A new documentary tells the story of iconic ride designer Anton Schwarzkopf
interview by Martin Palicki
Roller coaster fans around the world recognize the name Schwarzkopf as a classic attraction designer. As many parks continually seek to reinvent themselves (and as spare parts become harder to access), many of his rides are starting to disappear. Before it was too late, a team of ride enthusiasts and industry professionals decided to chronicle Anton Schwarzkopf’s life, work and rides in a new documentary “The Legacy of Schwarzkopf.” To find out more about the project, InPark caught up with three of the film’s creators: Robert Ingle (Producer), Nicholas Laschkewitsch (Director), and Kris Rowberry (Executive Producer).
InPark Magazine: Where did the inspiration for the film come from?
Kris Rowberry: It was twofold. During the height of the pandemic, Nicholas, Robert and I began talking about starting a new project because we had the time to do it! Secondly, we wanted to recognize the centennial of Schwarzkopf’s birth (July 1924).
IPM: What were the personal experiences that led you to want to profile Schwarzkopf?
Nicholas Laschkewitsch: Growing up in Northern California’s Bay Area, California’s Great America was an integral part of my childhood theme park exposure. In 2002, while I was finally tall enough to ride the park’s Schwarzkopf shuttle loop, Greased Lightnin’ (formerly The Tidal Wave), I was too afraid to take the challenge. Unfortunately, this proved to be the ride’s final season at the park. Despite this, I have always been a big fan of the park’s other Schwarzkopf attractions. These personal experiences on his rides at a young age certainly made an impact on me. I know Robert and Kris were inspired by Schwarzkopf’s attractions at California’s Great America also.
IPM: Do you have favorite Schwarzkopf attractions?
Robert Ingle: All of them! It might sound cliché, but I genuinely struggle to pick a favorite because I believe there’s no such thing as a bad Schwarzkopf ride. Each of his creations have such unique character and charm that it’s impossible to choose just one.
Kris: I’m a personal fan of the Bayern Kurve flat ride and nothing beats the power of a flywheel shuttle loop.
Nicholas: One of the most exciting opportunities this project afforded me was the chance to experience so many of Schwarzkopf’s rides that I had yet to, most notably Olympia Looping at Oktoberfest. This has since become one of my absolute favorite Schwarzkopf attractions.
IPM: What do you want audiences to take away from the film?
Kris: We hope that the film highlights just how influential Schwarzkopf has been for the attractions industry. We also hope that people recognize how many of his rides are disappearing. Treasure every moment and savor every ride you go on.
Nicholas: I want viewers to understand how much of an innovator Anton Schwarzkopf was. Given the technology and resources available to him in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, the ideas that he and his team were able to bring to life should be commended. Schwarzkopf is a fantastic case study in never giving up and always dreaming big. As a mechanical engineer in the themed entertainment industry, his work certainly left a lasting impression on me.
IPM: What do you think are the key parts of the Schwarzkopf legacy?
Kris: His attention to detail. His willingness to constantly adapt and retool. And finally his willingness to take unskilled workers and train them in the art of creating amusement rides. His fingerprints are all over the industry to this day.
Nicholas: Schwarzkopf was bold in every idea he came up with. The development of the vertical loop is one of the most important aspects of Schwarzkopf’s innovations with Werner Stengel, culminating in the Great American Revolution opening at Magic Mountain in 1976. Aside from the vertical loop, Schwarzkopf’s wildly popular portable coasters stand the test of time.
Robert: Anton was dedicated and passionate about his craftsmanship right up until his retirement. His ability to find dedicated workers, regardless of their background or prior knowledge, truly showcases his talent for seeing the potential in people, which in turn helped create unforgettable rides.
IPM: What challenges did you have in producing the film?
Nicholas: Our last big film project as a team was “The Legacy of Arrow Development” in 2015, which was a much smaller project and only had us filming domestically here in the U.S. One of the biggest challenges with wanting to tell the Schwarzkopf story effectively was the necessity of traveling the world to capture his most important attractions. The global scale of Schwarzkopf’s impact on the amusement industry was eye opening to me and the logistical hurdles we needed to surmount made this project a really unique challenge – though one we were thrilled to tackle.
IPM: What did you love most about producing the film?
Robert: Preserving numerous rides and collecting the personal stories of Schwarzkopf’s influence on both the industry and individuals was truly special. Traveling internationally to experience all these attractions was another highlight for me.
IPM: How can people view the film?
Robert: The film is currently being shown exclusively at ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts) regional events and will be streamed on the ACE YouTube channel soon. •
