A week ago – last Thursday evening – scores of invited guests including press and influencers descended on Thorpe Park.
Hyperia, the country’s tallest rollercoaster, received a rave response from those in attendance.
Some of that praise was predictable given the makeup of enthusiasts, fans, and those partnered with Thorpe Park.
But the general feeling was that Hyperia took the British theme park portfolio to new levels.
Moving into Friday’s public launch, the overwhelming positive feedback continued.
Friday’s crowd was still made up in no small part by enthusiasts and annual pass holders, but it was still a more balanced representation.
The ride ran for over 12 hours – with a few temporary stoppages as you would expect – to cope with the huge demand.
Issue becomes clear
On Saturday morning, something significant was seemingly discovered during morning checks.
By about 09:30, just half-an-hour before Thorpe Park officially opened, the park said that Hyperia would not open all day.
Later that day, it was confirmed that the ride would need at least four days out of action.
Then, on that fourth day – Tuesday this week – the park said that they could not commit to reopening before 8 June.
That means there will likely be a minimum of 14 days of the ride standing closed.
While failures in any mechanical device can happen, this is clearly something of an embarrassment to both Thorpe Park and manufacturer Mack Rides.
Although not publicly acknowledged, it is widely accepted that the ride’s 24 May opening date was later than originally intended.
Delays with the planning process saw the expected target of the start of the season, 24 March, missed.
So behind the scenes, the pressure was likely to have been on the project teams for some time.
The eventual 24 May opening date was announced on 27 March, almost three weeks before a train went around the track for the first time.
Testing with water dummy-filled trains began on 16 April.
Although not unheard of, announcing a firm opening date for a new rollercoaster before the first train has been around the track is still unusual.
There were 38 days between Hyperia’s first test and its public opening date.
Icon’s programme
By comparison in 2018, the fellow Mack-built Icon at Blackpool Pleasure Beach began testing 65 days before opening.
And that rollercoaster’s public opening date was not announced until more than a month after the first test.
What is important is the actual number of hours and circuits that are completed by the trains, and this isn’t public knowledge.
But there is still a stark difference in both the length of the testing window and the timing of announcing opening dates for both rides.
Independent inspectors and Mack’s commissioning engineers needed to be satisfied of Hyperia’s safety and reliability, just as they had to be with Icon.
There is nothing to suggest both were not satisfied at the moment the ride was signed off.
But the early announcement of an opening date, relatively short testing window, and this being new territory in the tallest rollercoaster Mack have built, could have all combined to see a vulnerability slip through the net.
Possible learnings
The lift hill has been a focus of attention for staff examining the ride from the first day of closure.
The appearance of a crane this week, and reported increasing noise levels from the lift on the Friday also suggest that the issue is indeed around the lift hill’s components.
If an issue has manifested itself that would have become apparent during a longer testing period, then there may be learnings to be had.
Understandably, details of the issue are unlikely to ever reach the public domain.
But it may be that it becomes even rarer for announcements of opening dates to be made prior to testing beginning.
Hyperia’s delay, while frustrating to those that had plans to visit on the opening weekend or soon after, can and will be quickly forgotten once it reopens.
It is the launch no one wanted, but the general view from those lucky enough to have ridden is that it is worth the wait.