Thoughts on Hyperia (mini trip report)
Visited Thorpe Park on Sunday 13th October.
First and foremost, Thorpe Park impressed me. Operations were absolutely immaculate. I've never seen slicker ops at a UK theme park. Mega, mega impressed. Not the same can be said for Alton Towers yesterday, but nevermind.... Although I've been an enthusiast for ~25 years I don't have any affinity with any theme park, so no bias. Alton Towers was horrific in comparison where ops are concerned, and I'm not saying that just to offend anyone.
Got to Thorpe Park for 9.30am. Gates opened at 10am and we ran to Hyperia, 50 people or so in queue before us.
They were taking their time with testing (for good reason). Both trains now back on track and they were removing 2 water dummies from each train at a time. It was hauling with empty trains by 10.40, ish - and they opened the gates.
Got row 3 for our first ride, and there is nothing that I can say that hasn't already been said. Absolutely incredible first drop, ballistic airtime (for the UK, granted) and just absolutely WORLD class. Don't want to sound like a broken record, but it really doesn't feel that short.
Got off, did Stealth and a couple other things and then rejoined main queue for Hyperia again, advertised 120 minutes but waited 60. Absolutely ridiculous operations, cleared the entirety of the main queue line in 60 mins, we were flabbergasted.
Row 4 second time, booo. Still though, it absolutely slapped. I've never felt such intense airtime since a sunset unicorn cred I had on Shambhala after 10 hours of operation at 38 degrees a few years ago.
My eyes and ears really opened at this point. When Hyperia opened I was calling people out on Twitter for saying Hyperia was their new number 1, ahead of SV, Velocicoaster, Zadra etc. But I completely got it.
After a few rides on Stealth, Swarm and a few flat rides (ignoring Colossus on a 110min queue [standard]) we went back for a few dusk rides, into the night.
Managed to snaffle two rides on the front row, jubilation. Really impressed with the front row, particularly into the overbank. Very unusual but strong airtime and crazy sensations. The views were impressive.
But still, the back row (or even the back of the train) eluded us.
I was saying to my mate like how many times, seriously, have you got to forge your wings to get a back row ride for gods sake. I've found my fearless yada yada, just give us the fxxkin back seat.
Feeling a sense of fearlessness (mainly delusion) as a result of being ragdolled on Hyperia a few times with Stealth in between (I take on Stealth as you would an espresso, for a pick me up) I bulk bought a few fast tracks.
As luck would have it (or I guess because pay to win and all that), the last two rides were back row rides, at night.
It's been perhaps 20 years since I felt a genuine sense of concern/fear on a ride of any kind. But as we were going up the lift hill, with Thorpe Park shrouded in a multicoloured cloud of Fright Night mist, with the moonlight gently caressing the tips of the trees outside of monks walk, all the fearless we found was nowhere to be seen. I watched my mate make the shape of the cross, tapping his forehead and shoulders in sequence like footballers do before they get subbed on in a big match.
Having watched (and felt) Hyperia get progressively more mental as the day went on, and being sat in the back right seat with perhaps a little too much wiggle room between my thighs and the restraint, I was nervous. Thank god. To feel a sense of genuine concern on a rollercoaster was incredibly refreshing. I've said it before, to have a massive 'traditional' lift hill coaster with standard sit down trains, in a world of linear induction swing launch gimmickry is amazing, and possibly something we may never get ever again in the UK.
Didn't have too long to be emotional nor reflective, because all hell was about to break loose (or at least I hoped it would).
It didn't disappoint.
Perhaps the most ludicrous airtime I've ever felt. It felt like my knee caps were the only thing stopping me from falling through said multi coloured mist and hitting the deck to be honest. So, so good.
TLDR Hyperia is mental and reignited a passion for UK theme parks and rollercoasters that had almost completely dwindled. We are so, so lucky to have Hyperia in the UK.
10/10