Chertsey, Surrey, UK
May 24th, 2024 – For thirty years, The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach reigned as the UK’s tallest roller coaster. Beating The Big One by one single foot, Hyperia has taken the crown. Not only is Hyperia’s 236 feet height impressive, Hyperia’s top speed of 80 mph makes it the fastest coaster in the UK, and it has the UK’s highest inversion. An instant UK coaster classic. Hyperia’s record-breaking journey is filled with exhilarating twists, turns and thrills. The era of Hyperia is here.
Hyperia is a hypercoaster built by Mack Rides in a new Fearless Valley area of Thorpe Park. The addition of Hyperia not only dwarfs the nearby 100 ft tall coaster Saw: The Ride, but diverts attention from the usual eye-catching 205 ft tall Stealth. Hyperia is the eighth roller coaster at Thorpe Park.
Although the length, 3,256 ft, might be shorter than similar coasters, Hyperia delivers a series of big moment elements and inversions. Hyperia is a big occasion coaster that manages to constantly thrill riders throughout the ride experience – not one foot of coaster track is wasted.
At the time of opening, the landscaping was unfinished but when the area has fully matured, Hyperia will sit nicely amongst the shiny golden and black ride area. Themed to the daughter of Icachus, a mythical river Greek god, Hyperia is located at the old log flume site – remnants of which are still visible – which is a subtle nod to the park’s history.
Opening day saw enthusiasts queueing from early morning to be one of the first public riders, with some reporting a queue time of seven hours. Thorpe Park has been praised for how they managed the influx of excited riders. Here are some of the reviews posted on the CoasterForce forum.
For me, this is my favourite UK coaster I think. I still need time to digest, and I’d like to ride it in other rows too. I also hear the front row is a completely different beast (a lot “floatier” rather than “intense / aggressive”). But yeah, this is a fantastic ride. It doesn’t feel too short, as it packs a lot in, and hitting the brakes is that sort of “omg” moment, as you process it all
– Josh C
Easily [the] best ride in the UK for me, the airtime, huge elements, first drop and lapbars just offer something we’ve not really had over here before. It’s a bit short, and it doesn’t really feel like a hyper coaster, but all the elements it does have are pretty perfect.
– Chris Brown
It’s massive, fast and action packed. It’s short, but it doesn’t feel too stunted by this, and it gave a very different ride in the front versus the back. For me, the back was more intense, but the front infinitely more re-rideable. In the back the first drop is probably one of the best I’ve done, and I really liked the following three big elements.
– Hixee
Got lucky with a back row ride in the evening and it was absolutely hauling. There is plenty of airtime throughout the ride, particularly on the first drop and immelman thingy. It’s really intense too, with a couple of brief grey out moments. The outerbank is just bonkers, you’re out of your seat for the whole thing.
– FistedCollosus
It is packed with airtime and huge, unusual elements, and for me it finally dethrones Nemesis as the UK’s number one. It’s been a long time coming!
– witchfinder
For tickets and further about Hyperia, check out Thorpe Park’s website.