Surf-Rider

The Coin Slot, March 4th 1967

Manufactured by RG Mitchell, this miniature speedboat was released in January 1963.  It was renamed "Scoota Ship" a couple of years later.  As with so many Mitchell rides, the ship was in production for many years (certainly well into the 1980s and, while the base changed over the years, the ship itself seems to have remained the same, making it difficult to date particular units.

RG Mitchell Advert - Amusement Trades Equipment News, April 1970

An RG Mitchell "Surf Boat" ride is mentioned in a Standard Machine Co. Ltd. advert printed in The Coin Slot in May 1966.  I think it's most likely that it was Mitchell's "Surf-Rider" that they mistakenly called by a different name, but I'm making a note of it here just in case I should find proof of its existence at some point!  A RG Mitchell "Space Age Ship" also gets mentioned in The Coin Slot a couple of times, but I have no idea what this ride was...actually, come to think of it, more likely a rocket than a speedboat, but it's been put in my notes for Surf-Rider for some reason!


Teignmouth Pier, September 2011.  This is an early model from the late '60s or early '70s.  While it was obviously weather worn and had been repainted, at the time of filming the ride retained the original "Scoota Ship" signage and metal stars on the base.  It had probably been on Teignmouth Pier from new, but was removed soon after this film.  I last saw it sold on eBay in May 2015 by a seller based in Swindon.  I like to think it went to somebody who knew what a treasure they'd got their hands on and will have restored it to its former glory.