The Herald Bulletin

Afternoon Update

Community

August 29, 2009

Cliffman tackles Ohio water slide

MASON, Ohio — Charlie Kanzawa is a typical working man during the week.

He is employed by Remy to work on heavy duty motors in a lab setting. An Anderson resident of 33 years, Kanzawa quietly and efficiently goes about his work.

As the weekend arrives, however, he becomes Cliffman, fearlessly and repeatedly conquering a monstrous water slide at The Beach Waterpark in Mason, Ohio, wowing crowds with his unique riding ability.

Although the nickname has certain implications, Kanzawa is not a superhero.

He does not ask for fame or notoriety, although he has received some of it from the park. In 2000, he was awarded a lifetime pass by the waterpark’s management upon his 3,000th descent on The Cliff, a 210-foot long waterslide.

“Even if I did not get the lifetime pass I would still be buying my season pass and going there every year, every weekend to ride the Cliff,” Kanzawa says.

His history with The Beach goes back to the mid-1980s.

“The Cliff was built back in 1989. I started coming to the Beach waterpark a couple years before it was built.”

He adds, “After I rode it just once, it became my favorite ride.”

Kanzawa not only rides The Cliff with frequency, but he does it in style.

“The slide is engineered to allow the rider to actually ‘free fall’ for many seconds during the descent,” said Pam Strickfaden, general manager and vice president of The Beach. “Charlie knows how to exact the maximum ‘free fall’ experience from the Cliff.”

Kanzawa said he noticed crowds form when he rides, and he has elicited a modest applause or two when performing on The Cliff.

The grueling climb up the gigantic slide includes 112 stairs. Repeat that number 30 to 35 times a day, two days a weekend, for an entire waterpark season, and you have a fantastic exercise routine. Climbing the slide only 21 times surpasses the amount of stairs in the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) in Chicago.

Kanzawa said, “As I get older, at age 54, I believe that exercise becomes more important and what better way to get this than by having fun while you work out? I believe playing like a youngster even though you are older makes you feel younger again and also helps your health considerably.”

Kanzawa has no family in Mason, which is near Cincinnati, nor any family in Anderson. He has had a few family members attend the park with him. When he was dating a woman a few years ago, he brought her and her daughter with him to the park. He has one close male friend who attends the park with him on a regular basis.

His true love is for waterparks, The Beach in particular.

As Kanzawa succinctly puts it, “To me, this is living life to the fullest.”

Though Kanzawa’s routine, deemed “Cliff Jumping,” sounds dangerous, Strickfaden stresses that Kanzawa is never in peril. Of course, to the small crowds that sometimes gather to watch Kanzawa , a little danger might be the thing that elicits modest cheers.

Text Only
Community
  • 0527 comm home 4685.jpg A dream cabin in the woods

    Phil Hatter regularly told his children that once they were all grown, he would build a log cabin in the country. They didn’t believe him. “I think log homes are really neat, but they have to be put in the right place,” he said.

    May 26, 2012 2 Photos

  • Jim Bailey Jim Bailey: Jim Carter made football a respectable sport at AHS

    When I first came to Anderson in 1951, Jim Carter had been named head football coach at Anderson High School. At that time, football at AHS was little more than an activity to get out of the way to make room for basketball season. The Indians were known to play two games in the same week to shorten the season.

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Community Briefs: May 27

    A compilation of community news as published in the Sunday edition of The Herald Bulletin.

    May 27, 2012

  • 0527 comm remember when.jpg Remember When: May 27

    The slide was one of the more popular attractions at the Falls Park swimming area in Pendleton as evidenced by the number of people waiting their turn on the slide’s steps and its top platform.

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Champions League makes everyone a winner

    The Champions League — in its 12th season — is sponsored by the Pendleton Junior Baseball Association and is open to anyone 5 to 18 with physical and developmental disabilities.

    May 26, 2012

  • 0527 comm history lapel bank.jpg History: Lapel Telephone Co. was talk of town

    In November 1962, when the Lapel Telephone Co. was sold to United Utilities by the children of founder Earl Tull, a Madison County era ended.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Back in the News: May 27

    The Herald Bulletin looks back at stories from the Anderson Daily Bulletin and The Anderson Herald newspapers.

    May 26, 2012

  • Howard Hewitt Howard Hewitt: 'Pink' wines growing in popularity

    Those silly looking pink wines in your favorite wine shop or liquor store are gaining respect through robust sales.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Nancy Vaughan.jpg Nancy Vaughan: Tomorrow starts today

    The United Way of Madison County's 2011 annual report seeks to recognize the individuals and organizations that contribute their resources to support investments and activities to increase the education, income and health of all who call Madison County home.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Births: May 27

    Local birth listings are published each Sunday in The Herald Bulletin. Birth announcements with a photo are available for a fee. Call The Herald Bulletin at 640-4800 for more information.

    May 26, 2012

Reader Photos


We're looking for your photos! Share your photos of your favorite people, places and Madison County events in our May reader photo gallery. Click here to upload your photos

Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com
More Resources from The Herald Bulletin