Rides checked for safety ahead of Oklahoma State Fair

OKLAHOMA CITY ( KFOR ) – For some, the rides are arguably the best part of the Oklahoma State Fair.

“I would say the rides are 70 to 80 percent of the reason why people come,” said Allen McElyea, the Chief Amusement Ride Inspector for the Oklahoma Department Of Labor.

According to McElyea, inspectors have been hard at work since Saturday. As of Wednesday, almost all of the about 70 rides have already been checked out.

“This has been a great year. Everything has been real smooth,” said McElyea. “Our goal is to be through with everything tonight.”

Making sure everything is safe is a responsibility McElyea takes very seriously.

“I have four grandkids. So when I’m looking at a ride, I’m thinking, ‘Would I let my grandkids on here?'” said McElyea. “We don’t OK anything we wouldn’t put our own kids on.”

Inspectors look at the rides from top to bottom, checking things like the seatbelts, hardware and safety switches.

“We also climb underneath it, checking all the framework,” said McElyea.

Frank Zaitshik of Wade Shows, who provides all the rides, said he’s thrilled for the “Kraken” to make its Oklahoma debut.

“It’s the first of its kind in North America. It’s a fireball type ride on steroids. It swings 147 feet in the air,” said Zaitshik.

KFOR decided to give the new ride a try. If you like heights and can stomach spinning around, it’s definitely worth waiting for.

“I can commit to everybody that we do our best to make it as safe as possible,” said Zaitshik.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.