Breckenridge Texan

Former Breckenridge resident Gary Slade is included in a new documentary film, “The Legacy of Schwarzkopf,” about Anton Schwarzkopf and Schwarzkopf Industries, a pioneer in roller coaster design and manufacturing.

“The Legacy of Schwarzkopf” poster (Courtesy of American Coaster Enthusiasts)

At the recent world premiere of the short film in Austin, an auction was held to raise money for the American Coaster Enthusiasts’ preservation efforts. At the auction, Slade purchased a 1976 blueprint of a Schwarzkopf Wildcat with a winning bid of $1,000.

He announced that he would donate the historic blueprint to the National Roller Coaster Museum. The blueprint showcases the vehicle design from the Wildcat roller coaster at Adventure Park USA in Frederick, Maryland.

Slade’s personal archives on Anton Schwarzkopf, are seen throughout the documentary, and he is seen in the film telling his stories of meeting Schwarzkopf, first as a ride operator on the Shock Wave and later as publisher of Amusement Today, when he interviewed him at a German nursing home just months prior to Schwarzkopf’s death in 2001.

The American Coaster Enthusiasts contracted the 89-minute documentary to tell the story of German-born Schwarzkopf, who was “a Hall of Fame roller coaster visionary and builder who created some of the most loved steel coasters of all time,” according to the news release.

Regionally, roller coaster fans can find Schwarzkopf coasters in operation as the Shock Wave at Six Flags Over Texas (Slade was on the ride crew in 1979 while employed at the Arlington park); Texas Wildcat at Cotaland at Circuit of the Americas in Austin; and Silver Bullet at Frontier City, in Oklahoma City. Other Schwarzkopf coasters can be found in 10 U.S. locations, eight in parks and two on fairgrounds.

Schwarzkopf’s story, from his birth in Munsterhausen, Germany, to his service in WWII to his adult life of building amusement rides and roller coasters, took 48 months to research, film and produce. According to the news release, “Schwarzkopf once said he saw so much death and destruction from the war, that if it ever ended he would devote his life to creating something that would bring and smiles to adults and children. His ride creations did just that. Anton built 146 roller coasters worldwide during his career and countless other fair rides.”

“The Legacy of Schwarzkopf” will be free to stream beginning in 2025 on ACE’s YouTube channel. For more information visit www.aceonline.org.

Cutline, top photo: Former Breckenridge resident and NRCMA board member Gary Slade, second from right, shows a 1976 blueprint of a Schwarzkopf Wildcat he purchased at auction during a recent screening of a new documentary film “The Legacy of Schwarzkopf.” Pictured with Slade are, from left, Kris Rowberry, NRCMA board member; Elizabeth Ringas, president of ACE; and Mark Rosenzweig, NRCMA board member. The historic blueprint was an auction item to raise money for ACE preservation efforts, and Slade will donate it to the NRCMA. (Photo courtesy of Jack Lathrop/Thrilling Moments Photography)