Photo: Derek Perry

ACE ROLLER COASTER LANDMARK American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) recognizes Big Dipper at Pleasure Beach Resort as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark, a designation reserved for rides of historic significance.

During a post-"Great War" boom in attendance at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, founder William Bean (1868-1929) hired American William Strickler (1865-1930) to construct a large 18.3-metre-tall roller coaster on the site of the Switchback, which had closed in 1914. American coaster designer John Miller (1872-1941) engineered his first roller coaster in Britain, utilizing his patented underfriction technology that allowed for more daring high-speed thrills. Philadelphia Toboggan Company provided the coaster's trains.

Big Dipper, built for £25,000, opened to the public on 23 August 1923. After acquiring adjacent property in 1936, Big Dipper was enlarged to make it more appealing. Charles Paige (1879-1951) redesigned portions of the ride, extending it with two additional drops and a swooping far turn to a length of 1,006 metres. Famed architect Joseph Emberton (1889-1956) redesigned Big Dipper's loading platform with a modernist appearance, including a large iconic tear- drop ornament above the station.

Big Dipper has continued to thrill riders for more than 100 years. ACE salutes Pleasure Beach Resort for continuing to maintain and operate Great Britain's oldest underfriction roller coaster.

Presented by American Coaster Enthusiasts July 2, 2024