La Selva Beach Teen Takes 100 Spins at the Boardwalk

How long does it take to ride a carousel 100 times? It takes about 12 hours according to someone who surely knows best, 17-year-old Nicholas Laschkewitsch of La Selva Beach, who did just that this past Wednesday (Aug. 3) to commemorate the 100th Birthday of the Looff Carousel at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Tuesday night, I received an email from my friend, Shelly Laschkewitsch, telling me to follow a link to see what her son Nicholas would be doing the next day. The link took me to the Boardwalk’s Facebook page, where I saw the feat that Nicholas would be attempting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. I was very excited, not just because of what he was doing, but because I know Nicholas; and I know he has to be the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s biggest fan. He is a theme park and roller coaster enthusiast, but it is more than that; theme parks are his passion. He is an Assistant Regional Representative of Northern California for ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts) and hopes one day to design theme parks and rides. He is also writing a book about the dark rides of the Boardwalk which is centered on the darker, scarier rides such as the Haunted Castle and Cave Train. 

At first glance, you might think that it sounds easy enough to accomplish this goal, but if you really think about 12 hours on a carousel, you might have second thoughts. For me, I could see how I would get pretty dizzy after a while. My equilibrium is not what it used to be. Neither is my tailbone. The Boardwalk staff did provide a cushion for him to sit on during the ride. His sister, Courtney, and his parents, Brian and Shelly, kept a sign updated after each ride showing passersby where he was on his journey and provided him with continuous support as well as with food and drink as needed. He did not get off to take a break until the 75th ride.

He received a lot of encouragement and enthusiasm from his family and friends who were there cheering him on, as well as those who weren’t there, thanks to the Boardwalk’s updates on their Facebook page and local media coverage. He also received great support from the Boardwalk staff, community members who came by just to see him ride, as well as people who were visiting the amusement park for the day and were previously unaware. He accomplished the 100 rides, of course, (I say that because those of us who know Nicholas never had any doubt in our minds whether he would finish or not) and was done at 11:07 p.m.

As I kept track of his progress throughout the day on Facebook and through witness accounts, I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask him myself, so I thought I would do just that and share them with you too. He was gracious enough to answer my questions after his long journey.

Valerie: How did the idea come to you to ride the Looff Carousel in honor of the ride's 100th Birthday?

Nicholas: First of all, the Boardwalk is my favorite amusement park in the entire world. When I heard of the anniversary about a month ago, I thought about what kind of thing I could do that would be different and crazy, that would shock people, and I got the idea. I emailed the boardwalk in mid-July to find out how many rides there were per hour, and found out there were 10, and I realized my idea could work.

Valerie: How did the staff at the boardwalk react when you told them about your plan?

Nicholas: They were kind of shocked and surprised. They thought that it sounded a little ambitious, though it was a good idea and would be fun too. They were very supportive.

Valerie: What did you do to prepare for your ride?

Nicholas: I had only been on the carousel 3-4 times in a row before, and I didn't actually prepare very much. I wanted to do this with the least amount of preparation.

Valerie: What was it like being on the carousel after a few hours, and then as the day went on into the night?

Nicholas: It wasn't so bad at first. But, after two hours I was pretty sore. I didn't expect to be sore so soon.  Someone from the boardwalk thought of giving me a pillow, and it helped a lot.

Valerie: How did the crowd treat you, did you have a lot of people cheering you on?

Nicholas: A lot of people came throughout the day, probably by 10 p.m., there were about 50 people in there cheering me on. One person came on and rode with me for their 70th birthday.

Valerie:  Were you able to eat, drink or take any breaks?

Nicholas: Yes, the Operations Manager allowed me to eat and drink on the ride. I was just concentrating on getting through and I wasn’t really hungry. I did get thirsty though, it got a little hot for a while. I didn't get off and take a break until the 75th ride. At the 80th ride, we had to stop because it needed repair. I was nervous that it wouldn’t be fixed on time. Luckily, they got the ride running again in about 15-20 minutes.

Valerie: How long did it take to complete the 100 rides?

Nicholas: I started at 11:02 a.m. and it ended at 11:07 p.m., so 12 hours and 5 minutes. The Boardwalk put more staff in there to help during the last hour, getting in 12 rides compared to 7-8 in an hour. We got done on time. 

Valerie: Did the Boardwalk give you a trophy or a reward?

Nicholas: Yes, they gave me a bronze plaque that is mounted on a piece of wood from the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster.

Valerie: How did you feel after you got off the ride, and how did you feel the next day? 

Nicholas: After the ride I felt like I was still on it and I was tired. The feeling of being on the ride went away after I went to sleep. Today (Thursday) I am tired and still pretty sore, especially my legs.

Valerie: Tell us how many rings did you make in the clown’s mouth? 

Nicholas: 38 rings in the clown’s mouth. I was trying for 50, but it was close.

Valerie: How many miles do you think you rode?

Nicholas: We actually figured it out. About 20 miles.

Valerie: Was it worth it? Would you do it all over again if you could go back? 

Nicholas: I don’t know. Probably….Well, yes, I am sure I would…but not very soon. 

Valerie: Can you tell us what your plans are for your future?

Nicholas: In the future, I would like to work in the amusement park industry in the design field, designing rides and/or roller coasters. 

I am sure it was a memorable day for Nicholas and his family. It was also a very special day in the history of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk as well. Thank you, Nicholas, for bringing some much-deserved attention to a very special ride and for sharing your great enthusiasm, spirit and ambition with all of us.

I am sure many of us have some very fond memories of that carousel, feel free to share them here too.

Congratulations Nicholas!