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When I saw
the notice on the park's website about Slammer, my first thoughts were
"there is NO WAY I am going on that." On arrival to the park, I
rode Detonator as a warm-up then joined the Slammer queue. The ride is
massive - when in motion it is taller than Colossus right next to it, and
it is probably scarier to watch than to ride. From the queue line you can
see the terrified faces of the riders upside down. Unfortunately, there is
no clear theming to speak of, but the ride itself makes up for it. When
you sit down, you pull down your restraints, and then a voice says
"Please allow the staff to tighten your restraints and save your
life." Ah. Oh dear. Who said anything about life in danger? When the
ride starts, loud, frantic music blasts in your ears, so by the time I got
to the top, I was terrified.
Now, on a normal ride,
you are peeing yourself on the build-up, but once the ride starts you are
just enjoying yourself. Not so on Slammer...although it is as fun as hell,
it is also as scary as hell. This was the first ride I'd ever ridden that
sticks you upside down for obscene amounts of time, but it is by far the
best. The intense g forces are constantly battering you, just as
relentless as Nemesis Inferno just down the corner, although just as
enjoyable as well. The best bit is finishing the first rotation when you
turn to your neighbour and say "Wait a sec, wasn't that the slow
loop...uh oh... AAAAAAH...!"
Overall Slammer is a
brilliant ride, that keeps you entertained all the way through.
Pros: Scary, intense,
fast, adrenaline-pumping
Cons: No theming, is no
longer scary after first ride.
One final bit of advice:
on the queue line, when it divides in 2, turn left, that way, you will go
forwards first, then backwards, so it keeps you freaked out right the way
through.
Pedro
To say I was looking forward to this
ride would be a gross understatement. My anticipation of the first ride
was incredible, and is probably the biggest I have felt for any ride in my
life. Mind you, you just have to watch the ride once to see why-it is
absolutely spectacular. Whilst there is no real theming as such, the ride
itself is good enough to watch, seeing the peoples faces as they rush past
at a high speed is pure entertainment.
But once you get in the ride queue this is
replaced by pure anxiety. This has to be one of the most intimidating
rides in existence, which works to its advantage as it means queue times
stay far shorter due to people being too scared to ride.
Once you're on the ride the anxiety doesn't go
away-it increases 10-fold, and is the only ride I have constantly sworn on
before it really gets going. But once it does get to the top and starts
its first rotation, my god is it good. The feeling is intense but not
uncomfortably so. Add to that the amazing sense of freedom provided by the
restraints, plus the unique rotation, and you've got yourself a truly
one-of-a-kind, world-class flat ride. The only complaint I have at the
moment is the down time but I have no doubt that this will be sorted out
by next season.
So all in all this ride is fantastic, and if you
get the bottle to ride it I promise it's an experience you won't forget.
Slammer: what's another word for awesome...?
Ollie Cook
This ride is pretty awesome. What is good
about it is that it is not just a ride that spins around and around, it
also means whilst one gondola is face up, one is face down. Also, the
restraints feel very comfortable and make you feel free, but, you don't
feel like you are about to fall out. The real bummer is that it only spins
around 5 or 6 times, it could be so much longer.
David I Baillie
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