Guest reviewer Aric has returned with another in-depth review. He was one of the first to ride Hersheypark’s new Skyrush roller coaster.
[divider]
I came to Hersheypark to ride Skyrush after a day spent using Fast Lane at Cedar Point. While in Sandusky, my daughter and I were treated to what essentially amounted to no lines on the big three, Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, and my personal number one, the much loved/maligned Maverick. After journeying the remaining eight hours to Hershey, I reconnoitered myself to extreme rides, getting three on the venerable Storm Runner, and on a former favorite of mine, Fahrenheit. What is the point of all of this? None of these coasters, my favorite included, prepared me for the steel insanity that was Skyrush.
I rode Friday night, as I was one of the 26 Junior Researchers selected by the park to ride the new yellow tracked Intamin before the rest of the public. Along with the other researchers, a bunch of folks had won the opportunity to ride from local radio stations, and we were all gathered as the park closed in a catering pavilion, where a DJ entertained and we were fed pizza. As fun as that was, the coaster was looming over us as we waited for our turn to board. Finally, the announcement was made that it was time to ride, and my ears were spared a re-listen to, “Call Me Maybe” both very good things.
I rode in the second row, in one of the vaunted winged seats. I have to admit I was nervous about the restraints-more on this later-but it fit me quite comfortably in the station. In fact, I was getting used to the new found freedom of no floor and no over the shoulder restraints, when a ride op stapled me in far tighter that I ever would have willfully buckled myself. This indignity was enough to make me temporarily irritated, the second time it happened even more so, I was seriously in as tight as I could possibly get when the train got the all clear, and we roared up the lift hill via Intamin’s awesome cable system.
My hands were up as we crested the hill, and as we rocketed towards the bottom, the impossible happened, I literally felt as though I was coming free of my seat. The forces were nearly indescribable, so I’ll keep it simple. Massive ejector airtime. Not only on the first drop, but over every bunny hill, even on turns. The term airtime machine is overused, I know because I’ve ridden Skyrush, and this is the only coaster I’ve ridden that I think fits adequately into that category, despite thinking I understood the meaning prior to riding.
So far, early reviews suggest comparisons to El Toro, Bizarro, Expedition GeForce, and Intimidator 305. Admittedly, I’ve ridden none of them-though I will be on 305 in two weeks-but that is some serious company to be in. Hershey and Intamin not only have another winner on their hands, they have something even better, a world class roller coaster. Skyrush is beautiful, a joy to ride, and whatever its ranking ends up being, one of the absolute best in the world. A true airtime machine indeed, and an absolute must ride.
For me, this ride can be ranked only one way, as a 10, with a thrill rating of a VERY high 5, this is one aggressive beast, even as smooth as it is. Although Hershey lists 54″ as being acceptable to ride, I’m not sure all kids of that height, even coaster nuts like my daughter, should ride Skyrush, it’s just that crazy. Aric’s Final Rating – 10.0 (Superior)
Here’s a POV video of Skyrush at Hersheypark:
Note – This video was filmed by the park. For safety reasons, please DO NOT take a camera on a roller coaster.
Skyrush is rated ‘IN’ for Intense. It’s a 4 out of 5 on the Coaster Critic’s Thrill Scale for of its height and speed that produce a very intense ride.
A Caveat on Skyrush’s Restraints
Already the coaster world is abuzz with complaints over the restraint system used on Skyrush, the most common issue being that they are uncomfortable for some riders. Time to unknot your shorts, kids, these restraints are highly unlikely to be changing anytime soon and were designed like this on purpose. Again, not to overstate things, but there is a reason that they are so tight, and a reason why they aren’t the most comfortable restraint on the block. They are on the train to keep you alive. I’m sure there was a point where using something like I-305 restraints was considered, but with the openness of the trains, some out of the box thinking was in order. The Skyrush restraint controversy is a non-issue to me, because Skyrush succeeds so well at what it does, and if a little bit of discomfort is enough of an issue enough to keep you off of it, then at least the line will be shorter for everyone else.
[divider]
Varying Views on Skyrush
Aric has quite a different view of Skyrush than what we’ve been seeing from most riders on my early reviews post. What’s your take on Skyrush? Leave a comment below.
Read Aric’s other posts for his take on rides like Fahrenheit, Space Mountain, Maverick & more.
Also see this article from The Patriot-News including reviews from Mike of NewsPlusNotes, ACE members, Aric, and others: “Hersheypark’s Skyrush a Hit Among Roller Coaster Fans”
Images courtesy of JonathanHawkins.net. Read Jonathan Hawkin’s awesome Skyrush review and trip report here: Hersheypark 2012 Trip Report
Coaster Critic 
79 responses to “Guest Review of Skyrush @ Hersheypark”
I haven't commented in a long time but had to put my 2 cents worth in for this ride…
After reading all of the negative reviews, I simply cannot understand where all the gripes are coming from. I rode Skyrush 3 times on Thursday, sat on both sides and once in a middle seat, 3rd row twice and 5th row once. And it was easily my new favorite coaster in the park. I was actually raving to my friends how cool the seats and restraints are, how they almost encourage you to lean into them like riding a motorcycle and how they were painless for a guy (unlike Superman @ six flags america and Millenium Force's nutcracker restraints). I experienced NO pain whatsoever. NO grey-outs (and I still grey-out on Intimidator 305 even with the changes). Absolutely nothing negative to say about this ride except it is over too soon. I could ride this thing over and over again. I rated it a 10. I sincerely hope that everyone's complaints are mostly hyperbole and hersheypark does nothing to this excellent coaster. Unfortunately, I'm sure that isn't the case and all of this will make hershey give up on building larger, faster, more thrilling coasters in the future, as well as add headbanging OTSRs, and maybe even trims on the drop to skyrush. skyrush and the park as a whole will suffer because of it. Not financially per se, just in the eyes of a thrill seeker.
I guess I will just have to go to hersheypark and ride skyrush as much as possible before things change, most likely for the worse. What a shame.
Nice review, but I'll have to disagree with the restraint comments. Every other coaster manufacturer seems to have figured out how to avoid hurling riders to their death without the need to pin them to the seat in an uncomfortable manner. You can even look to another Intamin ride, El Toro, which has the same or greater ejector airtime than Skyrush, for a simple restraint that has yet to have a single accident yet is also pretty comfortable. When so many people (and by all accounts it is a very significant amount) are coming off the ride complaining that it hurt them, I don't see how it can be considered anything but a design flaw. I've made it clear both in the review that I wrote and in my comments on other sites that I love the ride, but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore legitimate criticisms. You may be right that the restraints are unlikely to be changed for this coaster (though evidence suggests that the park is taking complaints seriously as they have been instructing ride ops to not push the bars down on people), but at the very least I would hope Intamin will make some tweaks before they build their next wing rider.
Well put Aric! I had originally commented on the other skyrush post and I guess CC felt it was better suited for this post. Can't say that I disagree. Anyway, thank you for articulating almost exactly what I experienced on skyrush… I hope you're right that they don't change anything and people like us can reap the benefits of a short line. I think it's a world class ride!
Your comment was in the moderation queue and I decided to just save it for this post. And I'm trying to close comments on the other one so the discussion can continue here. Site's not cooperating yet though.
Thanks for your comment. It's interesting how different people see this ride. Makes me wonder where I'd fall on the spectrum.
I've said this before on another coaster site, but if they change anything about this coaster, I would be really bummed…except if they changed the restraints. I do NOT want to see OTSRs on this ride, but I really think a slightly different shape lapbar or a slightly softer lapbar would change this ride to a 9.5 for me. I couldn't give it a 10 because it is way too short, but everything but the restraint system is amazing. Even the most innocuous little twists in this ride deliver extreme airtime.
Aric, I DO agree with you about the height requirements being a little low…this ride IS that extreme. I rode with a little kid who was so skinny, and I just kept thinking, "this kid is gonna get thrown out…I'm gonna look over where he used to sit, and he's gonna be gone". Luckily, all that happened was he said his legs hurt a lot. All four little kids in the front seat were all alternating between laughing and yelling that they couldn't feel their legs. So, the restraints do the job well, but perhaps a taller height requirement should be instituted. I would hate to see yet another brilliant creation from Intamin marred by injury or tragedy.
Rode this coaster on Sunday(2nd Row) and I have to say it is quite dangerous. I was in an outside seat(right hand side) and violently hit the side of my head against the headrest. I still have a pretty big knot on my head from the impact. A young boy in my party rode on the left side of the same car and hit his head on his leg restraint. Has anyone else any of these issues?
For everyone who seems to be having trouble with the restraints, you may find this Screamscape post interesting…
“(6/11/12) According to a reader who visited Hersheypark, they too found the restraints on SkyRush a little painful on the legs. After the ride, they spoke with park reps about it and were told that Hersheypark had investigated the restraint system used on I305, but have decided to stick with a lapbar system. However… they also claimed that an Intamin rep had been out at the park over the past week to check on the ride and look into this issue, as they do not want to trim the ride’s speed. From what I’m led to understand, they believe that the lap bars can be adjusted to solve the problem, so lets look for this to happen later on this season.”
Does anyone know if the Skyrush restraints accomodated somewhat larger riders?
They do, CJ, according to their website, up to about 300 lbs.
I'm slightly larger than the average female, but not by too too much. I had plenty of room, but the bars were awful. I think they'd be better even with some gel padding or different softer foam. Just something a teensy bit less rigid. I hope Intamin can work their magic and turn this coaster into pure gold (er…yellow anyway). Lol
I was very surprised to find all of the negative comments about the restraints on Skyrush – I loved them. I liked having no shoulder restraints, and I really liked how Skyrush's restraints provided armrests and a natural handgrip position. I usually position my restraints very tightly anyway – but Skyrush's did not hurt me and I got no negative comments from my 15 year old son (who is as cynical and sarcastic as any 15 year old). GREAT ride.
I just rode last night … last row, far right wing seat. One of my ride partners is 6' 5" and goes about 300 lbs. No problem fitting! (There is a test seat near the entrance.) My partner who DID have trouble is only 5' 1" and over 200 lbs. For her, it was difficult to climb up onto the seat due to the "leg separater" (for lack of a better term). None of us got stapled. ALL of us had painful rides. Prior to riding, my mind was complaining that the ride would be to short. Halfway throughthe ride, my thighs decided it was way too long. This was coaster #271 for nme and, while I'll give it another try today, I am NOT looking forward to it!
This ride is more than scary. It goes beyond big drops and corkscrews. It's pure thrill. Yeah, other coasters have bigger drops, but this is something of another caliber. It is almost like an out-of-body experience. Never have I felt so free and so exhilerated.
Go ride Skyrush. It's not a ride, it's an experience.
If your comment is anything to go by Aric, a trip across the pond will most definitely be in order to Hershey Park. Also, if what you say about CP is true- WOW.
I managed to get 3 rides in 2 days … assorted seats … hands up on ONLY the first ride … and had painful experiences every time. I sent a picture of my bruised thighs to Joel just to support my physical reaction to this ride. Is it a great ride? You bet it is! Do I like the seating on the trains? Sure thing … the wing seats are awesome! Do I like the freedom for my upper body? Oh, yeah! I just wish there was some way to eliminate the pain I felt during the ride.
I give the park some extra credit for putting in a new walkway that allows you to view practically the whole course of the coaster. It definitely helps build anticipation that would be lacking if one could only view the coaster (just the lift hill and station) from Comet Hollow.
Wow how did you get a photo of Skyrush and Comet on the lift hill at the same time? I might have to print it out and hold onto it for years to come.
Thanks for the photo Judy. There's nothing like a visual to support all of the complaints. Interesting that you kept going back for more though. Reminds me of The Voyage's physically demanding (not painful though) ride that kept me coming back for more. I guess it was at least fun enough to draw you back.
I'm conflicted about this ride. I'm not sure where I'd fall, but since I'm not very forgiving of rides that produce painful experiences I'm not sure I'd rank it very highly.
Height requirements have nothing to do with age. They have to do with strict technical reasons for safety.
Speaking of new roller coasters, me and my friend were at six flags great adventure. We were on Congo rapids and nitro and saw a good couple of cleared acres. We were wondering if they were going to remove bizarro or what would happen in 2013.
I rode the Skyrush yesterday and while I agree that the ride itself is exhilarating and the wing seats were amazing, I was in far too much pain to properly enjoy the ride. After being stapled into the seats, I realized I'd left a tube of lip balm in my pocket which was then jammed into my leg. The ride itself was pure agony, as every hill we went over further jammed the tube into my thigh. After I got off the ride, I had to limp to walk and did so the rest of the day. I've now got a massive bruise to go along with the limp. I may ride again in the future, but there should be a sign or an announcement to empty your pockets. I can only imagine what would have happened had my lip balm been a cell phone.
I do believe that Skyrush has the potential to be a 10 out of 10 coaster but
I found the restraints to be really painful. At first they aren't that bad but then after the first airtime hill they get tighter and more painful. You can read my review at http://coasterguy.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/skyrus…
If they switch out the restraints for something more comfortable it will become an excellent coaster.
I got to ride Sky Rush a few days ago and I can now vouch for the thigh pain, but for me it was only on the crest of the camelback's and the rest of the ride is very comfortable and fairly smooth. My friend was yelling in pain on every hill, however, we both thought it was one hell of a ride and got a couple rides in toward the front as well as the back. winged seat or not didn't really make much of a difference and both trips the ride was equally awesome and forceful. The lift hill blew me away with how quick it was and heavily contributed to how epic the first drop was. The fast pacing and relentless layout over the lake made it a solid 8 for me, but if they tweaked the restraints to be more comfortable and make it a little more re-ridable like Leviathan (which I did enjoy a tiny bit more) it would be rated higher. It still would be a bit too quick of a ride to ever be a 10 though as it's over before you know it.
Pure luck. Here are larger versions if you are interested: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhawkins/7299441668/…
I'll chime in here as well, El Toro remains one of my favorite rides and I'll agree that I achieve greater airtime *COMFORTABLY* for the duration of that ride. Obviously it's in a completely different class but still, we have the technology. 🙂 Sky Rush was less rush than it was pain. I literally just experienced the coaster this morning and unless something changes I'll stick to my beloved Lightning Racer. Anyway, so I'm of average size but ended up dreading every hill on Sky Rush. My legs 14 hours after riding are still sore. We spoke with several other riders later on the Comet while waiting for the next train to depart the station before we returned and disembarked and of the five people immediately around me all were in agreement that they experienced pain during their ride on Sky Rush. One mentioned a ride attendant asked him how it was. Guess they were doing a survey. He replied indicating the issue that this ride is now becoming known for here locally, and received a reply from the attendant that they're "working on it with engineering." I really hope they can come up with a solution. I want to love this coaster but until the restraints change in some way I will not ride it again.
I agree 100% with your post. Last year people were complaining about the leg pain and nut cracking from Green Lantern at Six Flags Great Adventure, and when I rode it for the first time, I loved it. I'm going to Hershey this weekend and can't wait to ride this coaster, and I hope Hershey will forget about all of those complaints and build one of the best coasters on earth. Hope for the best with Hershey anyways.
Interesting that the attendant said that. Good to hear!
It's a good roller-coaster, and gives a different and more G-filled ride than others.
However, the restraint system was a real problem for me. It was painful during the ride, and I ended up with a bruised quadricep, which is still uncomfortable three days later..
I rode it last week (with only a 30 minute wait time, which was nice!) The lap bars were very uncomfortable and took away from my enjoyment of the ride. My friend and I were both in alot of pain from that bar digging into our legs during all the air time. While the drop is fantastic, I would not want to ride it again anytime soon.
Another note that I didn't see anybody bring up yet…you will want to completly empty your pockets and leave stuff with a non-rider if you can. Just about anything in your pockets will get lost. They have bins up at the front of the line for you to leave stuff, but obviously I was a bit hesitant to leave my wallet and iPhone in there. I did, and it's good because they would have fallen out on the ride. My friend lost her lighter. Only some cash that I had in my pocket survived the trip.
One word…. OUCH!! Kills your legs/thighs. Everyone was complaining…
That's a good tip Ed. It's starting to seem like it's about 80/20 as far as negative experiences to good ones. I may make it up to Hershey towards the end of the season. Hopefully by then they'll have new restraints and I'll get to experience it minus the leg pain.
Having just come back from Hershey on a hot Sunday morning I can offer my thoughts on this newest addition to the sweetest place on earth's coaster family:
I can say that I found Skyrush to be an instant hit and it has moved in to my #3 coaster behind MF and I305. I don't know what it was about Skyrush that spoke to me, I think it is the harness without any shoulder restraint. I aim to keep arms up entire ride and Skyrush really makes you feel like you might come detached from the car without having hands-on during flight.
Now I have read through the comments and reviews and many people say they feel the restraints are painful on the thighs. I could tell a significant different in the pressure on my legs moving from the absolute front left to the absolute back right of the train with the latter being a noticeable discomfort – it was also my 4th time riding so it could have been a bit of wear and tear. Sitting here now 10 hours later I have no problems in my legs or marks or other pain that others have talked about.
I would imagine I am subjecting my legs to even more damage by keeping my arms up the entire time and allowing the harness to keep me locked in without any help from my upper body but it really wasn't anything I would consider off-putting. I did have a lady next to me on the last run of the day who asked again and again "didn't that hurt your thighs?!" and I politely said "yeah, kinda" but felt otherwise okay. I am a chicken-legged sort of build however so I wonder if that plays in to the different experiences for riders.
I'd score it a 10/10 with the best spots being the front left wing seat. Though it is not the most-intense part of the train (I'd leave the rear row for that) it has the best balance for a terrific ride.
Changing the restraints to OTSR would also ruin it for me. Although, I have seen one of my favorite coasters, Intimidator 305, undergo some major changes and come out clean on the other side. The first week it opened I thought one time was enough for the day, a few months later and with some modifications it was better but not as intense. This season its kind of a hybrid for a decent ride that hasn't sacrificed too much.
<q cite="I guess I will just have to go to hersheypark and ride skyrush as much as possible before things change, most likely for the worse. What a shame"> Best advice you can give. I felt exactly the same on Skyrush and any changes would be sad in my opinion. No pain, all joy for me on that bad boy.
I had the chance to ride Skyrush today. I really wanted to like the ride. While a bit short, a mini Intimidator 305? That's a great recipe for a coaster. Sadly, I must repeat what many people have said about the ride: the restraints hurt. I got two rides, one in the very back and another in the middle and the result was the same. I'm a skinny guy, and my thighs were killing me after we went over the first airtime hill. I rode with my 10 year old brother who's fairly small and he complained about it as well. The coaster had the potential to be awesome. In fact, up until the first airtime hill it was. The cable lift is insanely fast and the drop is among the best I've been on, as the airtime is of ejector quality. The train gets to the bottom of the first drop no more than 15 seconds after you leave the station. However, this is where the ride changes, as the intense turn forces the restraint further into your legs. This causes the airtime hills to be not only uncomfortable but painful. I rode The Voyage a little over a week ago, and while it's not exactly in the same category as Skyrush, The Voyage was physically demanding, but not painful. The rest of the ride proved to be similar, as the positive g's on the turns pushed on the restraint, only for your thighs to take the full brunt of the forces on the airtime hills. Once the train finally reached the brakes, the restraints had dug fairly far into my legs, and this seemed to be the consensus of my fellow riders. Again Skyrush has the potential to be an amazing coaster as the airtime is at an El Toro or Bizarro level, and the positive g's reminded me of Intimidator 305. It's unfortunate that the ride has to be ruined by painful restraints, and hopefully Intamin can work out a solution for this problem.
I live nearby and have ridden 15 times. I LOVE IT! Fast, fast, fast are the only words to describe it. I've experienced mild discomfort with the restraints, but never pain. Pure adreniline. Wait times are also shorter than they look..
There have been a few posts about leg pain, but has anyone else experienced shoulder pain on Skyrush? I rode abourt a week ago, and while exhilirating, I was in extreme pain the entire ride as if my shoulder had popped out on that first drop. I really thought I had a broken bone. While obvioulsy it was not broken, and there is no nerve damage, it still hurts and is obvioulsy tied to my ride on a winged seat in about the 6th row.
I completely agree with Aric… This is a true airtime machine and one of the best coasters I have ever ridden. The restraints were tight but not painful and didn't detract from the ride, and I am not a small person. As for comparisons to I305, this is a completely different animal. Although I felt some of the same sensations on the twisties, I305 doesn't have nearly as much airtime as Skyrush. I305's main focus is speed, Skyrush's main focus is airtime.
I absolutely hated skyrush. I stood in line for an hour only to exit at the end after being struck with fright, and I didn’t get to get the giant twizzlers from chocolate world,the only place they are available. Even worse I was embarrassed as hell. I got scared because a grown women and a few other peoPle got off crying and the woman ran off crying down the ramp. I think the age limit should be raised. Overall skyrush sucks and causes problems for quite a few of its riders
Different people have different thrill levels they can handle, and that includes adults. Last weekend I saw people come crying off Boulder Dash at Lake Compounce, but I'd never want to see it ripped out because of that.
Part of the problem for both rides may be that so much of their impact comes from extreme negative g-forces, which you can't see, so they take people by surprise.
Traditionally, amusement rides only limit ridership by physical size and ability to safely use the restraints; whether they can emotionally handle the experience is up to the rider, and I think that's the way it ought to be. I haven't ridden Skyrush, but it definitely sounds like a ride that is not for everyone. Fortunately there are a lot of rides to choose from at Hersheypark.
FYI as of June 30 one of the two trains on Skyrush has had its restraints replaced with identical but heavier padded ones. They are not perfect, but a dramatic improvement (which bumped the ride up on my own personal list). I don't know if the other train has been modified yet, but if not I'm sure it will be soon.
I stood for an hour in line waiting for Skyrush. One secured and losing the circulation in my legs I started wondering if the hour wait would be worth it. After cresting over the top and down my head was jerked to the left and got stuck for a matter of seconds without support. It took everything I had to lift it back to center. Then off to the right for not as long though. Then left again. In pain the entire rest of the day. Next day chiropractic visit reveals a nasty case of whiplash with bruising. Can hardly turn my head to the side or lean back and still sit this evening in horrible pain. The lack of upper body restraints and neck support make this coaster a -100 on a scale of 1-10. It’s down right dangerous how this coaster is designed and I hope someone doesn’t end up with a spinal cord injury before they reconsider the restraint system!!!
Btw.. I was in the front row left wing seat.
The restraints do hurt the legs if pulled down to tightly. I rode twice and the outside seats seem to get tighter than inside seats. Fun ride but my legs were hurting for a few days. Try not to pull on the restraints while the ride is in motion (make sure it snug) because they are like a ratchet they get tighter the more you pull on them.
The restraints probably didn't hurt as bad BECAUSE you kept your hands up. There is nothing in the restraint system that prevents a rider from constantly pulling the bar tighter and tighter. I noticed that the more I held on to the bottom of the metal bars (thus pulling up during airtime), the less the bars squeezed me. You probably were smartest to keep your hands up…but I was too scared to do so. Skyrush is the craziest ejector air I've ever experienced.
A girl I rode with on the tram said Skyrush whipped her head to the side and smacked her head on the restraint bar next to her (she was in a wing seat and hit the center seat). She did not suffer a concussion or anything, but she said it messed her up for the rest of the day. I did not experience anything like that, but the thigh pain alone was enough to make me not want to ride this again…but I'm excited to try the new restraints, and I want to try and only ride non-winged seats. They seem to be much smoother while still allowing for awesome airtime.
More neg G's than I've ever experienced, which was a blast. I was with my three sons and didn't expect much just observing the first drop from the line and knowing nothing about the ride. Quickly accelerating up the initial hill adds a lot of speed to the drop (75mph) then the ridiculous airtime begins. I was looking for something to hold on go as this thing was trying to buck me out of my seat.
Not the tallest, craziest looking, or fastest coaster I've ridden but absolutely the most intense.
I rode three times with zero leg pain, however one of my boys did complain about discomfort. A 10 in my book.
Took my 10 year old (who loves thrill rides) and he was pretty banged up by the end. Neck wasn't strong enough to keep his head from getting knocked around.
I went to HersheyPark two weeks ago and had a blast. Being there when the park opened, my first ride was a front wing seat after about a 20 minute wait. It was incredible. With the line swelling, we decided to withhold judgment until after a few more rides, so my buddy and I circled the park for a leisurely un-crowded Tuesday of multiple rides on every coaster except Viper. That one wasn’t even on the “to do” list, it being a standard Vekoma shuttle looper that I’d checked off the list last century.
The wooden coasters were fun, with the Comet showing evidence of track work and the ride proving it. Hopefully next year they’ll do a little work on Wildcat and Lightning Racer. They were a little rough, but still fun. My buddy had never been on several of these so he had even more fun than I did. After a leisurely lunch, many rides on everything and then a great meal following several rides on the Great Bear, we wandered back over to Skyrush. As anticipated, the lines when shorter, as dusk was falling rapidly and park goers were either elsewhere or beginning to leave. My 2nd ride, this time on the left wig was in the back. Still good and just as intense, but lacking the visual thrill of the very front. I’ll admit watching the twisting and turning train as it careened through that convoluted lay-out was fun though.
Back in line, this time again for the front seats, night finally fell. My third ride, enhanced by the mildly dark sunglasses that I’d never gone back to car to change, was absolutely insanity. After that rapid drop, the rest of the ride occurs in that previously unexplored territory behind the Comet. With only a dimly lighted path below, that twisted layout showed no warning and no mercy as I felt almost helplessly ejected at the top of every rise, banked or not. For a brief moment, my hands descended as instinct took over. I thought I might go flying over the Comet towards the Boardwalk section of the Park. It was the first moment of fear I’ve ever encountered on a coaster and it was wonderful. After of hundreds of different rides, I’d achieved coaster nirvana. Of course, I got back in line and did it again, front seat and all. The coaster gods were with us that day, as every ride garnered a wing seat.
That said, maybe the staff got their routine down pat. Boarding was swift, the staff was jovial and the ride incredible. (Yes, my NEW #1! Sorry Intimidator 305). I had no issues whatsoever with the restraints. I’m average sized, I guess; 165 pounds, 5’8” tall. No knee pain and definitely no head banging. Enough freedom to raise your arms comfortably and still feel secure, well, except for that wonderful but brief moment. So In my opinion, the anticipation and the hype were well worth it. HersheyPark and Intamin once again teamed up to come up with another innovative winner. Other parks may have more coasters, but none have as many good ones on their rosters. Taller, higher faster, longer has never been part of HerheyPark’s repertoire. Instead, they’ve succeeded with quality of design, imagination and innovation. I hope I can get back up there before this season ends!
I rode skyrush when I was at hersheypark yesterday, and I have few good things to say about it. The ride is just painful. Yesterday, I waited about 30 minutes to for on it. I was in the 5th row, on the rightmost seat. The second the restraints came down, I wanted to get off. The bar was crushing my legs, and the ride hadn't even started. The lift is so fast, it takes 8 seconds to go up it, and it's 200 feet. I rate the ride a four, with the saving grace being the lift and first drop.
The ride is unexciting and just painful with the bar crushing your legs. There is absolutely no airtime, except for the tiniest bit on the last airtime hill. The only moments I can remember on it was when we were in the really twisty parts, where I felt like the restraints press down even harder! After the ride, my legs just hurt a little bit, but as for my friend, his legs hurt so much her could barely walk. I had to half drag him out of the station!! Skyrush is more of an intense ride that you go on once just to say you rode it, not for the fun. Now I know that this is a very negative review and it's an opinion. If they changed the restraints, It would probably get an 8.5 from me
Awesome review. I'm becoming more and more intrigued by this coaster. It's like people are riding two different rides. I have to figure this out, even if I have trek up to Hershey myself. Wow! Coaster nirvana? Maybe I'll make Skyrush my 250th coaster before the year's over.
Thanks for the review!
though some parks DO have age restructions on certican rides, to ride Blue Fireat Europa Park (Also home to the fantastically themed Woodain Timbur Coaster that also opened this year) you have to be the typical 54 inches AND at least somewhere from ten to twelve years old, and while that's the only one that I know about for sure, I'm pretty sure that tnere are more out there with age restrictions, just not that many of them,
That's interesting!
Lake Compounce used to have a tube waterslide that emptied directly into the lake (gone now). I recently read that after an accident in which a young child drowned, they established an age limit for the slide (and also required that riders be "strong swimmers").
Along similar lines, you must be 18 or older to ride in the back car of Cyclops at Mount Olympus.
All yeou have to do its move forward a little in the seat so the pressures on your hips. if you sit back the whole way then your thighs take the impact. it hurts less if the restraints on your hips. plus the Gs build up the further back on the train you go. ive rode the very back multiple times on the left wing seat. i felt like i was gonna lean out of my seat and i was leaning over so much my head wasnt in the picture. then i tried to keep my hand up on the 3rd row. it was surprisingly smoother. I like it and i think its the Beginning of great things and great coasters for Hersheypark. I score it a 10 out of 10
I really like Skyrush. I think its the beginning of great things for the park
My daughter's friend, who is about 5'7" and slight build, hit her mouth on the restraint bar just after going over the top of the first hill. She was in the back seat on the right side. Her one front tooth was broken in half and the other was bent back. We registered a complaint through the EMT service so that the incident was registered. I don't think the restraints are adequate if people are injured on a routine ride…don't even know if padding would have helped…it seems that shoulder restraints should be present.
Don't know if it was really rough or just more intense than I've done before. LOVED the first hill, speedy lift, and all the airtime. Overall, maybe a little rough for my taste, but for my kids (10 and 12) it was wonderful… my 12 year olds new favorite. I rode in the front and also the once in the middle… only painful experience was shortly after first hill (my favorite part by far) getting my neck jolted off the head rest. spent the rest of the time making sure I didn't let that happen again! My only recommendation to Hershey is to add a new intensity rating… this one certainly deserves a more intense rating than most of the coasters in the park… maybe all of them except Stormrunner. I think the 54 inches is sufficient… I have 2 FEARLESS riders, one more tentative. I personally would never let her ride something I hadnt ridden to preview. With my fearless kids (one of them is 55 inches, so barely made it) intensity is a non-issue. He could have handled it 2 years ago… just wouldn't have fit safely! I would really HATE to see the height changed. For an average 10 yo coaster enthusiast, there is nothing they wouldn't try… so if the harness fits, let them ride!
If I recall correctly, Hersheypark gives the sooperdooperLooper their highest intensity rating, which just seems wrong (it's probably the old notion that any kind of inversion automatically bumps a ride to the top tier).
I can imagine someone who lumps that and Skyrush into the same category getting a nasty surprise.
I went to HersheyPark about three weeks ago and had a blast. Being there when the park opened, my first ride was a front wing seat after about a 20 minute wait. It was incredible. With the line swelling, we decided to withhold judgment until after a few more rides, so my buddy and I circled the park for a leisurely un-crowded Tuesday of multiple rides on every coaster except Viper. That one wasn’t even on the “to do” list, it being a standard Vekoma shuttle looper that I’d checked off the list last century.
The wooden coasters were fun, with the Comet showing evidence of track work and the ride proving it. Hopefully next year they’ll do a little work on Wildcat and Lightning Racer. They were a little rough, but still fun. My buddy had never been on several of these so he had even more fun than I did. After a leisurely lunch, many rides on everything and then a great meal following several rides on the Great Bear, we wandered back over to Skyrush. As anticipated, the lines when shorter, as dusk was falling rapidly and park goers were either elsewhere or beginning to leave. My 2nd ride, this time on the left wig was in the back. Still good and just as intense, but lacking the visual thrill of the very front. I’ll admit watching the twisting and turning train as it careened through that convoluted lay-out was fun though.
Back in line, this time again for the front seats, night finally fell. My third ride, enhanced by the mildly dark sunglasses that I’d never gone back to car to change, was absolutely insanity. After that rapid drop, the rest of the ride occurs in that previously unexplored territory behind the Comet. With only a dimly lighted path below, that twisted layout showed no warning and no mercy as I felt almost helplessly ejected at the top of every rise, banked or not. For a brief moment, my hands descended as instinct took over. I thought I might go flying over the Comet towards the Boardwalk section of the Park. It was the first moment of fear I’ve ever encountered on a coaster and it was wonderful. After of hundreds of different rides, I’d achieved coaster nirvana. Of course, I got back in line and did it again, front seat and all. The coaster gods were with us that day, as every ride garnered a wing seat.
That said, maybe the staff got their routine down pat. Boarding was swift, the staff was jovial and the ride incredible. (Yes, my NEW #1! Sorry Intimidator 305). I had no issues whatsoever with the restraints. I’m average sized, I guess; 165 pounds, 5’8” tall. No knee pain and definitely no head banging. Enough freedom to raise your arms comfortably and still feel secure, well, except for that wonderful but brief moment. So In my opinion, the anticipation and the hype were well worth it. HersheyPark and Intamin once again teamed up to come up with another innovative winner. Other parks may have more coasters, but none have as many good ones on their rosters. Taller, higher faster, longer has never been part of HerheyPark’s repertoire. Instead, they’ve succeeded with quality of design, imagination and innovation. I hope I can get back up there before this season ends!
Is Skyrush opened for Hershey Park after Dark
Is Skyrush opened for Hershey Park after Dark?
Sorry for posting twice.
I agree that Skyrush is an incredible ride, and one of the best coasters I have ever ridden. I might be biased because Hersheypark is my home park, but their lineup of coasters is unbeatable. They have a great variety of coasters that will please novice riders as well as daredevils. Skyrush, Fahrenheit, Great Bear, Storm Runner and Lightning Racer are all world-class as far as I am concerned. Wildcat is too rough for me, and they need to either do some major work on that ride or demolish it. Even the park's ride ops bad mouth the Wildcat. Also, the lame Vekoma Boomerang coaster is called Sidewinder, not Viper, but I understand the confusion because there are dozens of these coasters around the world.
They usually open all of the coasters for this event. I sincerely hope Skyrush will be open this year.
YEs, it was this past Sunday
You're welcome. Neither my buddy or I are spring chickens. ( I JUST turned 63) and we had a blast…. On Skyrush and everything else. The only coaster we didn't ride was Sidewinder, as that's the standard Vekoma shuttle loop that's the same ride every time. If a couple of near geezers of two opposite body types and heights had no problems, I'm beginning to think you've had an epidemic of wussitis here. I survived Hercules, the Beast, and Mean Streak after they aged horribly. This was smooth, but VERY intense. Not for the poseur, I suppose. I'll be curious about your take on this, as it sames there are two very distinct camps here.
Probably. It's their new baby so I figure it's the main draw.
Thanks.
We could have penned the same review. Not only did I get the same sensation – I too am a big i305 fan. I hope the ride remains untouched in the off-season
Skyrush is without question the most intense coaster I have ever ridden. The angles are like nothing I have ever experienced. Someone who has been following my blog asked how it can be the most intense when it isn't the tallest or fastest and I directed him to a photo of this coaster on another website; now he gets it! I will say something about the restraints. I fully understand why the restraints on this coaster have to be very tight but unless they can be made more comfortable, I cannot see this coaster making any top ten list other than my own. I had the good fortune to be invited to a Travel Channel shoot of Skyrush and survived 11 rides but had to take a break after the 9th because I had switched seats and the restraints were killing me. In fact several people in our group of ACE members had to stop after half a dozen rides because they simply could not take the restraints any longer. The lap bars tighten on every turn and hill; this ride is a real thigh cruncher. And what someone said about the last small hill, just before the train returns to the station, being the worst in terms of discomfort, is right on the mark.
Oops. Yup. it's the Sidewinder. It's Viper somewhere, but after far too many, I can't remember where. I agree that Hershey definitely ranks in the top 5 nationally. and not just for coasters. Folks look at me like I smacked my Momma when I say I prefer it over Cedar Point. Cedar Point is pushing close to twenty coasters on their roster but I like 5 of them. Hershey on has twelve, but I can enjoy eleven (depending on that year's woodie maintenance.) Just do the math.. It's little bit further than Six Flags America for me, but I happily consider it my home park as well.
Rode this ride 3 times yesterday and had zero pain or discomfort. Most airtime I have experienced.
10/10
Shoulder pain may be localized or may be deferred to areas around the shoulder or down the arm. Disease within the body (such as gallbladder, liver, or heart disease, or disease of the cervical spine of the neck) also may generate pain that the brain may interpret as arising from the shoulder…-“‘
Our personal internet page
<http://healthmedicinebook.com
The pain is not that bad at all. I’m pretty big. 6’2″ 240LBS. The softer material helps and they release the restraints an inch or two right away after your ride ends while your waiting to get back into the station to unload this helps a lot.
Freakin Awesome ride. My new # 5.
I never get scared on a coaster. This thing scares me. Just hold on tight!
This is my second favorite coaster and favorite steel coaster. The airtime is unmatched
I think there will be some clues that might help us out. Coaster Critic is right, Knott’s is in the middle of a city and is land locekd so there isn’t a whole lot of expansion that can be done. We also know that B&M sells rides in pairs. So it’ll almost certainly be some kind of B&M, BOO! (I’m not a big fan of B&M). We also know that Silver Bullet is built in a weird place in the middle of the park and flys over visitors. We also know that Periolus Plunge has closed. So could it be a large ride that runs all over the park. Yeah would imagine so. So I’d think it’ll be some kind of Mega coaster maybe even a wing rider. What I’d like to see is two rides. I’d love for Boomerang to go away and be replaced by a Vekoma Giant inverted boomerang. I’d also like to see a S&S El Loco. I think the park is the right size for those and they provide tons of thrills in a small footprint.
Just so you know, the restraint problem has been fixed so it doesn’t hurt much at all anymore. Definitely a coaster worth riding!
I have ridden well-known and/or record-breaking coasters such Kingda Ka, El Toro, and the new Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point, Ohio. And I laughed with joy on each one. Needless to say, after watching the videos of Skyrush online, I thought it looked really wimpy after the first hill, but I still wanted to try it out. I convinced my friend who is afraid of heights to ride it with me. Afterward, she thought it was okay, and the first words I uttered were “I am never riding this again.” It is important now to mention that I have a very high pain tolerance, so I rarely complain. But not only were the restraints painful, the lack of over the shoulder restraints caused my head and neck to whip from side to side with each and every turn. I believe that my neck whipped at least 60 degrees and at most 90 degrees from the vertical axis where it’s supposed to be. It didn’t matter that my head was back and centered against the headrest (which is also flat as a board, lacks cushioning, and lacks curved edges to keep your head in place). It didn’t matter if I tensed up or stayed loose – I could not control how my neck whipped around. Keeping my head and neck on the awful headrest was like trying to keep your feet grounded on a sheet of ice when your shoes have no tread – impossible. When we got off the ride, my on-ride picture showed me in a grimace from both the neck-whipping and restraints. My friend remarked that she heard me screaming and thought I enjoyed the ride; I told her that if I enjoyed it, I would be laughing like a hyena instead of screaming my head off. I had to explain that the screaming was from how painful it was. I have NEVER been afraid of injury or death on a coaster before, but on this, I was sincerely worried about throwing my neck out, paralysis, or if the ride got more intense, even breaking my neck. I was fricking scared of serious bodily harm. My friend developed neck pain after we got off (whereas I developed it on-ride), and I spent the rest of the night feeling short of breath, nauseous (which never happens- I have an iron stomach), dizzy if I moved my head, and both stiff and painful. I even took Ibuprofen (generic for Advil) to deal with it. About an hour later, my fingertips started tingling and I got really worried, but luckily it went away. So my advice: SAVE YOURSELF: DON’T GO ON IT. This one is now on my blacklist, which only includes 3 other coasters.
P. S. Regarding the restraints, it was tight to begin with and then the attendant pressed it so tight my legs started going numb from lack of circulation. It was so tight, in fact, that it completely ruined the airtime; I couldn’t even feel it since I was forced into my seat so tightly. It was just severe pain in my thighs and hips. If you want a pain-free, smooth as glass ride with lots of airtime, ride Steel Force at Dorney Park or Millennium Force at Cedar Point. That’s how a coaster SHOULD be.
YES! I just remarked about this in another post, but my neck whipped around terribly and I came off the ride with severe neck, shoulder, and thigh pain. I’m a coaster enthusiast with a high pain tolerance but at that point, I declared that I was never going on it again. I was sincerely scared of throwing my neck out or paralysis while still on the ride. Most scared I have ever been of a coaster in my life, and I rode my first big coaster at 5 years old. I’ve also rode coasters like Kingda Ka and El Toro and was never scared once (especially not of bodily harm). Skyrush is now on my blacklist.