Torture Time at the Boardwalk

by Sybella John

Ahh, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is the most wonderful place. The sights, like the beach, all the awesome rides, and the prizes you can win. The sounds, like the people on rides screaming in terror and excitement when they pass by at enough speed to decapitate you if you get too close. The smells, like the pizza, Greek food, dipped ice cream, the fish and chips, and all of the other food stations. Doesn’t it sound like a wonderful place? 

Welp, I was there with my friend, Lily, for her birthday trip and instead of being a little wimp, I decided that I wanted to go on the big kid rides. That was the best and worst decision in my life. While we were waiting in line for the Typhoon ride, my friend and I were talking about how fun the  was going to be. When I got on the ride though, I realised how nervous I was. “I don’t think I really want to go on the ride anymore,” I said to my friend. But she kept urging me on.

“It’s gonna be fine! I’ll be right next to you,” she responded.

“No, it’s not!” I yelped. 

The people facing us said, “We are scared too, but we think it’ll be nice.” 

Once the ride started, I thought, Oh god, this is going to be great. We were swinging back and forth and eventually, even though my eyes were closed, I knew the thing had the momentum to go upside down. It was so weird to be spun around like that, especially when you hang upside down for a second. I felt like I was going to fall off! I was hanging by the mere safety strap, and, oh God, am I grateful for that invention just now. 

I loved it and hated it at the same time, but I hated it more because I was screaming the loudest and this is what you would hear: “AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! I HATE THIS! I HATE THIS! GEEEEEEETTT MMMMMEEEEE OOOOOOFFFFF!” I really wonder if the video Lily’s mom was recording picked up my screaming through everyone else’s. After the ride, I said to my friend, “I cannot eat, I WILL hurl.” ANYWAY, I started to wander around. We went to other rides, like this ride that is kind of like riding a kite and flying through the air. We also went on this swing ride where you go on swings and spin around and the ride tilts and stuff. It’s very fun. 

I was not very nauseous around this time so we got some dipped ice cream where they took soft serve and dipped it in some flavoured syrup. It hardens very quickly, so you have a hard shell of a flavour of your choice, in my case blue raspberry, and an ice cream flavour of your choice. I chose vanilla ice cream. It was very good. I got some fish and chips too and MADE MY FRIEND LIKE FISH.

Finally we got to The Giant Dipper. When I looked at it when I was in line, I thought it didn’t look that bad. But, oh boy, was I wrong. I though it was a pretty not far drop, but I think it has to be around a 40 foot drop. After the drop it kind of curved around and went back behind the big drop. Guess what? The people who designed this thought, “oh no one drop isn’t good enough! We got to make two!”. They made a tiny mini drop behind the first one, AS IF THIS THING WASN’T ALREADY GOING FAST ENOUGH! It’s just really a weird windy track.  When it was finally our turn to go on the ride, and we got to the drop part, then, and only then, did I actually get why it was called the “Giant Dipper.” You know what my puny little peanut brain thought at the time? It’ll be a good idea to duck your head under the bar. Don’t worry, I was not knocked unconscious. But the ride was rough, I got tossed around, and if I didn’t hold onto my possessions, they would be yeeted into the sun. We had to go around the track TWO TIMES. TWO ROUNDS OF BEING AT THE MERCY OF FATE. Anyway, at the end of the ride when we were getting off, I decided that I wanted to have a face that showed the expression of seeing beyond everything and everything beyond, since I am a very humorous person.

“Are you OK?” my friend asked.

I responded, “Yeah, I’m fine.” We went back to my friend’s house and hung out some more and played around a bit. That’s the end of that. 

So that is the story of the time I found out that I was a really wimpy person. You know what I learned from that experience? I learned that I absolutely do not like drops and getting spun around or anything that warps my perspective AT ALL.  So I faced my fears, got kind of more comfortable with it but I still have a long way to go. That’s perfectly fine. That’s what makes it fun.