- The following video contains scenes of
gratuitous spinning and flipping.
Viewer discretion is advised and in all seriousness,
epilepsy warning for flashing lights and colors.
(upbeat music)
Well, everyone carnival season is officially here
and what would a carnival be without rides?
All across the globe, you can find some of the wildest,
most nausea inducing fairground rides to test your limits.
A few years ago we took a look at just some
of the many insane carnival rides out there,
but that was just the tip of the iceberg.
And today we're going to take a look at not 10,
but 20 of them, as voted on by the viewers.
Before we get started though,
I just wanted to give a special shout out to YouTube user,
FunFair Worldwide, who also provided
some of the footage for this video.
This channel is a plethora of
amazing and rare flat ride footage to check out
mainly from European fun fairs.
You can find a link in the description.
Number 20: The Contact.
Built by Italian manufacturer, Fabbri Group.
Were Disneyland's teaccups not hardcore enough for you?
Say hello to The Contact.
This dizzying fair ride closely resembles
a spinning pizza cutter.
A rotating disc sits on the end of a main arm
with five spinning gondolas,
each holding four people on the disc.
At a total of three rotational axes,
this ride has the potential
to turn even the world's strongest stomachs.
Passengers will experience intense lateral G-forces
that press them sideways
with said forces fluctuating throughout the ride.
This thrill ride is a lot of things
but one thing this ride isn't is boring.
And if you can handle being spun like pizza dough,
this ride is an absolute must.
Number 19: The Challenger.
Built by Italian manufacturer, Technical Park.
This was actually the first thrill ride ever invented
by the manufacturer.
Inspired by space travel,
this ride looks like a training device straight out of NASA.
A main arm lifts an hourglass shaped
rotating arm into the air
with a gondola on each end.
These gondolas constantly barrel roll
throughout the ride experience,
with the fast rotation of the arm
ensuring plenty of G-force.
There's no denying this ride's intensity,
so if you're in the mood for something
that'll blast you off into a universe of thrills,
see if you can find a Challenger at a fair near you.
Number 18: The Tornado.
Built by an unknown manufacturer.
Said to operate in Mexico,
this fair ride has several unique factors to it.
Similar to ABC Ride's Tourbillon,
this ride seats passengers in a gondola
with three axes of rotation, resembling a gyroscope.
The ride itself looks immeasurably intense.
From what I can tell,
the ride operator actually uses
a foot pedal to power the ride.
This pedal is hooked up to a rubber tire
which is used to turn the main wheel.
So if you want a job operating this ride,
you're gonna need some serious buns and thighs.
But if you ride it, make sure you haven't eaten beforehand
because this ride will flip you every which way
you can possibly think of.
And if you're not dizzy by the end of it,
consider yourself lucky.
Number 17: The Dragon 360.
Built by an unknown manufacturer.
You've probably ridden a standard pirate ship ride,
but what if you combine the ship design
with a circle that rotated all the way around?
You'd end up with The Dragon 360.
What makes this ride absolutely insane
is the design of the looping wheel.
The seats feature lap bars and supposedly no seat belts.
The only other thing riders have to hold onto
are metal overhead bars.
And as if that wasn't terrifying enough,
the ride has the ability to stall upside down
and for a pretty darn long time to boot.
Certainly a unique midway attraction for sure
and one that we haven't seen too many photos or videos of.
Number 16: The Evolution.
Built by Dutch designer, Ronald Bussnik.
Imagine taking the Old Horizons Ride vehicles
and putting them on a great big inverting thrill ride.
You'd get this enormous attraction.
First debuting on the traveling fair circuit,
only three of these monsters were ever built
and the only one still known to be operating
is Excalibur at Missouri's Six Flags, St. Louis.
While Fabbri would end up
licensing and manufacturing a smaller version of the ride,
the original design is much more intimidating.
At 113 feet / 34 meters tall,
this gargantuan creation once dominated
the European midways.
It's arm alone is said to weigh 320,000 pounds
and it reportedly needed 16 trailers
to transport it on the road.
The ride itself features a giant rotating arm
with a wheel at one end.
Attached to the wheel are 16 four person gondolas
with a total ride capacity of 64 people per circuit.
As the wheel spins, the resulting centrifugal force
pushes riders into their seats,
and as the arm rotates,
passengers will be forced to look straight down
while spinning around in a huge circle.
In other words,
this ride is the ultimate personification of vertigo.
If you ever find yourself in the St. Louis area,
see if you can stomach this epic attraction.
Number 15: The Y Factor.
Built by American manufacturer, Wisdom Rides.
Though the company is most well known
for their Dragon Wagon and Minor Mike Kitty coasters,
Wisdom Rides have built a few thrill rides as well,
one of which is The Y Factor.
While The X Factor brought us One Direction and Little Mix,
The Y Factor brings excitement and disorientation.
The name of this ride comes from its Y shaped structure
which rotates on the ride platform.
On each end of the structure
a moving arm holds a rotating pod.
Each pod holds a dozen passengers,
giving the ride a relatively high capacity.
According to the manufacturer,
the pods are driven by
"The proven Tornado air clutch and brake system",
while the main center uses
"the rugged One Truck Himalaya drive system".
I'm no engineering expert
but those are pretty wacky ways to describe these systems.
But regardless, the ride itself is a prime example
of how downright thrilling engineering can be.
Number 14: The Tumbler.
Built by British manufacturer, Tivoli Enterprises.
This attraction looks like what would happen
if a kiddie ride drank too many watermelon mojitos.
Photos and video of this ride are incredibly rare
with the only known footage being
on a VHS tape called Awesome Rides.
Although the flowery gondolas look like
something on a kiddie ferris wheel,
this ride was said to be incredibly intense.
The ride consists of two wheels each holding six cars.
As the wheels rotate, the cars flip freely
both forwards and backwards in uncontrolled rotations.
Not only is this ride insane, but it's also incredibly rare.
However, surprisingly enough,
this attraction is still up for sale on a used ride website.
While the enclosed cars have since been replaced
with more open seating,
the overall ride experience still appears to be the same.
And if you want to purchase the attraction,
you can do so for the low, low price
of almost half a million dollars.
Number 13: The Rollover.
Built by British manufacturer, Nottingham UK.
From the same city that brought you Robin Hood
comes this memorable defunct attraction.
Once owned by show woman, Ashley Wood,
this was a modified version
of the standard Miami trip ride,
though instead of the platform
featuring the ordinary stationary seats,
the platform on the rollover featured flipping cars instead.
Known to have operated at the 1998 Stanford Autumn Fun Fair,
there aren't many public testimonies
from people who have ridden it.
From the look of things,
this ride appears to combine
airtime with uncontrollable flipping.
Passengers would've likely gotten airtime
while hanging upside down,
which I imagine would be extremely surreal.
Unfortunately, this ride didn't last long
in its original form
and would soon be reverted to a standard Miami trip ride.
Still though, this is an extremely unique ride concept
that I'd love to see a manufacturer bring back.
Number 12: The Big Shot.
Built by an unknown manufacturer.
Imagine turning the paddle of a homemade ice cream maker
into a thrill ride.
Well, one Scottish attraction appears to be just that.
Owned by showman, Derek Thomas,
this ride consists of passengers sitting parallel
to the ride platform.
They are then hoisted into the air
flipping sideways throughout the ride experience.
And in an added effort to bring a unique attraction
to Scottish fairs,
the main arms tilt the gondola diagonally as it flips.
This adds an extra element of disorientation
as well as some unpredictability to the attraction.
To put it bluntly,
the amount of twists on this attraction
makes it the carnival ride equivalent of Danganronpa.
This ride is only known to have operated in Scotland
and I couldn't find a lot of information about it,
but if you got to experience it
feel free to leave a comment down below.
Number 11: The Swinger.
Built by Dutch manufacturer, Mondial.
While this may look like an ordinary swing ride at first,
this attraction is far from orthodox.
The ride itself features four arms
that hold spinning eight seat gondolas.
And when I say arms, I literally mean arms.
What really makes this ride stand out
is the appearance and attention to detail.
The ride structure is designed to resemble
four Amazonian warriors who closely resemble Wonder Woman.
The main arms of the ride are deliberately sculpted
to resemble the arms of the goddesses,
and you can even see the fingers.
The sheer size and scope of this attraction
is extremely impressive
and Mondial really hit the design aspect of this ride
out of the park.
The ride is a rare find at fairs,
but if you can get on one
I recommend it based on its uniqueness alone.
Number 10: The Speed 32.
Built by Dutch manufacturer, KMG.
In our last carnival rides video,
we discussed The Inversion XXL aka Infinity.
This towering behemoth is already amazing
but KMG has since managed to outdo themselves.
If you loved Infinity, you'll adore Airborne.
While The Inversion XXL seats stay stationary,
The Speed 32 seats can freely flip
with the forces of the ride.
And although Infinity is limited to one full rotation,
Airborne can make several of them.
The best thing about Airborne by far
is that it's the exact same height as Infinity,
213 feet / 65 meters tall.
This is one of these rides
you really want to avoid
if you have a fear of heights.
But if you're like me
and love a good high altitude thrill ride,
the Airborne is simply divine.
Number nine: The Tropical Dance.
Built by Spanish manufacturer, Lorente.
This bulky attraction seats up to 19 people on each side
of a large polygonal prism.
A main arm lifts the prism into the air
while spinning it sideways.
Each end of the prism rotates as well,
flipping guests both forwards and backwards.
What's especially cool about this ride
is how close the prism is to the main arm.
Guests passing above it will likely feel as if
their heads are about to smash into the arm
giving an amazing near miss element.
This ride is quite common on the Spanish fair circuit,
so if you can find one be prepared
to get your groove on and dance the night away.
Number eight: The Trompo Loco.
Built by an unknown manufacturer.
This is another extraordinarily rare carnival ride.
So much so,
that this is the only photograph I could find of it.
This ride is named after a toy called the Trompo,
which is a type of spinning top
that's extremely popular in Latin America.
And much like it's namesake,
the Trompo Loco spins and spins and spins.
Yes, this is one of the fastest spinning rides
I've ever seen.
There are people in that thing.
You can tell from how the passengers exit the ride
just how dizzying it is.
This guy fell over
and this guy looks like he's about to hurl.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find
any other photos or video of this ride,
but if you've managed to ride it
let me know about it in the comments.
Number seven: The Dschunke.
Built by German manufacturer, Schwarzkopf.
While they are perhaps most well known
for their roller coasters,
Schwarzkopf also built their fair share of flat rides
one of which was The Dschunke, aka the German word for junk.
But it's not the kind of junk you're thinking of.
The name actually originates from
a type of Chinese sailing ship called junk.
This explains the East Asian style design
and theming of the ride.
At one point, one of these rides actually operated
at New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure,
but to this day it remains exclusive to traveling fairs.
The ride consists of two 16 person gondolas
being rotated by massive crossbars.
greatadventurehistory.com has compared the ride's appearance
to a taffy pulling machine.
At first glance,
the ride's design doesn't seem to make sense
and it looks like a true paradox.
The crossbars look like they should collide with each other
but the masterful magic of engineering
makes every rotation both smooth and thrilling.
Though it's arguably one of the tamer rides on this list,
Dschunke is still an incredibly creative
Schwarzkopf attraction that's well worth being here.
Number six: The Maxx.
Built by Technical Park.
This ride is like if your childhood swing set
was hit by gamma rays and turned into the Hulk.
But instead of a giant green beast, it became The Maxx.
Though reportedly no longer in operation,
this gigantic attraction is still remembered
for its scale alone.
The ride consists of a single gondola
that's hung between two lofty support towers.
At the top of these towers are rotating arms
that move the rides cables
thus causing the gondola to swing.
Meanwhile, the seats are free to flip forwards and backwards
allowing for an out of control
and fear-inducing ride experience.
This is one of those carnival rides
you'd really have to see to believe.
And the way it towers over the midway
is a true achievement for Technical Park.
With high speeds, impressive heights
and upside down excitement,
The Maxx was truly one of the most remarkable flat rides
ever to hit the midways.
Number five: The Inferno.
Built by Mondial.
This one is a bonafide classic.
Also known as the Airwolf,
this ride consists of two boat shaped gondolas
being turned topsy-turvy on a cross arm.
Like the tropical dance,
each gondola can rotate independently
though instead of facing outwards,
each gondola in The Inferno faces each other.
With 38 seats total,
it's also one of the highest capacity rides on this list.
This makes it appealing, not only to traveling fairs,
but permanent parks as well.
Recently, Canada's Wonderland
opened one of these attractions called Soaring Timbers.
So even if you can't track this down at your local fair,
feel free to book a ticket to Canada and check this one out.
Number four: The UFO.
Built by Spanish manufacturer, Robles Bouso.
Once again, we come across a defunct
and extremely rare ride.
What we have here is quite similar
to a Huss enterprise model
with gondolas attached to a rising wheel.
But instead of an arm raising and lowering the wheel,
this wheel actually navigates a rainbow shaped pathway
from one platform to another.
I can't even imagine what the ride experience
would've been like.
But from what I see, the dreamlike nature of this ride
makes it both fascinating and quirky.
Simply put, this ride takes the very concept of gravity,
throws it out the window, spits on it
and insults its mother.
And despite its rarity,
we are truly lucky to have footage of this ride.
And there are also some amazing pictures of it out there.
Number three: The Super Barca Vikinga.
Built by an unknown manufacturer.
From a distance, you may look at this ride
and think it's just an ordinary pirate ship,
but upon closer inspection
you'll see one stark difference.
On each end of the ship is a cage
that can hold multiple people.
A cage without seat belts, lap bars, or even seats.
Yes, you can literally stand up
on the part of the ride that gets the most airtime.
As passengers are hurled into the air,
all they have are the surrounding metal bars
to keep them in place.
Footage of this ride shows people flying into the air
as if they're on a falling elevator.
But wouldn't it be cool to see these come to the US?
As someone who loves airtime,
I can safely say this is a must ride for me.
Number two: The Stand Up Star Flyer.
Built by an unknown manufacturer.
Speaking of stand up renditions of common flat rides,
here we have another one that's also a rare attraction.
Said to have operated in the Italian city of Mantua,
this ride appears to be a modified star flyer
by Austrian manufacturer Funtime.
While The Star Flyer is an already popular
and sometimes larger than life attraction,
The Stand Up Star Flyer kicks things up a notch
by adding what looked like shark cages to it.
So while passengers do have the option to sit down as usual,
they can also stand up with no seat belts
in small confined cages.
And as if Star Flyers weren't terrifying enough,
imagine having to experience them standing up in a cage
with nothing to keep you in.
Just like the other rides on this list,
this was the only footage I could find.
So if you have your own footage, I'd love to see it.
Number one: The Chaos Pendle
Built by Austrian manufacturer, Funtime.
While it's unknown if Funtime had any involvement
in the Stand Up Star Flyer,
they were definitely responsible for this
loony holy Shrek on a pogo stick creation of a ride.
This ride seats passengers on a colossal rotating main arm.
But that wasn't enough for Funtime,
they actually managed to put another rotating arm
on the aforementioned main arm.
In its earliest incarnation,
this attraction had what looked like
a propeller attached to the main arm,
all the while the seats are flipping back and forth.
I can only imagine what this ride's nausea rating
in Rollercoaster Tycoon would be.
Over the years, this ride has changed in its appearance
with a more modernized version on the market today.
But in my opinion, the original look of this ride
is instant eye candy.
Those three spokes really stand out
and I sincerely hope this ride still exists
since I couldn't find a lot of footage of it.
Regardless though it's size, scale,
appearance and intensity makes it
more than worthy of the number one spot.
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