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Remember, a ride isn’t meant to appeal to the same sensibilities as a novel, or a movie. It isn’t meant to be intellectualised or scrutinised, it is meant to appeal to a more primeval instinct, and this is what a well-presented spin ride achieves to a far greater degree than a roller coaster, a dark ride, or indeed, anything any other type of ride I can think of.

So what exactly makes a great spin ride? Well, just as a coaster fan will make a distinction between wood and steel, I’m going to say that there is a distinction between “thrill” rides and “party” rides. The difference should be fairly obvious; there are some rides where the object is to push riders to their physical limits and test their endurance, while others simply exist to make riders smile, laugh, and enjoy the moment with their friends.

A good party ride will often involve ensuring that riders can see each others’ faces in order to create a sense of togetherness, and ideally allows plenty of chance for the operator to interact with the riders throughout. Perfect examples of this would be the Schwarzkopf Polyp, or Mack Sea Storm. In these cases, the role of the showman becomes vital, to create the euphoric atmosphere required, and trying to make the ride appealing to passers-by simply through the presentation.

The success or failure of a thrill ride, on the other hand, relies more on the skills of the manufacturer than the showman. The secret of a good thrill ride is to ensure that all the various movements synchronise harmoniously, with different combinations resulting in noticeably different sensations.

Surely the most famous example of a ride that gets this right is the Mondial Top Scan, on which the movement of the main arm combines perfectly with the motion of the “star” to create a truly wild ride.

Compare this with the Zierer Star Shape, on which a near-identical gondola is used, but where the movement of the main arm is allowed to dominate proceedings in such a way as to make gondola’s contribution negligible, and resulting in a vastly inferior ride to the Top Scan.

A good ride (of any description) is pure theatre, and it always adds to the experience when you feel that you were there at the moment when something special happened. Just as every theatre-goer secretly hopes that tonight will be the night that the leading man gets carried away, improvises, or falls off the stage; every fair-goer wants to feel that their ride was something special and unique, never to be repeated.

Be it be a sense that you screamed the loudest and got the operator to give you a longer and faster ride than anyone else, or that your car performed some manoeuvre that nobody else’s did, you want to leave the ride feeling that you received something out of the ordinary.

Ideally, you will leave the ride feeling that the operator was pulling out all the stops to impress you, blasting you with thumping music, dazzling you with strobes, enshrouding you in dry ice, and pumping you up with microphone patter. That is what it should all be about. No script, no plan, no strategy, just all out pedal-to-the-metal impulsiveness and blissful mayhem.

For one night only, let your hair down, buy your token now and join the party. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow this place will revert to being an empty car park in the middle of nowhere. For now, though, sit back, hold tight, and let me hear you scream if you want some more.

Hopefully, I’ve whetted your appetite for this kind of ride, but if you’re new to the wonderful world of spin, where do you start? Well, here’s Coaster Kingdom’s official run-down of the top 10 greatest spin rides ever built. Don’t forget, riding them at a park simply does not count, as to truly experience these rides you need to be on them late at night at the busiest fair you can find. Are you ready?

10: Tango, KMG A very odd looking ride, notable for the way it “evolves” before the audience’s eyes, raising majestically into the air, before spinning on every available axis. Terrific combination of movements make this a very disorientating ride, and the impressive altitude at which the action takes place makes the ride all the more majestic. Only the awkward semi-standing riding position and harsh restraints hold this ride back. Continues...