He’s always a ton of fun. He works nonstop, but he loves it. He has so much passion for what he does. He is the only person I know who, on Sunday night, paces the floor saying, ‘I wish it was Monday morning already! I wish I could just go to work!’ He just loves what he does, and it’s infectious. – Sandy Checketts
Stan Checketts is a 74-year-old grandfather who loves to throw his grandchildren into the air as they giggle with delight.
And thanks to his career, he gets to do the same thing for adults.
Checketts, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Cache Valley, Utah, has been inventing thrill rides and attractions for 40 years, and his resume is impressive. According to a press release from Soaring Eagle Inc., Checketts has more of his rides in amusement parks than any other person in the entertainment industry. In 1997, he was named National Entrepreneur of the Year by USA Today.
His thrill rides have been featured in the Guinness Book of World Records, and he was highlighted in Rolling Stone Magazine on Aug. 22, 2002, according to the Logan Herald Journal. Among his well-known attractions are Knott’s Berry Farm’s Supreme Scream and the Big Shot on top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas.
Checketts’ latest invention was revealed at Renegade Sports in Logan on May 20. The new structure is a three-in-one thrill ride, which includes three “thrills” — the Aerial Dive Ride, the Saddle Sling and the Daring Drop.
“This is what gets my heart excited,” said Checketts as he pointed to his newest attraction the morning of its reveal. “I just love to thrill people. That’s my life. If I can watch someone screaming and squealing and having a good time, I’m motivated. That’s what drives me; that’s what makes me excited.”
Sandy Checketts, Stan Checketts’ wife, said being married to a thrill ride creator is an “endless party.”
“He’s always a ton of fun,” Sandy Checketts said. “He works nonstop, but he loves it. He has so much passion for what he does. He is the only person I know who, on Sunday night, paces the floor saying, ‘I wish it was Monday morning already! I wish I could just go to work!’ He just loves what he does, and it’s infectious. It’s fun to have someone that positive and exciting around the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids.”
Stan Checketts started out in what he calls the “bungee days.” He obtained patents for bungee towers and built them all over the world. The industry took off.
According to Checketts, people started getting hurt on other companies’ bungee systems, which began a sharp decline in the popularity of bungee jumping. He said these injuries ruined the sport for him. But as a result of these failures, Checketts began thinking more creatively about how he could continue to safely thrill people.
“‘I know — I can throw them in the air!’” Checketts said he remembers thinking to himself. “That’s what I would do with my kids when they were little. I’d just take them and toss them in the air and catch them safely. So then I thought, ‘I’ll build a space shot, and I will throw them in the air 185 feet.’”
As the father of nine children and a grandfather to 30 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Checketts is devoted to his family and his faith.
“We are heavily involved with the youth in the (LDS) Church, so we are with the young women and young men a lot,” Sandy Checketts said. “They are always asking him questions and introducing him to their friends, so it’s really fun.”
Quin Checketts, Stan Checketts' fourth son, said it has been a unique and amazing opportunity to be raised by a father who is passionate about thrill rides.
“Last week my dad and I rode the big Aerial Drop,” Quin Checketts said in May. “You think you are OK when you sit down in the seat because you have a guardrail and a floor in front of you. You’re casual, and you’re like, ‘Oh, I can do this.’ Then the floor opens up, and all of a sudden you are floorless and your heart stops. Then to make matters worse, just when you’re trying to get used to the fact that now there’s no floor under you, both you and the person next to you tilt forward and you drop. I just remember thinking, ‘Wow, we are going fast!’”
The Aerial Dive is the first of the three thrill rides. Two riders are dropped from a 200-foot tower straight toward the ground, then are swung through the air about 400 feet.
The second, the Saddle Sling, throws riders 160 feet into the air with their limbs dangling out completely free. The two riders, facing away from each other, will bounce up and down as the sling causes them to do flips through the air.
The Daring Drop is a freefall ride that drops up to four riders from 200 feet in the air. The harness system that is utilized does not have upper-body restrictions, giving riders a more “exhilarating” sensation. Stan Checketts said the ride drops fast enough that “you will be sure you can’t stop before hitting the ground,” but riders come to a smooth stop with the Drop’s magnetic brakes.
The three-in-one attraction won’t be staying in Cache Valley for long. Stan Checketts has plans to make it available in locations throughout the United States, including Florida, Texas and Nevada.
“I have been covering the amusement industry for about 40 years, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Paul Ruben, former editor of the Amusement Park Journal, about the May opening. “It’s a thrilling and very safe ride. I write about the amusement industry, and I haven’t seen anything like this anywhere. This is unique; in fact, he’s got three unique rides here which look like major league throws. He has taken some ideas in the industry and he has put them on steroids.”
More details and additional information about Checketts’ latest creations can be found on Soaring Eagle Inc.’s Facebook page: facebook.com/zip.line.ride.
Email: kschwab@deseretnews.com