Blackpool's £16m Icon rollercoaster is putting the Pleasure Beach back on the thrill seeker's map
‘I was going, “Please end, please end, oh my God, no”. It was fabulous’, says the Pleasure Beach managing director
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.So smooth is the ride on Blackpool’s latest rollercoaster that the experience feels akin to flying, albeit on an acrobatic aircraft that soars, swerves and swoops through a tangle of metalwork.
The new adrenaline addition to the Lancashire resort’s attractions is Icon, the UK’s first “double launch rollercoaster”. It opens at the resort’s Pleasure Beach complex on Friday 25 May.
The 80-second ride begins on the level, with acceleration equivalent to a Formula 1 racing car – reaching over 50mph in 2.25 seconds. Passengers race through a cloud of artificial fog and then start a steep climb followed by a precipitous descent.
Anyone able to keep their eyes open will see that the track threads through some existing Pleasure Beach rides, creating an extra dimension of confusion for the mind to process while the body is coping with forces of up to 4g.
The £16m ride was built by Mack Rides of Waldkirch, of “world-class steel transported from Germany”, and assembled in Lancashire over the winter.
A sharp roll to the left presses riders into their seats, which are at least as comfortable as those on a budget airline. Some extreme turbulence takes rides corkscrewing in the direction of the Big One, which was the world’s highest, fastest rollercoaster when it opened in 1994.
The Thompson family, which owns Blackpool Pleasure beach, hope that Icon will re-energise the resort. The managing director, Amanda Thompson, calls it “a game changer”, adding: “We wanted to bring thrill-seekers back to the resort.”
A second surge of acceleration is one of the lures. The car appears to be heading back to base, descending and slowing into a cloud-filled chamber. But then 1.7 megawatts of power kicks in, using electromagnets similar to those on the world’s fastest train, the Shanghai mag-lev railway.
As with Concorde powering through the sound barrier, passengers are impelled forward with a robust nudge in the back. Unlike the supersonic jet, Icon takes off almost vertically before a second helping of rocking and rolling.
During the final half-minute of the 90-second ride, passengers can appreciate the skill of the engineers who have embroidered Icon into an already complex tapestry of rides at the Pleasure Beach.
Ms Thompson, who confesses “I’m not the biggest fan of rollercoasters”, was a passenger on the first departure following the official opening.
“Absolutely, terrifyingly amazing,” she told The Independent after the ride. “I was going, ‘Please end, please end, oh my God, no’.
“It was fabulous – so thrilling.”
A day in the Pleasure Beach for over 11s costs £39 on the gate, or less when booked online.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments