Become a Coaster Pro this National Rollercoaster Day

Scream and cheer as one of the greatest days of the year is here! Today, 16th August, marks National Rollercoaster Day and where better to celebrate than at Thorpe Park, the UK’s most thrilling theme park?! 

Here at Thorpe Park, we have world-class, record-breaking coasters that are made up of some pretty cool rollercoaster elements! We’ve put together a list of some of our favourites from our iconic ‘Big 6’ line-up so you can become a rollercoaster expert! 

Hyperia: 

Outer Banked Turn: This epic element is actually a world first! Usually, a banked turn would be facing inward towards the rest of the track, however on Hyperia you’re facing away from the track which helps add to the feeling of weightlessness you experience.  

Splash Down: This is where a section of track passes through water, creating an awesome splash effect! For Hyperia, this is a tribute to her story of how she found her fearless and overcame her fear of water!   

The Swarm: 

Dive Drop: This is an inversion (an upside down moment) where a half twist is performed at the top of a lift hill, leading you into the initial drop. On The Swarm, after experiencing this, you’re then soaring past an aeroplane and through a giant billboard! Epic!

Inline Twist: This is an inversion where the track twists laterally to form a 360-degree roll. On our coaster, The Swarm, this is the moment after you soar past the broken church building and rotate above the queue line!  

Colossus: 

Cobra Roll: Quite literally named because the track creates a double inversion in the shape of a cobra’s head! Colossus is the world’s first 10-looping coaster, so this epic inversion is only one of 10 topsy-turvy moments on this dizzying coaster. 

Heartline Roll: This is an inversion where the rider performs a 360-degree roll on one axis. Fun fact – This element is called ‘heartline’ because the rotation occurs near the rider’s chest. 

Nemesis Inferno: 

Clothoid Loop: This is the ‘teardrop’ shaped loop on Nemesis Inferno that sends you upside down! With these loops, the rider experiences an acceleration due to both a change in speed and a change in direction. When experiencing this element, the rider experiences the greatest speeds at the bottom of the loop both when entering and exiting the loop and the lowest speeds at the top of the loop. 

Interlocking Corkscrews: This is where two corkscrew inversions spin around each other and one turns riders upside down over the other. We call it our lava-laden looping coaster for a reason! 

SAW – The Ride: 

Beyond Vertical Drop: This is the point on SAW – The Ride when you brave the 100ft drop from 100° – you can see the whole park in front of you before you plummet! This element provides a moment of free-falling, which is made even more intense by Jigsaw’s spinning blade looming above you! 

Immelmann: This is the moment after that epic 100ft drop where you’re soaring upside down. This inversion begins with the first half of a vertical loop. As the top of the loop is approached, the train is fully inverted. The track then twists 180° and the inversion is exited in the opposite direction to which it is entered. 

Stealth: 

Top Hat: This is the very top point of Stealth, which stands at an almighty 205ft tall! This element is made up of an ascent at a 90° angle immediately followed by a 90° descent in the opposite direction from which the train enters – you get launched up and race back down back down again before you know it! 

Break Run: Almost every coaster has a form of break run. This is any section of track that utilises some form of brakes to slow down or stop the rollercoaster train. After launching from 0-80mph in 1.8 seconds, the break run on Stealth is the moment to catch your breath! 

Which rollercoaster element is your favourite? 

Have a thrilling day✌️ 

Loren