SKYRUSH

SKYRUSH
HERSHEY PARK

As of May, 2012, this is Hershey Park’s newest, tallest and fastest coaster.    The park needed a good hypercoaster and they certainly got one with this gem from Intamin.    The coaster seats four across, with the two inside seats on the track and the two end seats off the track.  Unlike other hypercoasters I’ve ridden, this one has lap bars which are pulled down from overhead and hooked up to a safety belt.  The first thing that impressed me about this ride is the absolutely amazing speed with which the cable lift got the train to the top of the lift hill – that and the fact that on every dispatch I observed while waiting to get on the ride, the riders were screaming their heads off as the train took off like lightning.    The first drop of 200 feet at an 85-degree angle is pretty sensational, enhanced by the fact that the drop is not straight as it is on many other coasters of this type but banks to the right.  The ride is packed with high-banked turns, airtime hills and unexpected changes of direction – although there are no sizeable drops after the first one.   I found some of the turns to be much more intense than those on other hypercoasters I have ridden.  The ride is very, very intense.  It also has phenomenal ejector airtime.  I made it a point to ride off the track; this was so much fun!   The only thing I didn’t like is that on my second ride, the restraint was too tight, causing me considerable discomfort by digging into my thighs on every curve.   Even so, that wouldn’t prevent me from riding again, as the restraints are adjustable to some extent and you just have to get the right degree of snugness before the train is dispatched.    Numerous people have complained about the restraints and the park has been working to resolve the problem.  I do wish that the ride were longer; it's only a little over a minute.   Riding Skyrush gave me a real rush of adrenaline, so the coaster is very aptly named.    4 1/4 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Hershey Park, visit www.hersheypark.com/