Here's a curious image, remember JAWS at Universal Studios Florida? Well what you may not know is that the ride you remember actually wasn't the only incarnation of JAWS. Above is the OG 1990 version of the attraction as it existed for its brief months of operation. The attraction was very different. The boats were different. The ride began same as it always has, as you came next to what eventually became "Stevens Cannery", you would see Quint's boat, The Orca. As you passed you'd hear him blabbing about the shark in the town square being "not being enough to be ours" (which is ludicrous as that shark is massive, while the sharks in tbis version, while big, aren't huge. The 1993 version made their sharks monstrous). After hearing a distress call from Tours 3, we round to find it sinking. The shark appears and dives under the boat, rocking it back and forth. After firing 2 grenades, the skipper takes us into Jay's boat house. Pretty much the same as the later version, we enter and the skipper try's to find where to tie up and calls to Jay, who doesn't respond. The shark begins bashing into the boathouse. The shark bangs constantly from outside before barreling through the wall (in this version a actual hole is made along with a water explosion effect. The skipper speeds out just as the shark explodes from the water, snapping at anything in its path. Now we get to a very different scene. Instead of "Bridewell's Gas Dock" explosion, we enter a peaceful harbor. The skipper decides to let the boat sit because the vibrations will stop getting the shark confused. As the music builds, the shark explodes from the water and slams into the boat, rocking it heavily. As it slides off, it bites into the curved hull and drags it through the water, almost turning it completely around. The shark then loses its grip and falls into the water. The skipper regains control and the shark begins chasing the boat. The shark dives and rocks the boat from underneath. As the skipper sends a distress call ("You're losing a pontoon out here") when the music kicks on. The dorsal fin surfaces and with one grenade left, fires as the Sharks head surfaces. It quickly disappears and passes under the boat (3 second fuse in the grenade). Just as the skipper declares the idea a dud, the water explodes beside the boat in a bloody, shark chunk filled plume. This actually was a device trademarked by Universal and was very ambitious. It would quickly gather the chunks and red blood via a quick drain. But it wasn't fool proof, as eventually the problems arose when the water was tinted red even before entering the scene. But anyway, happy ending!!! The shark was destroyed, and the skipper safely brings you to the unload, thanks you for bearing with him and quickly asks the dock attendant if they've seen Jay (after they say no, the skipper humorously says "I'm gonna kill him"). So why did this version close? That's a story for another time- Christian :)
