Top Spin (ride)
The Top Spin is a thrill ride developed by HUSS Park Attractions, and is the generic name for a series of rides from other manufacturers that follow the same principle. The ride consists of a passenger platform suspended between two counterweighted arms. The arms are turned by motors, while the platform generally only has brakes that are engaged and disengaged at various points of the ride cycle. A typical top spin program runs the main arm motors while engaging and disengaging the platform brakes so that it will rotate in exciting ways. The minimum rider height requirement is 54 inches; maximum is 80 inches due to the seat and restraint design. The ride was debuted in 1990 with it proving an instant success with European fairgoers.
Ride experience
Huss has designed the ride so that park and carnival operators may choose one of 8 preset ride "programs." Most last no more than 2 minutes and consist of several moderate-speed loops, flips, and face-down gondola "hangtime" before unlocking the gondola hydraulics and swinging the riders back and forth. Some Top Spin rides have the added feature of water fountains which are mainly used at the end of the ride sequence soaking the riders as they are slowly lowered face first into the un-escapable water jets. Cycles can be customized to include more intense repetitive flips and also be under manual operator control. Cycles may tend to be longer at carnivals. A world record was set with over 100 gondola flips during a cycle with a theme park model in Germany.
Variations
- The original Topspin concept has two rows of seating with self lowering lap bars and rider spotlights.
- The Giant Top Spin is a larger version of the Top Spin, seating 77 passengers in three rows on the platform. Only one park in the United States featured a Giant Top Spin, The Crypt at Kings Island in Ohio. However, its third row was removed in 2008, reducing the capacity. The ride structure was still larger than any other. It closed after the 2011 season.
- The Suspended Top Spin is a floorless version of the ride that can hold 38 passengers in two rows back to back.
- The Top Spin 2 is a smaller version of the original, designed for showmen who require a ride that fits onto a single trailer. Interestingly this version enables the platform to perform almost endless loops. This version tends to have telescoping drum supports to hold the main control arms.
- Discovery is not that similar to Waikiki Wave Super Flip but is smaller and both arms can bend and can be manufactured by TECHNO Productions, KMG and other companies who make rides.
There are also numerous other Top Spin rides that were later developed by other companies as rivals to the Huss versions.
In addition to this, various manufacturers such as Mondial, Moser, Vekoma, and Zamperla make an improved version of the Top Spin where each individual arm is controlled separately; this results in diagonal gondola inversions and makes for a much more interesting ride. Such rides are known by names like "Wind Shear", "Super Loop on Top", "Waikiki Wave Super Flip","Super Nova" and "Discovery".
Appearances
- This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
The Top Spin was once a common ride at travelling funfairs, particularly in Germany. Over time, many of the travelling versions of the ride have been sold to amusement parks. Huss also makes several models of Top Spin specifically for static locations.
- Argentina:
- Desorbitado at Parque de la Costa (Preston's International Suspended top spin)
- Australia:
- Rampage (Moser Maverick) at Adventure World
- Wipeout at Dreamworld (Waikiki Wave Super Flip, Vekoma)
- Austria:
- Top Spin at Prater
- Belgium:
- Buzzsaw/Screamer at Walibi Belgium
- Brazil:
- Ekatomb at Hopi Hari
- Canada:
- Hell's Gate at Playland (Vancouver)
- Demon (Mondial Roll Over) at La Ronde
- Riptide (Mondial Splash Over) at Canada's Wonderland
- Chile:
- Top Spin at Fantasilandia
- Costa Rica:
- Tornado F5 at Parque Nacional de Diversiones
- Egypt:
- Star trek at Comic adventure land (Egypt)
- Top Spin at Dream Park
- Finland:
- Kieputin by Linnanmäki
- France:
- Top Spin Fresh at Fleur
- Germany:
- NYC Transformer at Movie Park Germany
- Talocan at Phantasialand (Suspended)
- Top Spin at Serengeti Park
- Aqua Spin at Heide Park
- Top Spin by Ludewigt
- Top Spin No.1 by Bausch (Prototype)
- Top Spin Fresh by Zehle
- Revolution by Kinzle-Nickel
- Top Spin 2 by Langhoff
- Top Spin 2 by Kollmann
- Top Spin by Scheele
- Yukan Raft at Fort Fun Abenteurland (Top Spin 2)
- Guatemala:
- Estrugensen at Xetulul, (Retalhuleu)
- Hungary:
- Top Spin at Vidámpark
- India:
- Essel World at Gorai
- Indonesia:
- Tornado (Zamperla Suspended Windshear) at Dunia Fantasi Jakarta
- Israel:
- טופ ספין (Top Spin) at Luna Park Tel Aviv
- Italy:
- Tomb Raider Machine (Zamperla Wind Shear) at Movieland Park
- Top Spin at Gardaland
- Vortigo at Etnaland (Super Loop on Top)
- Japan:
- Luna Swing at Space World Japan
- Korea:
- Double Rock Spin (Suspended Top Spin) at Everland
- Monster wind at SeoulLand
- Mexico:
- Huracan at Six Flags Mexico (Waikiki Wave Super Flip, Vekoma)
- Top Spin at La Feria Chapultepec Magico
- Moldova:
- The Netherlands:
- Excalibur at Walibi Holland
- Montezuma's Revenge at Avonturenpark Hellendoorn
- Waterspin at Duinrell
- Pakistan:
- Top Spin at Joyland, Fortress Stadium, Lahore
- South Africa:
- Miner's Revenge at Gold Reef City
- Spain:
- Hurakan at Tibidabo
- Lex Luthor's Invertatron at Parque Warner
- Top Spin at Parque de Atracciones de Madrid
- Revolution' at Parque de Atracciones de Zaragoza
- Revolution at Atracciones Lorente
- Cabwoman whip at Comic adventure land (Spain)
- Switzerland:
- Top Spin by Buser
- Thailand:
- Hurricane at Dream World Bangkok
- Top Spin at Siam Park City Bangkok
- United Kingdom:
- Rameses Revenge at Chessington World of Adventures
- Ripsaw at Alton Towers
- Terror Rack at Pleasure Island Family Theme Park - copied version of the ride built by Fabbri
- Whip the racket at Comic adventure land. A tennis themed top spin by, Techno productions,
- United States of America:
- Cliffhanger at Lagoon Amusement Park
- The Crypt at Kings Dominion (Suspended Top Spin)
- The Crypt at Kings Island (closed 2011) - "The King of Top Spins," the only Giant Top Spin in the world, completely enclosed.
- Der Twister at Six Flags Fiesta Texas
- Firefall at California's Great America (Originally the "Texas Twister" at Geauga Lake, the first in North America.[1][2])
- Hang Time at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom (removed in 2015)
- King Chaos at Six Flags Great America (known as The Dying Trapeze during Fright Fest)
- Quake (Vekoma Waikiki Wave) at Kentucky Kingdom (closed 2004)
- RipTide at Knott's Berry Farm and Valleyfair
- Shake, Rattle & Roll at Elitch Gardens
- Space Loop by Wade Shows, Inc. (Fabbri Whiplash)
- Splash Over at Adventureland (Iowa)
- Thunderhawk at Worlds of Fun
Worlds of Fun's Thunderhawk about to launch. - Top Spin by Deggeller Attractions
- Top Spin with the Strates Shows railway carnival
- Twister at Six Flags Great Adventure
- Twister at Six Flags New England
- Twister at Darien Lake
- VooDoo at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
References
External links
Media related to Top Spin (ride) at Wikimedia Commons
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