Alexis Hawkins GOING DOWN: The Pacific Wheel has been featured in more than 300 movies and television shows. Wheel still a big draw
An iconic piece of Pacific Park, a symbol of the one of the few seaside amusement parks left in the country, is about to say good-bye to the coastline.
The aging 12-year-old Pacific Wheel Ferris wheel will make its last revolution on May 4 before it is dismantled and replaced with a newer and nearly identical version of itself.
As a result of its location, weathering the effects of the salt air and ocean splashes, the Pacific Wheel has bore more wear and tear than its land-based counterparts, which on average can survive up to 20 years, according to Jeff Klocke, the director of marketing and sales at Pacific Park.
‘We’re being proactive,” Klocke said on Monday. “The wheel could operate for a few more years but we wanted to go ahead of the curve and replace it.”
The oldest ride in Pacific Park, the Ferris wheel has served as one of the most recognizable symbols of the Santa Monica Pier, aside from the historic entrance sign at the foot of Colorado Avenue. The always-illuminated wheel, which is solar powered, has been featured in more than 300 movies, television shows and commercials, and publications, making cameo appearances in feature-length films such as “Stuck on You,” “The Majestic,” and “Fat Albert.”
It is also often prominently featured on weather segments of the local evening news, Klocke said.
Crews will begin to dismantle the ride starting May 5, storing the pieces at the 1550 parking lot on Pacific Coast Highway while its $1.5 million replacement is assembled in what will be a nearly two-week long process. The new Pacific Wheel will be unveiled in time for Memorial Day weekend, Klocke said. The rest of the park will remain open during construction.
One of the key differences between the old and the new Ferris wheels will be the mechanical efficiency, the upgraded ride using roughly 25 percent less energy. The illumination scheme of the ride will also be transformed as 15,000 energy-efficient LEDs will replace the more than 5,300 old-power sucking blue, red and white bulbs. The new wheel will be solar-powered just like its predecessor.
“It’s a very ‘un-green’ lighting system that exists now,” Klocke said.
The new wheel will also enhance operational efficiencies within Pacific Park. Whereas the color of the Ferris wheel’s bulbs were manually changed by switching a colored-plastic film that covered each bulb, the hue of the new lights will easily be managed centrally through a computer, Klocke said.
“It’s a chance for the park to really show its commitment to keeping the park fresh and new and exciting,” he said. “We’re really proud to replace the wheel and bring in a state-of-the-art wheel that doesn’t lose the nostalgic feeling.”
Throughout its lifetime, the Pacific Wheel, which has 20 gondola-shaped chairs, accommodating up to six riders per car, has given more than three million rides.
Bits and pieces of the wheel are expected to be sold to serve as missing parts for other functional Ferris wheels.
“There’s a lot of life left on that wheel if it’s not sitting over the ocean,” Klocke said.
The central hub of the old wheel, which is about six feet in diameter, will be donated to the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum where it is expected to be displayed in the non-profit organization’s future new home in the Santa Monica Public Library.
“This will be a wonderful piece of history in the museum,” Louise Gabriel, the president of the historical society museum, said. “The museum represents all areas of our local history.”
The news of the wheel coming down seemed to get a nonchalant response from pier visitors on Monday, saying they would be more shocked if the Ferris wheel came down without a replacement.
“(Tearing it down) is not a big deal,” Frank Vincelli, a Santa Monica resident, said. “Now if they were tearing down the pier, then you’d get a big reaction from me.”
The Ferris Wheel was one of the main reasons why Brian Steuer and wife, Laura, came to visit the pier on Monday.
“You can see it from the shopping area, so we were drawn down here,” he said. “It would be one thing if it was here for 50 years. I think (tearing it down is fine) if it’s only 12 years old, as long as it still looks low key.”
Jon Haber contributed to this story
Jump hedline: Iconic ride to be replaced
Suggested pullquote: “It’s a chance for the park to really show its commitment to keeping the park fresh and new and exciting.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 19, 2008. Read the original PDF.