Youngsters take a ride on the Tornado during the reopening of the Keansburg Amusement Park. After sustaining heavy damage during superstorm Sandy, most boardwalk stands reopened in time for the summer season. NICOLE ANTONUCCI/STAFF In its 108-year history, the Keansburg Amusement Park had its bouts with Mother Nature, always defying the odds and coming out on top. So it was not a surprise when the owners of the park said they were going to rebuild following superstorm Sandy.
It took six months for owners William and Hank Gelhaus to make enough progress to reopen. On May 18, they celebrated the official reopening of the historic amusement park in Keansburg, Monmouth County.
“We got hit pretty hard by Sandy and we had to work seven days a week, but we were lucky because we were able to get in and [start to] put Humpty Dumpty back together again two days after the storm,” Bill Gelhaus said during a ceremony held in the bumper car pavilion, which is under construction. “We are 85 percent done and it’s a minor miracle. We repaired, we reinvented, we re-engineered — and today everything we have here is better than last year.”
Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth), who said he remembers visiting the amusement park as a child, was in attendance to help cut the yellow construction tape held together with a red bow.
“The yellow construction tape symbolizes what we have been through the last few months. It symbolizes the rebuilding and rebirth of this great park. The red ribbon symbolizes what is to come — the future. A sunny, optimistic summer season to come,” Kyrillos said, referring to the amusement park as a pillar for the Jersey Shore.
“[It’s] the first pillar as you come down Route 36, the northernmost part of the coastline … This is a special anchor and you are making it happen. We want the next generation of kids to come here, and the generation after that. And the good news is they will be able to,” Kyrillos said.
According to Bill Gelhaus, the destruction to the amusement park took place after the berm along the bay was breached, which resulted in a rush of floodwaters and sand. The day after the storm, Gelhaus said, he arrived at the park with Hank. The two set to work, determined to follow in the footsteps of their father and grandfather, who rebuilt the area following the storm of 1944.
“The storm of ’44 was particularly awful. All the stands on the water side were on pilings, and before the berm was built the bay would come in underneath them. After the storm, it looked like a toothpick factory explosion,” Bill Gelhaus said. “They rebuilt it … that has been a source of inspiration. If they can do it, we can do it.”
The men restored 33 of 36 rides, many of which were built when the amusement park opened more than 100 years ago, and they replaced others with newer rides.
The Wildcat rollercoaster, which was taken apart two months ago, will be replaced by a looping roller coaster. The bumper cars, which were damaged beyond repair, are being replaced with new bumper cars that are being shipped from Italy. New attractions include flying swings, a rocking tug, and remote control boats, along with new arcades.
In addition, the amusement park has been designed to withstand future storms with more sturdy decking, concrete walkways and elevated structures that house the electrical systems for the rides.
“It has been built so it is really sturdy. Hopefully we won’t get hit again, but if we do, we won’t have a lot of the construction,” Gelhaus said, pointing to the electrical building that sits 16 feet in the air. “Instead of getting destroyed, we are confident it should survive.”