Coaster Kingdom
http://www.ukrollercoasters.co.uk
Vortex (Thorpe Park)
It
has been a bitter/sweet relationship with spin rides that I have had for the
last ten-or-so years. Our first argument was in 1993, where at the local fair I
had perhaps had more candyfloss than is medically recommended. This resulted in
the Technicolor yawn, reacquainting me with not only candyfloss but also the
various party-digested parts of food that made up my previous two meals.
I
ignored spin rides for years, but thanks to the much ridiculed settings theme
parks run their rides on (Chessington specifically), we buried the hatchet and I
rode the relatively tame Rameses Revenge.
Since
we’ve been on talking terms, I enjoy spin rides to a certain extent but hope I
know where to draw the line.
One
company that carefully crafts these most disorientating of contraptions is
German company, Huss. The Pirate Ship to them is what the Boomerang is to Vekoma
– that is, of course, rather popular. A variation was inevitable, and by
replacing the fibreglass keel of the Pirate Ship with a rotating disk, the
Frisbee was born.
It
was an Italian copy of this ride at Six Flags Holland that had me riding with my
stomach tighter than a bouncer taking a beating from a thug – fortunately, I
didn’t experience ‘banquet recall’, but had it gone on for perhaps another
couple of minutes, then the results would have been predictably gross.
It
was the random spinning aspect that really did me in, and although I wasn’t
disorientated, my stomach (specifically the food within) certainly was.
Over
to Holland. KMG further enhanced this success to swing to 120-degrees and added
inverter-style seats so that there would be no floor beneath bewildered riders.
KMG enjoyed the so-called Afterburner’s success on the fair circuit for a few
years before Thorpe Park ordered one to accompany their two other thrill rides
for 2001.
The
ride was unforgivably late in delivery and until the middle of July was a
concrete hole on the side of the lake at Thorpe Park. The absence of the ride
was also highlighted by a report on the do-gooder programme, Watchdog on
national television.
The
ride is certainly an eye-opener. As you enter the park over the bridge, the
pendulous claw of Vortex swings and spins dramatically to your left. It is a
great first impression, and as such will have many excided visitors heading
towards the colourful structure.
The
ride consists of a mint green structure spanning the entire width of the
platform, suspended from which a rich gold column. From this column span eight
deep blue arms in a star formation, each supporting four inverter-style seats.
The
ride is of a reasonable capacity, and queues normally are comfortable. Watching
the ride, I was almost hypnotised by the speed of each swing. Fortunately, each
swing is not accompanied by a whirlpool of spinning, more a gentle rotation, an
aspect that really helped keep me calm during the queue.
Loading of the ride is a bit too slow for my liking. It isn’t until the last person has left the platform before the gate is thrust open. It seems an annoying trait for people to sit down, comfortably, BEFORE realising that their shoes may be flung into central London and then spending all the time in the world removing the offending articles only to be told to put them back on again.
Once
everyone is sat comfortably, accompanying the safety spiel that pretty much
covers every loose article that could be lost, the bars quickly lower, clicking
firmly into place before upon checking, the operator leaves the platform.
The
floor lowers by about a metre before the gondola of seats slowly starts to turn.
Fifteen seconds later, once the turn is at a nearly unnerving rate, you are
pulled to the side as the arm begins to spin.
At
first, this is really pleasant with gentle shimmies over the surrounding
shrubbery. It is not long before gentle swings evolve into rather large and
exhilarating swoops.
Each
swing is potent and very assisted feeling far less natural than a Pirate Ship.
As you get higher, your feet seem to brush past the edge of the platform as you
swing above the waiting queue line and entrance area to the ride.
At
the pinnacle of each swing, the turning of the gondola is highlighted, and below
you, getting smaller, people stare up at you. The swings soon get even higher,
you feel yourself fall into the restraints as the swings reach about
120-degrees.
Between
each end, an extremely exhilarating moment of flight is experienced as you swoop
above the courtyard adjacent to the lake, over the below shrubbery, scraping
past the platform.
People
writhing in terror opposite soon stop screaming as the swoops become more
palatable, smaller, the turning slows and the ride slowly concludes.
As
your feet dangle, the colourful platform floor below rises and you jump from
your seat and cross towards the exit.
Me?
I think I’m in love. Vortex is a fantastic combination of forces. The swooping
too and fro is incredibly bracing, surprisingly hasty and not at all stomach
churning. Fortunately, the turning of the gondola isn’t done to excess and
doesn’t stir up my stomach up like a Kenwood mixer.
The
seats aren’t too uncomfortable. The bars do seem to push on your legs, but
compared to the Chance Inverter and Huss Top Spin, it is like a leather
upholstered settee from Courts. They’re just plastic though, which perhaps
doesn’t do wonders for your back, but the ride is predictable in its movements
and smooth as it does so, so this shouldn’t leave you crippled.
There
are just a few gripes. The spinning seems to be just at the wrong speed. If on
the high swings you face the ground, you are pretty much guaranteed to be
looking at the ground on every swing. If you swing with your back to the ground,
likewise you will be spending much of the ride on your back. A simple change in
direction of spin would probably sort this problem, even perhaps a slightly
faster spin.
At the moment, the ride seems to be an incredibly popular addition to Thorpe Park with more repeat riding I have ever experienced with a simple spin ride. This is perhaps to do with the quality of ride offered even though queues average out at 30 minutes.
Vortex
is a very timely addition. With Colossus, thrill seekers require more than a
single coaster (however good), and Vortex suits this bill to a tee and further
enforces the fact that Thorpe Park is beginning to trounce any local competition
what so ever.
5/5 Marcus Sheen