Skyrush

Skyrush is an Intamin prototype Wing Coaster with winged seating at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania.[1][2] It opened to the general public on May 26, 2012. Skyrush is Hersheypark's 12th roller coaster, and its third coaster made by Intamin. Skyrush is the second tallest and second fastest roller coaster located at Hersheypark. Skyrush features a 212-foot (65 m) cable lift (measured to the creek floor) that raises the train at a 20-mile-per-hour (32 km/h) rate. The roller coaster is located in The Hollow section of Hersheypark, next to the Comet and SooperDooperLooper, and the ride itself is mainly set above Spring Creek.

Skyrush
Skyrush's logo and overbank.
Hersheypark
LocationHersheypark
Park sectionThe Hollow
Coordinates
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 26, 2012 (2012-05-26)
CostUS$25,000,000
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerIntamin
DesignerWerner Stengel
ModelWing Coaster (Intamin)
Track layoutTwister
Lift/launch systemCable
Height212 ft (65 m)
Drop200 ft (61 m)
Speed75 mph (121 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration1:03
Max vertical angle85°
G-force5
Height restriction54–77 in (137–196 cm)
Trains2 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
WebsiteOfficial website
Skyrush at RCDB
Pictures of Skyrush at RCDB

History

The attraction was proposed to Derry Township on August 17, 2010.[3] The attraction was described as reaching a maximum height of 212.6-foot (64.8 m) .[3] In a subsequent meeting, the park shared a potential blueprint of a roller coaster.[4]

Preceding the announcement of the ride, Hersheypark engaged in a viral marketing campaign called "Project 2012" to promote the attraction. The campaign released concepts about the attraction in a series of clues, though none of them were officially confirmed. However, certain things came out from governmental sources, due to the attraction's interaction with Spring Creek, a creek that runs through the park. It includes work in and around the creek,[5][6][7] the mentioned diagram,[4] as well as a potential name of the ride, Skyrush.[8]

Part of Skyrush's track

Skyrush was announced on August 2, 2011,[9] in the Comet Hollow section of Hersheypark, approximately where the station of the ride will be.[10] An on-board POV video of the ride was shown,[11] as well the announcement of the name, Skyrush.

By August 15, 2011, bright goldenrod painted pieces of single and Intamin track began to appear at the park for the coaster's construction. Like Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion, the track would be double-spined. Then in December 2011, the park added a webcam of the ride construction on their official website to allow park fans and roller coaster enthusiasts to watch the progress.

On May 2, 2012, Hersheypark began testing Skyrush with water dummies and opened Skyrush to the public on May 26, 2012, attracting many more guests than usual at Hersheypark.

Ride experience

Layout

Immediately after leaving the station, a cable lift carries the train to the top of the lift hill, 212 feet (65 m) above the ground. The train then enters a 200 feet (61 m) drop, in which the train reaches at a top speed of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h). The train travels through a large right hand turn and into a large airtime hill. The train then travels through a 270 degree helix before entering another airtime hill, passing underneath the first one. After this, the train enters a right hand turn that transitions into an overbanked turn. After the overbank, the ride drops down and enters a quick transition into a highly banked right turn, which transitions into a twisted airtime hill. After that, the train enters another airtime hill, before a highly banked turn to the left. After that, the ride enters the final brake run, ending the ride. [12]

Characteristics

Track

Skyrush has yellow track and light blue support columns. The ride reaches a maximum height of 212 feet (65 m), drop 200 feet (61 m),[13] reach speeds of approximately 75 miles per hour (121 km/h),[13] with a 3,600-foot (1,100 m) long track. Skyrush's top speed is 75-mile-per-hour (121 km/h). The ride achieves a maximum of 5G just at the bottom of the first drop. The ride's highest negative g-force is -2G on the second airtime hill.

Trains

The coaster has trains that are of extended width of the traditional 2-across Intamin trains with two additional seats that hang off the width of the chassis, inspiring Skyrush's tagline "Ride the Edge." [13] The other two Intamin coasters in the park, Fahrenheit and Storm Runner, have the two across trains. Each train weighs 13 tons when empty.

The restraints have been criticized as overly painful, especially during the ride's intense airtime moments, when the restraints exert a lot of pressure on the lower body. This has led some coaster enthusiasts to nickname Skyrush as "Thighcrush".[14][15]

Awards

Skyrush was ranked in the Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards for best new ride of 2012 with 6% of the vote, to come in fifth place.[16]

Golden Ticket Awards: Best New Ride for 2012
Ranking
5[16]
Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year20122013201420152016201720182019
Ranking 42[17]26[18]26 (tied)[19]25[20]N/A[21]24 (tied)[22]30[23]27[24]

See also

References
  1. "Wing Coaster". Intamin. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  2. "Wing Coaster - A seat on the Edge". Intamin. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  3. Malawskey, Nick (August 18, 2010). "Hersheypark's 'new marquee attraction' to be in Comet Hollow". The Patriot-News. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  4. Malaswkey, Nick (April 20, 2011). "Hersheypark uses website to release clues about next mystery project, code named "Attraction 2012"". The Patriot-News. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  5. "PA Bulletin Doc No. 10-2463b/E22-570: Hershey Entertainment and Resorts". The Pennsylvania Bulletin. December 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  6. "Public Notice In Reply to Application Number CENAB-OP-RPA-2010-00631-P23 (Hershey Park Maintenance Dredging)" (PDF). US Army Corps of Engineers. August 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  7. "Public Notice In Reply to Application Number CENAB-OP-RPA-2010-00631-P23 (Hershey Park Maintenance Dredging)" (PDF). US Army Corps of Engineers. February 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  8. "Latest Status Info". United States Patent and Trademark Office. July 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  9. "Hersheypark to debut it's 12th Coaster in 2012 Season" (Word document). Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. August 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  10. "Attraction - Site Plan". Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. August 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  11. "Skyrush - The 12th Coaster At Hersheypark!". Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. August 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  12. "SkyRush Front Seat on-ride HD POV Hersheypark". CoasterForce. May 31, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2019 – via YouTube.
  13. "Skyrush Fact Sheet" (Word document). Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. August 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  14. "SKYRUSH: BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RESTRAINTS?". coastercritic.com. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  15. "Skyrush". ElloCoaster. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  16. "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2012" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  17. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  18. "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  19. "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  20. "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  21. "2016 top 50 steel roller coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  22. "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  23. "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  24. "2019 Top Steel". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
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