Wikipedia

Hyperia (roller coaster)

Hyperia is a steel roller coaster located at Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey, England. Manufactured by Mack Rides, the hypercoaster opened as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the UK on 24 May 2024, with a height of 236 feet (72 m) and a maximum speed that reportedly exceeds 80 mph (130 km/h).[2][3] It also features two inversions. It was built on the site formerly occupied by Loggers Leap and Rocky Express. In its short operating history, Hyperia has already suffered a series of setbacks, including an unexpected closure the day after it debuted lasting two weeks, and two additional closures shortly after it reopened.

Hyperia
Hyperia (May 2024)
Thorpe Park
LocationThorpe Park
Park sectionFearless Valley
Coordinates51°24′06″N 0°30′44″W / 51.401661°N 0.512266°W / 51.401661; -0.512266
StatusOperating
Opening date24 May 2024 (2024-05-24)
Cost£18 million[1]
ReplacedLoggers Leap
Rocky Express
General statistics
TypeSteel – Hypercoaster
ManufacturerMack Rides
ModelHypercoaster
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height71.93 m (236.0 ft)
Length995.4 m (3,266 ft)
Speed80 mph (130 km/h)
Inversions2
Duration1:30
Capacity1000 riders per hour
Restraint styleLap bar
Height restriction130 cm (4 ft 3 in)
Trains2 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 20 riders per train.
WebsiteOfficial site
Fastrack available (Limited)
Ride Access Pass available (Limited)
Single rider line available
Disabled access Wheelchair accessible
Hyperia at RCDB

History

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Loggers Leap opened in 1989 in the southern corner of the park, where it became the tallest log flume in the UK at the time of its debut. The ride operated through to 2015, but failed to open the following year and was addressed by park representatives as being "under redevelopment".[4] In February 2019, Thorpe Park confirmed that the attraction had been permanently closed, stating that "the area [which] Logger's Leap once dominated will be forming part of our long term development plans".[5] The rest of Old Town closed permanently in October 2021, which included the retirement of the park's Rocky Express and Timber Tug Boat. Lumber Jump was rethemed as High Striker and relocated to the Amity area of the park for the 2022 season.[6]

In December 2021, Thorpe Park held a public consultation for their new coaster project in Old Town, releasing various renders and information online.[7][8] Codenamed Project Exodus, the proposed ride promised to become the tallest coaster in the UK at 236 feet (72 m) tall, displacing The Big One's 213-foot (65 m) height at Blackpool Pleasure Beach after nearly three decades.[9] Although a manufacturer was not revealed, park officials confirmed that a "noise comparison survey" was conducted on a similar ride operating in Turkey, leading to speculation that Mack Rides was the manufacturer.[10]

Planning and construction

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On 14 March 2022, Thorpe Park submitted an extensive planning application to Runnymede Borough Council detailing the proposed redevelopments of Old Town and Project Exodus' construction.[1][11] Project Exodus was to be situated on the site of the former Loggers Leap and Rocky Express attractions.[12] While the council eventually supported the park's development, sustained flood risk concerns from the Environment Agency prompted a project referral to the Secretary of State, who made no objections to the project.[13]

The council officially granted permission for Project Exodus on 2 November 2022, although the application's case officer would later criticise the Environment Agency's communication during the planning process, stating that: "A rollercoaster which was partly in the functional flood plain was never going to be straight forward planning application but it should not have been as difficult as it was. We had a positive working relationship with both the planning agents, Lichfields UK and the applicant Thorpe Park. The difficulty was the lack of ability to engage effectively with the Environment Agency. I'm sure the level of service they are providing or lack thereof, is not how they want to deal with matters".[14][15]

Throughout its construction phase, Thorpe Park made substantial efforts to keep the public engaged on the coaster's progress. In February 2023, Mack Rides was officially confirmed as the manufacturer.[16][17] Further details were submitted to the council in May 2023, depicting a pearl gold and papyrus white colour scheme – the structure's upper sections would be painted white in order to reduce its visual impact outside of the park.[18] The coaster's trains were subsequently unveiled to the public on 12 April.[19]

Construction timeline

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2022
  • 2 November; Project Exodus approved by Runnymede Borough Council.[14]
  • December; Demolition begins on Logger's Leap and the Old Town area.[20]
2023
  • 9 January; Ride foundation cages delivered to the park.[21]
  • April; Construction crews mark out locations for the structure's foundations.[22]
  • July; Track production begins at Mack Rides' factory in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.[23]
  • 22 July; First delivery of coaster supports arrive from Mack Rides.[24]
  • 28 September; First coaster track pieces arrive at Thorpe Park.[25]
  • 9 October; First support structure pieces installed at the ride's outerbank.[26]
  • 11 October; First track sections lifted into place.[27]
  • 16 October; Steel framework begins to be set up for the coaster's station.[28]
  • 22 October; A separate set of steel framework begins going up for the maintenance shed.[29]
2024
  • 29 February; The first drop has been mostly completed, with only lift hill track pieces left to be installed.
  • 1 March; The last piece of track, a straight lift hill piece, has been delivered to the construction site.
  • 6 March; Track is completed with the crest of the lift hill being placed in, making it the tallest roller coaster in the UK by 23 feet (7.0 m), overtaking the previous record held by The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach at 213 feet (65 m).[30]
  • 6 April; Test preparations start and transfer tracks begin moving.[31]
  • 16 April; First test run cycle is completed.
  • 23 May; A press event is held and first public riders board.
  • 24 May; Hyperia officially opens to the public.
  • 25 May; Hyperia unexpectedly closes without explanation, and the reopening is delayed multiple times.
  • 12 June; Hyperia officially reopens to the public.
  • 15 June; The ride is closed for one day following an incident stranding riders on the lift hill.
  • 19 June; The ride closes again in what the park calls "unforeseen circumstances". A reopening date is not announced.
  • 22 June; Hyperia reopens again.

Marketing

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On 9 February 2023, Thorpe Park launched Club 236, a passholder competition to visit the park with the chance of being among the coaster's first public riders in 2024.[32] In August 2023, it was announced that Project Exodus would not only be the UK's tallest coaster, but also the fastest.[33]

During the development phase, Merlin Entertainments – through the alias Vista Maxima Services Ltd – initially filed a trademark for ICARUS in March 2023. However, HYPERIA was submitted later on in August, and would go on to become the final name of the ride.[34] Hyperia was formally announced on 5 October 2023 and was accompanied by a promotional video that not only introduced the coaster's name but also presented its slogan, "Find your fearless". The video further provided a point-of-view (POV) glimpse into the ride experience.[35][36] On 27 March 2024, opening day was set for 24 May.[37]

Opening

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Hyperia officially opened to the public as scheduled on 24 May 2024. However, it closed unexpectedly the following day on 25 May, with the resort stating the closure was "due to unforeseen circumstances" and expected to last until at least 29 May.[38] On 28 May 2024, the expected closure was extended until 8 June.[39] Thorpe Park delayed the reopening indefinitely on 6 June 2024, only stating that Hyperia would not reopen on 8 June,[40] but the reopening date was eventually set as 12 June.[41] A spokesperson for the park said the closure was related to "standard technical pre-opening procedure checks" but did not elaborate further.[41]

After several days of operation following the reopening, an incident occurred on 15 June 2024, stranding riders on the lift hill.[42] Guests were safely evacuated and Hyperia reopened the following day.[43] The ride was closed again indefinitely on 19 June 2024, with Thorpe Park stating the closure was due to "unforeseen circumstances".[43][44] It reopened on 22 June 2024.

Single-use Hyperia fast track tickets were made available during the summer for the price of £20 per person.[45]

Characteristics

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Statistics

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Hyperia is 236 feet (72 m) tall and has a track length of 3,265.7 feet (995.4 m).[46] Hyperia's height is a new record in the UK, surpassing The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach by 23 feet (7.0 m).[2] Its maximum speed is reported to exceed 80 mph (130 km/h), overtaking the speed record in the UK from Stealth, which is also located at Thorpe Park.[3] The coaster features two inversions: a barrel roll downdrop and a stalled dive loop.[46] Hyperia runs with two 20-passenger trains, each of which contains five cars seating riders in two rows of two.[46]

Etymology

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Hyperia is themed to a fictional goddess named Hyperia.[47] Hyperia's backstory is that she is the daughter of an ancient river god who became imprisoned on an island due to her fear of water.[48] She crafted a set of steel wings that enabled her to conquer her fear of water and escape, becoming a symbol of "triumph over adversity".[48] The ride is marketed under the slogan, "Find your fearless".[47][48]

Design process

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Constructing a large-scale roller coaster using the limited plot of land available proved to be a logistical challenge. Merlin Entertainments initially accepted a pitch from Bolliger & Mabillard before contracting Mack Rides for the project.[49] Their first layout for Project Exodus was drafted in September 2020; eight more pitches followed, with the sixth iteration ultimately selected in April 2021 and being adjusted into the final product. Merlin sought a classic hyper coaster with a large camelback airtime hill leading out of the first drop, but the space limitations rendered it implausible.[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Thorpe Park submits £18m rollercoaster plans". riderater.co.uk. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b Marden, Duane. "Record Holders – Height (UK)". RCDB.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b Mitchell, Bea (24 May 2024). "Hyperia, UK's fastest and tallest coaster, opens at Thorpe Park". Blooloop. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  4. ^ Talbot, Charlotte (25 January 2017). "Thorpe Park's Logger's Leap to remain closed for 2017 for 'redevelopment'". Surrey Advertiser. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Will Loggers Leap be re-opening?". thorpepark.com. Thorpe Park Resort. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  6. ^ "High Striker, Thorpe Park". themeparkjames.co.uk. Theme Park James. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Thorpe Park 2024 Rollercoaster Public Consultation Plans Uploaded". themeparkguide.co.uk. Theme Park Guide. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Public Consultation | Thorpe Park Resort". Thorpe Park Consultation. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ White, Steven (14 December 2021). "Thorpe Park new rollercoaster: 5 new things we just learned from public consultation". Surrey Advertiser. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Thorpe Park planning 236-foot rollercoaster". RideRater. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Planning Application: Redevelopment of 'Old Town' area within Thorpe Park". runnymede.gov.uk. Runnymede Borough Council. 14 March 2022.
  12. ^ Site Plan as Existing. Thorpe Park. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2022
  13. ^ Lewis (3 November 2022). "UK's tallest rollercoaster Project Exodus approved for Thorpe Park Resort". attractionsource.com. Attraction Source. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Town And Country Planning (Development Management Procedure)(England) Order 2015". runnymede.gov.uk. Runnymede Borough Council. 2 November 2022.
  15. ^ "Christine Ellera". linkedin.com. LinkedIn. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Thorpe Park: Mack Rides rollercoaster confirmed". RideRater. 11 February 2023. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Thorpe Park – Hyperia (Project Exodus)". 18 October 2023.
  18. ^ Carly (4 May 2023). "Thorpe Park Resort submit details of external materials for Project Exodus". attractionsource.com. Attraction Source. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Hyperia at Thorpe Park - Train Reveal". YouTube. Thorpe Park. 12 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Thorpe Park Old Town Demolition Begins". themeparkguide.co.uk. Theme Park Guide. 29 December 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  21. ^ "Project Exodus Ride Foundation Footers Delivered". themeparkguide.co.uk. Theme Park Guide. 9 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Project Exodus Footer Markings Appear On The Construction Site For Thorpe Park's New Roller Coaster!". themeparkinsanity.co.uk. Theme Park Insanity. 22 April 2023.
  23. ^ a b Attraction Source (18 July 2024). "The Making of Hyperia at Thorpe Park - Mack Rides Presentation and Q&A 2024". YouTube.
  24. ^ "Ride Supports For Project Exodus Delivered". themeparkguide.co.uk. Theme Park Guide. 22 July 2023.
  25. ^ "Thorpe Park: Project Exodus track arrives!". ukthemeparkspy.co.uk. UK Theme Park Spy. 28 September 2023.
  26. ^ @ParkWorldMag (13 October 2023). "Hyperia- the UK's soon to be fastest and tallest rollercoaster..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  27. ^ @ThorpeParkMania (11 October 2023). "Hyperia - up close and personal!..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  28. ^ @J_Silkstone (16 October 2023). "Latest Hyperia construction!! 🏗️🎢..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  29. ^ @AttractionSc (22 October 2023). "Hyperia's train storage garage foundation is complete, and the building..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ^ @ThrillPix (6 March 2024). "🏗️ Hyperia @THORPEPARK has now reached its highest point, 236ft..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  31. ^ @ThemeParkGuide (6 April 2024). "Breaking news!..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  32. ^ @THORPEPARK (9 February 2023). "Who wants to be on the FIRST public ride of our BRAND NEW..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  33. ^ @THORPEPARK (16 August 2023). "We couldn't let #NationalRollercoasterDay go by without mentioning a little thing we call 'Project Exodus'-our new #coaster coming soon to #ThorpePark😉🎢
    Not only is it going to be the UK's tallest #rollercoaster, but it'll also be the UK's fastest!🎢✨
    orlo.uk/News_U5POL"     (Tweet). Retrieved 18 October 2023 – via Twitter.
  34. ^ @jaystocky (16 August 2023). "hmmm" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  35. ^ Boyd, Milo (6 October 2023). "Thorpe Park's new ride will be 'UK's tallest and fastest rollercoaster' and it looks epic". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  36. ^ Graves, Kieran (11 October 2023). "New Thorpe Park rollercoaster named as on-board video teased". Surrey Advertiser. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  37. ^ @THORPEPARK (27 March 2024). "What are you doing 24th May? Us? We're celebrating our 45th birthday..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  38. ^ Dale, Bob (25 May 2024). "UK's tallest rollercoaster shuts after one day". BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  39. ^ "UK's tallest rollercoaster could remain shut for two weeks". BBC News. 28 May 2024.
  40. ^ Graves, Kieran (6 June 2024). "Thorpe Park gives new update on Hyperia opening date and it's not good for thrillseekers". Surrey Live. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  41. ^ a b "Thorpe Park to reopen UK's tallest rollercoaster". BBC News.
  42. ^ "Thorpe Park: Riders stranded after Hyperia rollercoaster stops". BBC News. 15 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  43. ^ a b Zayed, Alya (19 June 2024). "Thorpe Park forced to shut Hyperia ride today after riders left stranded in mid-air". Yahoo.com. MyLondon. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  44. ^ Sherratt, Zac (19 June 2024). "'Teething issues' force rollercoaster closure again". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  45. ^ Review: Hyperia rollercoaster, Thorpe Park. RideRater. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  46. ^ a b c Marden, Duane. "Hyperia  (Thorpe Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  47. ^ a b "Hyperia Construction Updates – Thorpe Park's new rollercoaster for 2024". thorpepark.com. Thorpe Park Resort. 7 March 2024. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  48. ^ a b c "Hyperia". Thorpe Park. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  49. ^ "Thorpe Park - Hyperia - Mack Hyper Coaster - 2024". CoasterForce. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
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