Top Spin (ride)

The Top Spin is a thrill ride developed by HUSS Park Attractions, and is the generic name for a series of rides from other manufacturers that follow the same principle. The ride consists of a passenger platform suspended between two counterweighted arms. The arms are turned by motors, while the platform typically only has brakes that are engaged and disengaged at various points of the ride cycle. A typical top spin program runs the main arm motors while engaging and disengaging the platform brakes so that it will rotate in exciting ways. The minimum rider height requirement is 54 inches; maximum is 80 inches due to the seat and restraint design. The ride was introduced to the public in 1990 and proved an instant success with European fairgoers.

Kieputin at the Linnanmäki amusement park in Helsinki, Finland.
Tornado at Dunia Fantasi Jakarta (Zamperla Backflash - Suspended Windshear)

Ride experience

Huss has designed the ride so that park and carnival operators may choose one of eight preset ride "programs." Most last no more than two minutes and consist of several moderate-speed loops, flips, and face-down gondola "hangtime" before unlocking the gondola hydraulics and swinging the riders back and forth. Some Top Spin rides have the added feature of water fountains which are mainly used at the end of the ride sequence soaking the riders as they are slowly lowered face first into the un-escapable water jets. Cycles can be customized to include more intense repetitive flips and also be under manual operator control. A world record was set with over 100 gondola flips during a cycle with a theme park model in Germany.[1]

Variations
  • The original Topspin concept has two rows of seating with self lowering lap bars and rider spotlights.
  • The Giant Top Spin is a larger version of the Top Spin, seating 77 passengers in three rows on the platform. Only one park in the United States featured a Giant Top Spin, The Crypt at Kings Island in Ohio. However, its third row was removed in 2008, reducing the capacity. The ride structure was still larger than any other. It closed after the 2011 season.
  • The Suspended Top Spin is a floorless version of the ride that can hold 38 passengers in two rows back to back.
  • The Top Spin 2 is a smaller version of the original, designed for showmen who require a ride that fits onto a single trailer. This version enables the platform to perform almost endless loops. This version tends to have telescoping drum supports to hold the main control arms.[1]

There are also numerous other Top Spin rides that were later developed by other companies as rivals to the Huss versions.

In addition to this, various manufacturers such as Mondial, Moser, Vekoma, and Zamperla make an improved version of the Top Spin where each individual arm is controlled separately; this results in diagonal gondola inversions. Such rides are known by names like "Wind Shear", "Super Loop on Top", "Waikiki Wave Super Flip","Super Nova" and "Discovery".

Installations


The Top Spin was once a common ride at travelling funfairs, particularly in Germany. Over time, many of the travelling versions of the ride have been sold to amusement parks. Huss also makes several models of Top Spin specifically for static locations.

Worlds of Fun's Thunderhawk about to launch.
NameParkLocationManufacturerModelOpenedStatus
ApocalipsisSalitre Mágico ColombiaUnknownUnknownUnknownOperating
Aqua SpinHeide Park GermanyHussTop Spin1992Removed
Bat SpinFunfair ItalyHussTop Spin2003Operating
Blast
Formerly Excalibur		Walibi Holland NetherlandsHussTop Spin2000Operating
Buzzsaw
Formerly Screamer		Walibi Belgium BelgiumHussTop Spin2001Operating
CliffhangerLagoon United StatesMondialSplash Over2001Operating
DemonLa Ronde CanadaMondialRoll Over2014Operating
Der TwisterSix Flags Fiesta Texas United StatesHussTop Spin1998Removed
DesorbitadosParque de la Costa ArgentinaPreston & BarbieriSuspended Top SpinUnknownOperating
Dokkaebi WindSeoul Land South KoreaHussTop Spin1997Operating
Double Rock SpinEverland South KoreaHussSuspended Top Spin2003Operating
EkatombHopi Hari BrazilHussTop SpinUnknownOperating
EstrugensenXetulul Theme Park GuatemalaHussTop Spin2002Operating
Firefall
Formerly Texas Twister		California's Great America
Geauga Lake		 United StatesHussTop Spin2008
1993 to 2007		Removed
Galactic SpinLihpao Land TaiwanHussTop Spin1998Operating
Galaxy TwisterGalaxyland CanadaMoser's RidesLoop On Top1995Removed
GaleonLand of Legends TurkeyUnknownUnknown2016Operating
Gantu Top SpinSerengeti Park GermanyHussTop Spin 21995Operating
GiraVolta
Formerly Top Spin		Miragica
Gardaland		 ItalyHussTop Spin2015
1993 to 2015		Closed
Hang TimeDorney Park United StatesHussTop Spin1998Removed
Hell's GatePlayland CanadaHussTop Spin2000Operating
HuracanSix Flags México MexicoVekomaWaikiki Wave Super Flip1993Removed
HurakanTibidabo SpainHussTop Spin1992Removed
HurricaneDream World ThailandHussTop SpinUnknownOperating
KieputinLinnanmäki FinlandHussTop Spin1994Operating
King ChaosSix Flags Great America United StatesHussTop Spin2004Removed
King KahunaKennywood United StatesHussTop Spin2003Removed
King Kong's SpinBeijing Shijingshan Amusement Park ChinaUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown
La TornadeLa Ronde CanadaHussTop Spin1997Removed
Lex Luthor's InvertatronParque Warner Madrid SpainHussTop Spin2002Operating
Lex Luthor's InvertatronSix Flags New Orleans United StatesZamperlaWindshear2003Closed
Luna SwingSpace World JapanVekomaWaikiki Wave Super FlipUnknownRemoved
Miner's RevengeGold Reef City South AfricaHussTop SpinUnknownOperating
Monster SpinDragon Park Ha Long VietnamHussSuspended Top Spin2017Operating
Montezuma's RevengeAvonturenpark Hellendoorn NetherlandsHussTop Spin 21998Removed
NYC Transformer
Formerly Riddler's Revenge		Movie Park Germany GermanyHussTop Spin1999Operating
Perfect StormHappy Valley Shenzhen ChinaHussTop Spin2002Operating
Perfect StormHappy Valley Wuhan ChinaHussTop Spin2012Operating
QuakeKentucky Kingdom United StatesVekomaWaikiki Wave1992Removed
Rameses RevengeChessington World of Adventures United KingdomHussTop Spin1995Removed
RampageAdventure World AustraliaMoser's RidesMaverick2001Operating
RipsawAlton Towers United KingdomHussTop Spin1997Removed
RevolutionFunfair GermanyHussTop Spin1990Operating
RevolutionParque de Atracciones de Zaragoza SpainAtracciones LorenteTop SpinUnknownOperating
RevolutionFunfair SpainAtracciones LorenteTop SpinUnknownOperating
RiptideCanada's Wonderland CanadaMondialSplash Over2000Operating
RipTideKnott's Berry Farm United StatesHussSuspended Top Spin2004Removed
RipTideValleyfair United StatesHussSuspended Top Spin2005Removed
SaltoEram Park IranUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown
Shake, Rattle & Roll
Formerly Avalanche		Elitch Gardens United StatesHussTop Spin1995Removed
Splash OverAdventureland United StatesMoser's RidesMaverick2006Removed
StormMorey's Piers United StatesMoser's RidesSuper Loop on TopRemoved
TalocanPhantasialand GermanyHussSuspended Top Spin2007Operating
TerminatorTir Prince Family Funfair United KingdomMoser's RidesMaverick1993Removed
Terror RackPleasure Island Family Theme Park United KingdomFabbriTsunami1998Removed
The Crypt
Formerly Tomb Raider: Firefall		Kings Dominion United StatesHussSuspended Top Spin2005Removed
The Crypt
Formerly Tomb Raider: The Ride		Kings Island United StatesHussGiant Top Spin2002Removed
Thor Thunder Spin RideIMG Worlds Of Adventure United Arab EmiratesHussSuspended Top Spin2016Operating
ThunderhawkWorlds of Fun United StatesHussTop Spin2002Removed
Tidal WaveFlamingo Land United KingdomVekomaWaikiki Wave1993Removed
Tomb Raider MachineMovieland Park ItalyZamperlaWindshear2007Removed
Trojan HorseHappy Valley Beijing ChinaHussTop Spin2006Operating
TopSpinLiseberg SwedenHussTop Spin1993Removed
Top SpinAstroland United StatesHussTop Spin 22004Removed
Top SpinFantasilandia ChileHussTop Spin2004Operating
Top SpinVidámpark HungaryHussTop Spin2004Removed
Top SpinEsselWorld IndiaHussTop Spin2012Operating
Top SpinParque de Atracciones de Madrid SpainHussTop Spin1993Operating
Top SpinFunfair United StatesHussTop Spin1993Unknown
Top SpinMyrtle Beach Pavilion United StatesHussTop Spin2006Removed
Top SpinRomon U-Park ChinaHussSuspended Top Spin2014Operating
Top SpinDreamland JapanHussTop Spin1999Removed
Top SpinSiam Park City ThailandHussTop SpinUnknownUnknown
Top SpinNagashima Spa Land JapanHussTop Spin1994Removed
Top SpinWiener Prater AustriaUnknownUnknownUnknownRemoved
Top SpinBenyLand JapanHussTop Spin 21995Removed
Top SpinDream Park EgyptUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown
Top SpinE-World South KoreaUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown
Top SpinLa Feria de Chapultepec MexicoUnknownUnknownUnknownClosed
Top SpinLuna Park Tel Aviv IsraelUnknownUnknownUnknownOperating
Top SpinJoyland PakistanUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown
Top Spin FRESHFunfair GermanyHussTop Spin1993Operating
Top Spin FRESHFunfair FranceHussTop Spin1991Operating
Top Spin Nº1Funfair GermanyHussTop Spin1990Operating
TornadoDunia Fantasi IndonesiaZamperlaWindshear2007Operating
Tornado F5Parque Diversiones Costa RicaHussTop Spin2010Operating
Tumbling WavesQuancheng Euro Park ChinaUnknownTop Spin2014Operating
TwisterDarien Lake United StatesHussTop Spin2000Removed
TwisterLake Winnepesaukah United StatesMoser's RidesMaverick2016Operating
TwisterSix Flags Great Adventure United StatesHussTop Spin1999Operating
TwisterSix Flags New England United StatesHussTop Spin1997Removed
TwisterHarborland Ningbo ChinaHussTop SpinUnknownRemoved
VortexSea World AustraliaHussSuspended Top Spin2020Operating
VortigoEtnaland ItalyMoser's RidesSuper Loop on Top2013Operating
VooDooSix Flags Discovery Kingdom United StatesHussTop Spin1998Closed
Waikiki WaveLotte World South KoreaVekomaWaikiki Wave1991Removed
WaterspinDuinrell NetherlandsHussTop Spin1996Operating
WipeoutDreamworld AustraliaVekomaWaikiki Wave Super Flip1993Removed
Yukan RaftFort Fun Abenteurland GermanyHussTop Spin 22013Removed

See also

References
  1. "107 Flips on Top Spin (onride.de)". YouTube. 2007-09-30. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2018-06-17.
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