The Stinger makes North American debut at Altamont Fair
The doors swung open at the Altamont Fair today under rainy skies, but by this afternoon the clouds were clearing and the crowds were already turning out for the 188th annual event.
For the second time running, a $15 fair admission is buying attendees parking and all of the attractions and rides they can cram into their visit.
This afternoon, the midway was slowly filling up with patrons availing themselves of that option, and many were gravitating towards a new addition to the fair that’s either terrifying or enticing, depending on your disposition: The Stinger.
Rick Reithoffer, president of Reithoffer Shows, which is running the midway at Altamont, went all the way to Genoa, Italy to find the ride. It’s one of only nine in the world, and the first to make it out of Europe.
He ordered the 100,000-lb. machine in the winter, but it just made it to the states recently. Reithoffer declined to name the price of the ride, but acknowledged it was very expensive.
The Stinger is worth it to Reithoffer, even though it takes two trailers to move it from show to show, because it takes thrill seekers in a direction no other ride can equal.
`This is the newest piece of candy at the candy store,` Reithoffer said.
The Altamont Fair is the first place North American thrill seekers can ride The Stinger
The Stinger’s pendulum motion starts slow but builds to spin riders a complete 360 degrees, sending them a gut-wrenching eight stories into the air. While they’re swinging, the `claw` holding up to 16 brave souls spins on its own axis of motion, as do each of the four rows of seats.
The effect is jarring even from the ground, as riders whirl through the air in multiple directions. At night, 16,000 LED bulbs turn the Stinger into a light show unrivaled on the rest of the midway.
But for the less adventurous, there are plenty of other activities every day at the fair. The Disc-Connected K9s show was delighting all ages this afternoon, as dogs rescued from shelters and poor conditions soared through the air to catch frisbees tossed by Lawrence Frederick, who trains the dogs.
Getting a dog up to show-level is a long process, he said.
`You give them warmth, you give them shelter… to get them to a point where they’ll trust and love you,` he said.
Making his first debut before an audience today was Hyzer, a 17-month-old Jack Russell Terrier.
Hyzer makes a daring catch thrown by trainer Lawrence Frederick
The Disc-Connected K9s will be performing every day of the fair at 2:30, 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
For more information and a schedule of the all the fair’s activities, visit altamontfair.com. The fair runs daily through Sunday, Aug. 21.
Photos by Charles Wiff/Spotlight
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