Skyrush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Skyrush
Skyrush's logo and overbank.
Hersheypark
Location	Hersheypark
Park section	The Hollow
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 26, 2012 (2012-05-26)
Cost	US$25,000,000
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Intamin
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Wing Coaster (Intamin)
Track layout	Twister
Lift/launch system	Cable
Height	212 ft (65 m)
Drop	200 ft (61 m)
Speed	75 mph (121 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:03
Max vertical angle	85°
G-force	5
Height restriction	54–77 in (137–196 cm)
Trains	2 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Skyrush at RCDB

Skyrush is an Intamin prototype Wing Coaster with winged seating at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. 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 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.

History

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

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, the mentioned diagram, as well as a potential name of the ride, Skyrush.

Part of Skyrush's track

Skyrush was announced on August 2, 2011, in the Comet Hollow section of Hersheypark, approximately where the station of the ride will be. An on-board POV video of the ride was shown, 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. Much 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.

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), reach speeds of approximately 75 miles per hour (121 km/h), 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." 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".

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.