6 Comments:

Might it not be possible to say that the era of huge travelling fairs has passed? Certainly in recent years for Germany, what with the countries collective financial troubles.

This just seems more like a case of a company failing to change as fast as the market rather than being ignorant of the need to change as you seem to suggest.

Interesting read all the same. Nice to have the figures to back things up. Good research.

I hope Huss does turn things around soon- there's no doubt that they can make some truly awesome, quality machines.

Maybe they should take a break from being the innovation leaders they've always been and have a period of simply bettering other rides on the market. Let them have a go at building a Sky Swat! I bet you could guarantee Slammer wouldn’t have been such a wobbly, unreliable mess if it were a Huss product!

Author: Cerberus on Sunday, April 02, 2006

The era of huge fairs hasn't passed, more changed I think.

This is why Mondial have designed Diablo, a single-trailer version of their Inferno (soon to debut) as well as Capriolo and Furioso.

While Mondial and KMG have identified the changing patterns in fairs and reacted by making rides more affordable and more economical, Huss have left years of good trade to focus on their giant rides.

The draw of large theme park spin rides is limited, so it is probably in Huss' best interests to cater for as many clients as possible, not just the largest parks.

I also hope Huss recover. They may be doing OK as a company, I don't know, but it is funny to think how much they must have spent on R&D to have only sold a few rides recently.

I suppose Slammer is a cross between a Huss Giant version of their Ranger with the reliability of a Fabbri ride.

Thanks for the comments, it's appreciated.

Author: MS on Sunday, April 02, 2006

I think that Huss is not doing well partly because as you say they have run out of ideas but it seems that they absaloutely refuse to copy other manufacterer's ideas apart from the obvious example of the Enterprise. I am not a huge fan of this sort of thing but it is hard to find a succesful flat ride manufacterer that has not copied another manufecterer's idea. Take the Frisbee. This concept has been copied by KMG, Intamin, Mondial even Zamperla. Huss need to understand that they should stop changing their designs and stop trying to come up with new innovative rides and justbuild on other manufacterer's ideas.

Great artical

Author: CGM on Monday, April 03, 2006

The strength of Huss in the past was the ability to satisfy both theme parks and showmen. Since the economic failure of the Booster (as the article says, a wonderful ride for the punter, but not for the owner), the firm’s involvement on the fair circuit has been minimal, and with the firm openly acknowledging that they are focussing more on parks, why would any showman want to deal with a firm that isn’t focussed on them? Let’s not forget that the fairs were the places that previous Huss rides proved their popularity, and provided parks with proof of which rides were the most popular. With Huss cutting links to the showmen, it is almost certainly cutting its own throat.

The shame of it is that Huss was responsible for some of my very favourite rides including the Break Dance, Booster, and Jump. They also provided the inspiration for a whole industry - virtually every firm now has at least one Frisbee variant on its roster.

Also, to correct the article on one point, Das Clubschiff is not a brand new Pirate Ship, but was bought from an American showman – which only serves to strengthen the point of the article – no showman is willing to buy brand new rides from Huss any more, and if the showmen aren’t interested in you, it’s unlikely the parks will be.

Author: Citizen Sputnik on Wednesday, April 05, 2006

My jaw dropped when you said "nobody would miss Huss in their current form" but as much as I love them you are right :(

The thought of life without Huss was one I couldn't have imagined a few years ago, but I think their Topple Tower is boring, their Giant Frisbee too little to late as you say while there is little else to them a while ago.

I remember if a fair wanted a Top Spin, a park wanted a Top Spin or whatever, you would go to Huss. Now it seems to be Mondial or KMG.

A good argument made. I never realised just how little Huss have done recently!

Author: Sal on Sunday, April 09, 2006

Interestingly Huss announced that they were insolvent yesterday.

Author: RH on Thursday, August 03, 2006

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