 06 Blue Streak Challenge Article 
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| Article published Jul 18, 2006 Riders keep streak going By JOHN BARTLETT john.bartlett@timesnews.com Coaster challenge continues for 6th year at Conneaut Lake Park CONNEAUT LAKE - Conneaut Lake Park's historic Blue Streak roller coaster carried Kevin Huwe up and down and around. Not once, not twice, but again and again. "I'm hanging in there," the Pittsburgh resident said as he prepared to re-board the coaster for the 61st run Monday, a part of the sixth annual Blue Streak Challenge. "It's a great ride, but by the end of the day, after 300 times, well . ." It might be time for the Blue Streak Challenge itself to take a break, event organizer Kelly Petrachkoff said. There were only six registered participants Monday. In past years the number has routinely been twice that, and a couple of years organizers were nearly able to fill a coaster, she said. "I'm thinking this might be the last one - at least for a while,"Petrachkoff said. "It might be time to give it a break." Still, Petrachkoff said they expected Monday's coaster marathon to raise up to $5,000, which Conneaut Lake Park uses to help defray the coaster's annual maintenance costs. Much would depend on donations made throughout the day, she said. Petrachkoff, a resident of Salem, Ohio, organized the Blue Streak Challenge in 2001 through the Conneaut Lake Park Preservation Society, which is now a subcommittee of Conneaut Lake Institute Inc. One reason the number of riders is down this year is that the challenge had to be rescheduled from its original date of June 26, she said. The Blue Streak's motor was struck by lightning on June 22, taking the coaster out of service for a week. That also resulted in the event being held for the first time during a normal operating day. Because the park was open and the coaster was available for all comers, it was stopping after each trip, unlike in past years when it stopped only to allow marathon riders periodic breaks or when someone couldn't continue and had to get off for a breather. Evan Smith, 9, of Jefferson, Ohio, the youngest marathon rider, took a personal break after 34 consecutive trips for a brief nap to shake off a headache. Twenty laps of the Blue Streak and some cotton candy later he was getting back on board. "I'm ready," he said. It was 12:30 p.m. The challenge had another nine hours. The first run of the day was at 10 a.m. Andrew Linhard, 14, and Randall Hammond, 15, who came from Parkton, Md., for the Blue Streak Challenge, were ending their own break. "It's really fun. It's a different experience," Hammond said. Hammond said he has loved Conneaut Lake Park since his first visit a couple of years ago. "It's original," he said. "It's not like the other parks today. It has a lot of history." Petrachkoff chuckled. "People love this park and this coaster," she said. Huwe, who has ridden during every Blue Streak Challenge, said he will be back no matter what. "There's nothing like it," he said. JOHN BARTLETT can be reached at (814) 724-6979, 870-1723 or by e-mail. | |