Spending days in the park or even in the backyard playing on the swing set is a memory that almost everyone can bring into the front of their mind from his or her childhood. Warm summer days spent trying to swing as high as possible and maybe even trying to prove that well known myth of actually doing a complete three-sixty around the bar true. These are defining moments in everyone’s childhood, which seem to fade to just memories as the years tick by. Most would give anything to have a chance to live the carefree life of a child over again. While reading this, most are probably thinking that this is impossible and the childhood years will just remain a memory, but one of the most unique minds in the amusement industry has taken a shot at allowing everyone to relive these memories, in his own twisted sort of way.

Anyone that has an in-depth knowledge of ride designers knows instantly who is being referred to by the previous sentence, but for those reading that don’t know let’s take a step back in time to January of 1993. A small company opened its doors under the name of S&S Sports to manufacture The Trampoline Thing. The small combination bungee jump/trampoline attraction spread rapidly around the world and become a unique up-charge attraction at most parks. In 1994 the founder of the company, Stan Checketts, ventured into using compressed air to power rides and it all went downhill from there. With a new system to propel rides, the ingenious wheels in Stan’s brain started turning and hit after hit was produced by the company. The Thrill Shot towers which are a staple of most large amusement parks burst into the scene. Then the company took a swing at roller coaster. The Thrust Air 2000, the company’s code name for a compressed air launched coaster, found its way into Paramount’s Kings Dominion under the name of Hypersonic XLC.

S&S then laid dormant for a while, producing a Thrill Shot of two here and there, but then in 2004, two more ideas made their way from the drawing board to raw steel. The Screaming Squirrel roller coaster, which has found its way into a few amusement parks, and the Screaming Swing were announced as the newest products on the company’s already impressive list. The Screaming Swing is by far a totally different animal than the normal backyard swing set, but the idea came from that very type of ride.

Several different styles of this ride were purchased by parks as far away as England, while the Midwest remained barren of any monster swing sets, but in 2005 that all changed. Valleyfair!, a large amusement park located in Shakopee, Minnesota, announced that a Screaming Swing would be coming for the 2006 season. Cedar Fair, owners of the renowned Cedar Point, snatched up a few of the Screaming Swings to put in their parks. Cedar Point of course received one leaving one more up for the taking. Fittingly, Valleyfair! received the honor of building only the seventh version of the ride in existence.

The official announcement was made on September 23, 3005 and construction started soon after. The ride was given the name Xtreme Swing, which is a very fitting title for this type of ride. The early construction progressed at a feverish pace in attempt to have the ride function before the cold weather hit Minnesota. The efforts paid off and on December 27, 2005, the park allowed a few special guests and off course Santa Claus was invited to, to take the first official rides on the parks new creation.

As guests pull into the parking lot of Valleyfair!, something new is caught by the eye. A skyline that was once dominated by Wild Thing, Steel Venom, and Power Tower now has a new ride rising against the sky. As guests get closer and closer to the new attraction, the sheer size of this mammoth swing set becomes apparent. Parents soon regress to childhood years as they rush to enter the queue line. Guests make their way through the queue noticing Power Tower and Corkscrew beside them and before they know it, the journey has been completed. The ride operator allows forty-riders into the staging area and escorts them to the seat pods. After securing the patented S&S lab bar restraints, the sheer power of compressed air does its job.

Now unlike a normal swing set, riders don’t have to exert any effort to start this beast. All that is required of the riders is to hang on. The first blast of compressed air gives the swing a push more powerful than any parent could deliver at the park. Riders are propelled higher and higher into the air until all the see is sky in front of them. Swing after swing ensues and soon riders a screaming for joy as all their troubles are cast aside and they feel just like a kid again. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and the compressed air shuts off, allowing the ride to slow to a stop using only gravity. The restraints are released and gleeful riders make their way to the exit gate. Usually after the first ride, the second move is to jump right back in line to do it all over again.