of the same family have owned and operated Funland, finalizing the purchase of the property just before the March Storm of 1962 sent the bumper cars flying onto the beach in front of the business.

Curry said one reason for the change is to bring the next generation along so they can learn how to run and maintain the rides. His specialty was the old Superflip.

His father-in-law, Allen Fasnacht, who is in his late 80s, was busy putting a coat of paint on the Paratrooper. Meanwhile, Curry's son and two of his young children, stopped by to see how things were going.

The next big change at Funland will be the replacement of the Gravitron. But not to worry, Curry said, a new Gravitron will take its place.

Funland opens May 13 at 1 p.m. The Haunted House won't open until May 20 at 7 p.m.

Contact Molly Murray at (302) 463-3334 or mmurray@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @MollyMurraytnj.