Icon Rollercoaster - Blackpool Pleasure Beach

[Favelado]

I went home a few weeks back and had my first few goes on this. A really decent ride. Not overly-scary - at least not for me who's used to these things - but launches, tunnels, thrills, spills and Immelmans. Made by Mack rides - who have a reputation in the industry for building coasters for connoisseurs. Most Enthusiasts have rated it in their top three UK coasters, often their new number 1 choice.

Has anyone else had a go yet? Well worth it. I'd like it taller and faster but I've spent a few decades riding these things.

Nice montage to check out.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Was there the other week. Took one look at it and said "fuck that".

I used to love roller coasters, now they just make me feel sick

 

[alsoknownas]

That looks fucking cool. I like how exposed the carriages are. I'm well up for a trip to Blackpool now!

 

[Favelado]

That looks fucking cool. I like how exposed the carriages are. I'm well up for a trip to Blackpool now!

Just modern lapbars. No over the shoulder restraints. You feel really free yet safe.

 

[alsoknownas]

Just modern lapbars. No over the shoulder restraints. You feel really free yet safe.

Yeah sure, I just mean that they have a nice 'open' design to them, with minimal carriage structure. I imagine it enhances the feeling of exposure and flying. Want.

 

[Favelado]

Yeah sure, I just mean that they have a nice 'open' design to them, with minimal carriage structure. I imagine it enhances the feeling of exposure and flying. Want.

I know what you meant and you are spot on. Totally agree.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Was there the other week. Took one look at it and said "fuck that".

I used to love roller coasters, now they just make me feel sick

They're great fun. You could liven it up by taking shit loads of drugs beforehand.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

They're great fun. You could liven it up by taking shit loads of drugs beforehand.

They used to be great fun. Then I got old

 

[farmerbarleymow]

They used to be great fun. Then I got old

You're never too old for rollercoasters.

We should organise the next urban northern thing in Blackpool so we can see who vomits everywhere after being on the rides.

 

[Favelado]

You're never too old for rollercoasters.

We should organise the next urban northern thing in Blackpool so we can see who vomits everywhere after being on the rides.

I'm in.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

You're never too old for rollercoasters.

We should organise the next urban northern thing in Blackpool so we can see who vomits everywhere after being on the rides.

Me. It would be me.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Me. It would be me.

So you're coming along then? It would be a good laugh - just don't puke over anyone but yourself.

 

[Favelado]

Was there the other week. Took one look at it and said "fuck that".

I used to love roller coasters, now they just make me feel sick

What were you doing at Blackpool Pleasure Beach if you weren't going on rides? Comparing candy floss from one stall to another? Picking up loose change that had fallen out of people's pockets on the Revolution?

Hmmmmmm?

 

[aqua]

What were you doing at Blackpool Pleasure Beach if you weren't going on rides? Comparing candy floss from one stall to another? Picking up loose change that had fallen out of people's pockets on the Revolution?

Hmmmmmm?

Training our kids to like roller coasters of course

 

[aqua]

So you're coming along then? It would be a good laugh - just don't puke over anyone but yourself.

Honestly I've never laughed so much at him in all the years together. It was when the last new one was released and he was so full of 'love roller coasters, the faster and bigger the better' etc I had pickle with me and we waited and waited and waited. Saw him on it, waited till he came off and he was grey walked about 30m and had to hold onto a handrail for a good while whilst the vomit feeling passed. I have never seen someone that colour

Fucking hell I'm laughing whilst writing it just thinking about it

 

[Favelado]

I love them but age takes its toll and my body can't handle the twenty-times-in-a-row on the Grand National that it could as a lad.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Honestly I've never laughed so much at him in all the years together. It was when the last new one was released and he was so full of 'love roller coasters, the faster and bigger the better' etc I had pickle with me and we waited and waited and waited. Saw him on it, waited till he came off and he was grey walked about 30m and had to hold onto a handrail for a good while whilst the vomit feeling passed. I have never seen someone that colour

Fucking hell I'm laughing whilst writing it just thinking about it

Bless his little queasy stomach.

 

[Favelado]

Honestly I've never laughed so much at him in all the years together. It was when the last new one was released and he was so full of 'love roller coasters, the faster and bigger the better' etc I had pickle with me and we waited and waited and waited. Saw him on it, waited till he came off and he was grey walked about 30m and had to hold onto a handrail for a good while whilst the vomit feeling passed. I have never seen someone that colour

Fucking hell I'm laughing whilst writing it just thinking about it

Was it Infusion? The blue loopy one?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Was it Infusion? The blue loopy one?

Yep.

 

[Favelado]

Icon won't make you feel pukey like that. It's smooth and posh in comparison. Infusion was ripped out of Southport Pleasureland, repainted and stuffed into the Pleasure Beach. They even took the Log Flume out to accommodate it, which was a shame. It's a rough, earbashing, fairly unpleasant experience, with a bad reputation amongst enthusiasts.

Give Icon a go next time, won't make you sick.

 

[Fez909]

Icon looks ace.

When I read the OP about "top 3 coasters in the UK" I was thinking about what mine are.

#1 is Stealth in Thorpe Park. I'm bored of loops etc now, and people have stopped making big drops in this country, sadly, so the only thing that gets me going is speed, which this has in abundance, along with a decent height. Very short ride though, and big queues.

#2 Is/was the Wild Mouse. I lied when I said speed was the only thing that works. Actually feeling dangerous is a scary thing for a rollercoaster, and nothing felt more dangerous than the WM. Hurt like a bastard, though.

#3 Not sure what 3 would be. Used to love the Bullet at Flamingo Land, but it went a while ago. There's the SAW ride at Alton Towers, but that's not that scary once you've been over the initial drop. Fun though.

Anyway, as the video for Icon started, I was thinking a ride like Stealth but with not just a single big drop, that would be perfect. Chain launcher is a must. Few loops, and twists etc, and a big drop or two. Then the video started and although the drops are pretty small, it looked almost exactly what I was picturing!

Can't wait to give this a bash

 

[Favelado]

I'm still grieving about The Mouse. No-one ever got seriously injured on that thing - just bruises. it was considered an absolute gem by enthusiasts, and it's gone forever now, because the public are whinging pussies. It was better than Icon too.
I've heard Stealth is decent. I've never been to Thorpe Park or Alton Towers.

My top 5 is:

1.Grand National pre-2000's. It's in a state now but it used to be fantastic before it got too rough. Tonnes and tonnes of airtime before they put the new stapler restraints on it, and it used to make me laugh so much. Do you know that the National is just one track? Each time you go on it, you are only completeing half the circuit.

2.Wild Mouse (RIP). I'm so sad I'll never go on it again. Brilliant. The way it rode, sounded - everything.

3. Superman - Atracción de Acero - Parque Warner Madrid. A long, brilliant, floorless coaster with drops, inversions, airtime - everything you could want.

4. Icon - They could have made it scarier but it is lovely. Well thought out and balanced - the launch into the mist and drop at the beginning are great.

4. The Big One - Rightly slated for being just a big first drop and then nothing - it's still means something to me. I can see my house from the top of it, the sea, the town - I watched them drive parts of it through South Shore as it was being built - I worked at the Pleasure Beach the day it opened. And that first drop is amazing.

Next year, as well as my usual visit to BPB, I'm off to Port Aventura and Ferrari Land. in CataloniaIsNotSpain. There's a ride called Shambala which is everything the Big One should have been. In 2020, I'm thinking of going to go to the US and riding some massive rides, and some classics.


Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point looks absolutely brilliant. Just opened this year. Probably the best coaster in the world right now.

The newest trend is steel-wood hybrid coasters by a company called RMC. They take your old coaster and turn into something incredible.



In terms of classics, I'd like a go on The Beast.



There's also a wooden terrain rollercoaster at Lake Compounce called Boulder Dash that looks gorgeous.

 

[Fez909]

I'm still grieving about The Mouse. No-one ever got seriously injured on that thing - just bruises. it was considered an absolute gem by enthusiasts, and it's gone forever now, because the public are whinging pussies. It was better than Icon too.
I've heard Stealth is decent. I've never been to Thorpe Park or Alton Towers.

My top 5 is:

1.Grand National pre-2000's. It's in a state now but it used to be fantastic before it got too rough. Tonnes and tonnes of airtime before they put the new stapler restraints on it, and it used to make me laugh so much. Do you know that the National is just one track? Each time you go on it, you are only completeing half the circuit.

2.Wild Mouse (RIP). I'm so sad I'll never go on it again. Brilliant. The way it rode, sounded - everything.

3. Superman - Atracción de Acero - Parque Warner Madrid. A long, brilliant, floorless coaster with drops, inversions, airtime - everything you could want.

4. Icon - They could have made it scarier but it is lovely. Well thought out and balanced - the launch into the mist and drop at the beginning are great.

4. The Big One - Rightly slated for being just a big first drop and then nothing - it's still means something to me. I can see my house from the top of it, the sea, the town - I watched them drive parts of it through South Shore as it was being built - I worked at the Pleasure Beach the day it opened. And that first drop is amazing.

Next year, as well as my usual visit to BPB, I'm off to Port Aventura and Ferrari Land. in CataloniaIsNotSpain. There's a ride called Shambala which is everything the Big One should have been. In 2020, I'm thinking of going to go to the US and riding some massive rides, and some classics.


Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point looks absolutely brilliant. Just opened this year. Probably the best coaster in the world right now.

The newest trend is steel-wood hybrid coasters by a company called RMC. They take your old coaster and turn into something incredible.



In terms of classics, I'd like a go on The Beast.



There's also a wooden terrain rollercoaster at Lake Compounce called Boulder Dash that looks gorgeous.

For wooden coasters, I fancy a go of this

 

[Favelado]

For wooden coasters, I fancy a go of this

Yes. El Toro is very, very high on my to-do list. I nearly posted it. Steel Vengeance is the best thing out there, but in the US there's tonnes to choose from.

 

[Fez909]

Yes. El Toro is very, very high on my to-do list. I nearly posted it. Steel Vengeance is the best thing out there, but in the US there's tonnes to choose from.

Have you been to Lightwater Valley?

I really wanna go on The ultimate, but it's such a shit theme park otherwise, it's a waste to go there just for that.

I went as a kid and was too scared to go on...one of my eternal regrets

It used to be the biggest drop before the Big One was built and it's still the longest RC in the world, I believe. Lasts 8 minutes or something silly.

 

[Favelado]

Have you been to Lightwater Valley?

I really wanna go on The ultimate, but it's such a shit theme park otherwise, it's a waste to go there just for that.

I went as a kid and was too scared to go on...one of my eternal regrets

It used to be the biggest drop before the Big One was built and it's still the longest RC in the world, I believe. Lasts 8 minutes or something silly.

I haven't been on it. Fun trivia - I think British Rail actually did some track work on that! Either construction or maintenance.
I've heard time has taken its toll on it and its hard to ride these days. It's still the 2nd longest coaster in the world.

e2a Coaster Records

ROLLER COASTER & THEME PARK RECORDS - COASTERFORCE

 

[alsoknownas]

Icon won't make you feel pukey like that. It's smooth and posh in comparison. Infusion was ripped out of Southport Pleasureland, repainted and stuffed into the Pleasure Beach. They even took the Log Flume out to accommodate it, which was a shame. It's a rough, earbashing, fairly unpleasant experience, with a bad reputation amongst enthusiasts.

Give Icon a go next time, won't make you sick.

That's a shame about the Log Flume . Earbashing and twisty (basically anything built on too small a footprint) are the experiences I hate in a ride.
Haven't been on a rollercoaster in over 10 years I reckon.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Right, so when are we going to Blackpool? We should organise this for summer - who is interested?

 

[friedaweed]

Right, so when are we going to Blackpool? We should organise this for summer - who is interested?

Only if Shirl wears a 'kiss me quick' hat

 

[Shirl]

I'm still grieving about The Mouse. No-one ever got seriously injured on that thing - just bruises. it was considered an absolute gem by enthusiasts, and it's gone forever now, because the public are whinging pussies. It was better than Icon too.
I've heard Stealth is decent. I've never been to Thorpe Park or Alton Towers.

My top 5 is:

1.Grand National pre-2000's. It's in a state now but it used to be fantastic before it got too rough. Tonnes and tonnes of airtime before they put the new stapler restraints on it, and it used to make me laugh so much. Do you know that the National is just one track? Each time you go on it, you are only completeing half the circuit.

2.Wild Mouse (RIP). I'm so sad I'll never go on it again. Brilliant. The way it rode, sounded - everything.

3. Superman - Atracción de Acero - Parque Warner Madrid. A long, brilliant, floorless coaster with drops, inversions, airtime - everything you could want.

4. Icon - They could have made it scarier but it is lovely. Well thought out and balanced - the launch into the mist and drop at the beginning are great.

4. The Big One - Rightly slated for being just a big first drop and then nothing - it's still means something to me. I can see my house from the top of it, the sea, the town - I watched them drive parts of it through South Shore as it was being built - I worked at the Pleasure Beach the day it opened. And that first drop is amazing.

Next year, as well as my usual visit to BPB, I'm off to Port Aventura and Ferrari Land. in CataloniaIsNotSpain. There's a ride called Shambala which is everything the Big One should have been. In 2020, I'm thinking of going to go to the US and riding some massive rides, and some classics.


Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point looks absolutely brilliant. Just opened this year. Probably the best coaster in the world right now.

The newest trend is steel-wood hybrid coasters by a company called RMC. They take your old coaster and turn into something incredible.



In terms of classics, I'd like a go on The Beast.



There's also a wooden terrain rollercoaster at Lake Compounce called Boulder Dash that looks gorgeous.

The Wild Mouse use to scare me shitless when I was a teenager. Didn't keep me off it though