Round and round and upside down, then stop!
Harrison Thorp
ROCHESTER - The Fireball amusement ride at the Rochester Fair propels riders 50-60 mph round and round on a 100-foot high loop, but that's not what gets the blood rush. "It's definitely exciting," said Sam Hayes after stepping of his first ride on the Fireball. "It's different, I didn't expect it to stop and go backwards." That's right. After going round and round a few loops an experienced operator slows down the ride so that it almost comes to a complete stop at its apex, creating a crescendo of oohs and aahs from high in the sky. Then it reverses and does a few loops the other way for good measure. The ride is in its second year at the fair, and one of its most exciting.
A little too exciting for Amie Ruths of Rochester, who stood watching her husband, Dan, and 8-year-old daughter, Kylie, climb the sky while she stayed on solid ground. "I don't think I'd like being upside down," she said with a grin. "Plus it's really high." Amie Ruths said her husband was happy to accompany his daughter, whom Amie Ruths called "fearless." "She wanted to go, and I wanted to go, too," said Dan Ruths afterward. And what did Kylie Ruths like most about the ride? "Being upside down," she said. The Rochester Fair continues through next Sunday.
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