Abstract: A portable amusement ride (A) having a plurality of parachute passenger carrier units (60) is disclosed which includes an elongated town (B) movable from a retracted position to an extended position. A folding arm assembly (C) deploys to provide an umbrella assembly from which parachute carrier units (60) are raised and lowered. Tower (B) is erected by a ram (E) and acutators (F) which act in opposite directions on tower (B) to pull and push it up to the extended position. Base (10) of tower (B) slides on a carrier plate (20) which is guided by track groove (16a, 18a). With tower (B) in the retracted, stowed position, it is locked to the trailer base (12) by means of a support lock (87) so that the tower acts as a tongue to pull the short base trailer. In this way, a very short base trailer may be utilized for the portable amusement ride as would otherwise require a long bed trailer.