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So, how can we rebuild the majestic city of Huss?

Well, for a start, Huss need to stop having delusions of grandeur. They are no longer the messiah of spin rides, and complacency just leaves them further and further behind the competition.

Huss also need to cater for demand, not try and dictate what demand is. One of the most important elements of research is to find out whether there is a requirement for your product.

If you really believe there is a niche, have you explored the possibility that it is a niche for a reason? Just because shops don’t sell chocolate teapots doesn’t mean that people want to buy them, just like if parks don’t have 140ft tall family spin rides, it doesn’t mean that they necessarily want them.

Supply and demand is all about providing what your customers want, not telling them what they want.

The Breakdance was Huss’ most popular ever not because Huss had a website saying “this is what you need in your life”, but because it was a product that people simply wanted to buy.

Huss need to go back to their late 80s/early 90s roots and focus on building rides with universal appeal. It is easy to see why Huss shifted tens of Pirate Ships, Breakdances and Top Spins compared to their range of Giant rides.

For starters, the ‘classics’ had universal appeal. Let’s look at the Pirate Ship as an example. If you were a showman, the Pirate Ship was an attractive choice as it fitted on two trailers, was a good capacity, and an eye-catching attraction.

Another potential customer was the small park like Oakwood. The Pirate Ship was large enough to be a credible and exciting addition, but small enough to fit their budget.

Yet another potential customer was the large corporate park, such as Alton Towers or PortAventura. It is a decent, nicely proportioned support ride which appeals to the entire family.

Let’s now look at the Giant Frisbee. This ride is designed to appeal to parks who want a large, marketable spin ride.

Already, we have lost the interest of showmen. And small parks like Oakwood could never justify building such a large ride with a large capacity for so much money.

Even appeal to the large corporate is limited. Many parks have problems with planning permission (Alton Towers, Phantasialand, Drayton Manor), and many already have Frisbee-variants – too many to list, in fact. Clearly, Giant Frisbee is an appealing alternative, and offers something different to what is already on the market, but it was never going to be a big seller.

Meanwhile, KMG have shifted tens of Afterburners in their various sizes. Not trying to offer a one-size-fits-all ride, the Afterburner comes in a 1, 2 and 3 trailer versions, all with varying capacities and heights, with the monstrous XXL not only a park model, but designed with showmen in mind as well. In theory, the XXL appeals to exactly the same customers as the Pirate Ship, apart from maybe smaller parks.

But all is not lost. Hopefully, Huss will see the relative success of the Topple Tower and use smaller, more interesting rides like this as a basis for their future. Topple Tower isn’t a rehash of one of their existing rides, is sensibly proportioned for different styles of park, whether large or small.

It’s also not a great ride, but it makes far more sense than the Booster, Fly Away or their range of Giant range. Maybe one day they’ll again strike the jackpot. But it’s safe to say that this won’t be until they offer the rides that people want to buy. Cut costs all you want, but you have to speculate to accumulate. Continues...