Richard Bannister

Finding myself with a few hours to kill on a choir trip to London, I decided to make my way out to Thorpe Park, bringing both Killian and Robert with me. The ever helpful James met us at the local train station with one free park ticket and a two for one deal, allowing us entry for just £9.50/head, a third of the normal admission price. The main reason I wanted to visit was of course the new for this year Stealth (#684). Many coaster enthusiasts, typically those based in the United States, were rather less than complimentary when it was announced that Thorpe Park was installing a smaller version of Kingda Ka. The usual argument was that such a ride was pointless given the much larger versions available in the United States. However, having ridden both now, it must be said; Stealth is much more fun and infinitely more rerideable than any of its larger brethren. The launch feels powerful but not overly so, and the wind rushing in your face is fast enough to be exhilarating without getting to the point of pain.

The rest of the visit consisted of a whirlwind tour around the other coasters; the good, the bad, and the unclassifiable. We made a brave attempt to ride the screaming swing, Rush, but it broke down while we were waiting for it, and did not come back to life before closing. We took one quick go on Detonator for the benefit of James before returning to Stealth, wrapping up the night nicely with three more rides.