Practise Makes Perfect
Was it or wasn’t it? Has it or hasn’t it? Would it or wouldn’t it? By yesterday evening speculation was huge. With Thorpe Park’s Rehearsal Day mere hours away, rumours at the two extremes were circulating the Internet: Stealth had been handed over to Thorpe and they were planning on getting some managers to run it for Rehearsal Day, or there were still issues with the ride and it would not be available.Confirmation of one of those two rumours was given via the matrix display boards over the ticket kiosks this morning. Unfortunately it was the least welcome, rather than the fantasy everybody, secretly or not, had hoped for.
Stealth wasn’t alone in it’s non-functioning status. Accompanying it were (deep breath) the farm trains, Tidal Wave, Slammer and Rush.
I took the traditional start to the Thorpe season: a ride on Colossus (take the punishment, then things can only get better). I was OK with the ride for most of last season, but it’s become a little less subtle this year. Regrettably, it’s now time for me to join the bandwagon. Whoever described Colossus as running on wheels the shape of 50 pence pieces has captured the ride beautifully. Thank goodness Thorpe haven’t got any more Intamin coasters with the potential to become rough within a few months of opening. Oh.
After taking quick rides on Inferno (with a freshly painted chewing gum free floor, although the ride needs to bed back down - it’s lost a lot of it’s Nemesis-like forcefulness from the end of last season) and Vortex (complete with spiffy new blue seat lock indicator lights), I went to explore the rest of the “old” park.
Rush and Slammer both have their own Cherry Pickers at the moment - none of last year’s sharing. One of the engineers working on Rush was bashing the hell out of something at the top of it with a big hammer at one point - structural improvements?
Beside Rush is our ever-present faithful friend Zodiac. Hold on … that’s not Zodiac. Imposter! Drayton’s old Cyclone is trying to pass itself off as the astrologically themed Enterprise. I say rename it Cyclodiac. Just for a laugh, you know.
Tidal Wave has got a new sponsor and a nasty green colour bridge.
I didn’t notice this until it was pointed out to me: the old shortcut through Octopus Garden has been closed with the addition of extra fencing and tables and chairs outside the doughnut shop.
Now read it again. It says top talent scouts, not topless talent scouts. Maybe I won’t bother buying extra memory cards for my camera after all.
After the first hour or so I bumped into some ECC peeps. We went to watch the new film, Pirates 3D. I don’t get it - to me it’s just Pirates 4D without the vibrations, wind and seagull sh … oh (again).
Before long (some would say inevitably) I found myself in the Detonator queue. Margaret D definitely has a talent for this. After witnessing the countdown stop and the people stuck at the top for several seconds on the ride before ours, I was looking forward to it even less than normal. My confidence wasn’t boosted when I sat in my seat and found the handholds had been bound up with masking tape. Damn stupid horrible ride.
The way down was much better than the way up. I’m sure I’ve never been out of my seat for so long before. Woooo! What a great ride.
Service in Bush BBQ was interesting. No food, but a mass of staff all being trained to use the till. Lucky we all appeared when we did really: it meant they could all have a turn serving customers with a huge variety of orders. Alright, maybe just coffee.
The new Amity Cove: There’s just time for a quick car race and cup of tea prior to evacuating before the next tidal wave hits.
Welcome to Amity Speedway
There’s a new food place too
Mmmmmm … definitely got to try this soon
WWTP Cape Radio are doing an Outside Broadcast from Amity Speedway - strangely they spend most time whittering on about back problems and something called Stealth rather than giving any race commentary.
There are some fantastic theming details scattered around.
Rita may have had the first tyre entrance, but Stealth’s is much larger and fits in a lot better. Generally more impressive.
The only non-zero-to-eighty seat in the vacinity
Flyin da flag, innit
Good things come to those who wait
Prepare for (test) launch
Go! Go! Go!
Going up…
Crawling over the Top Hat - rollback?
Not this time
Speeding towards the airtime hill
Apparently this was one of the prototype Stealth trains
This was my first Thorpe Rehearsal Day so it’s difficult to judge it’s relative strengths and weaknesses in comparison with previous years. The park seemed unready, from the unavailabilty of several rides to the half-completed main entrance gates. However, once everything’s completed this has all the makings of a very memorable season.
Thorpe Park, 2006 style. Click here for a bigger view.
