SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego's iconic Belmont Park in Mission Beach officially turns 100 on the Fourth of July. The park's crown jewel, of course, is the 75-foot tall wooden roller coaster: The Giant Dipper.
It got extra attention in the late '90s, when a local radio station held a contest to see who could stay on the coaster the longest.
"Whirl 'Til You Hurl" was the title of the contest.
In 1997, the winners stayed on the ride for 12 days. ABC 10News dug into the vault and found the time we sent a photojournalist to check in on one of the participants, affectionately known as "Cocky Chris."
Chris and two others ended up all being crowned winners after nearly 3,000 laps on the ride. They all got new cars for their efforts.
But that was nothing compared to the next year: Five contestants stayed on the roller coaster for 10 whole weeks, sleeping in their seats each night. They were all declared winners and split the $50,000 grand prize.
