A suspended rollercoaster entirely over water...
A suspended rollercoaster entirely over water...
| Theme Park | Blackpool Pleasure Beach |
|---|---|
| Type | Rollercoaster |
| Audience | Thrillseekers |
| Opened | 2 May 2007 |
| Manufacturer | Vekoma |
| Model | Suspended Looping Coaster (SLC) Standard (689m) |
| Height | 109 ft |
| Length | 2261 ft |
| Inversions | 5 |
| Max Speed | 50 mph |
| Duration | 1½ minutes |
Infusion
One of the most painful experiences in the UK came to Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 2007 with the opening of Infusion.
The rollercoaster is a Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster (SLC), an inverted ride model widely known for its roughness and headbanging as the train shuffles uncomfortably around the track.
Blackpool's version came second-hand from Southport where it was known as Traumatizer - a much more apt description of the horrendous coaster. In a spectacular misstep by the park's marketing department, their choice of new name left them with egg on their faces when web searches for "Infusion Blackpool" returned results for the town's adult swinger's nightclub of the same name instead of their "new" multi-million pound ride!
When it was moved to the Pleasure Beach, the coaster was repainted blue and built over the top of the old log flume lake. This led Blackpool to claim it as the first suspended rollercoaster entirely over water. Publicity shots were careful not to show the murky green colour of said water.
The actual ride experience is pretty terrible too: dismantling it and putting it back together has clearly done it no favours, nor has the seaside location and battering by sand and seawater mists. Riding Infusion is a test of endurance, with constant bangs and shunts and general discomfort. Its not uncommon to hear riders complaining of having their ears repeatedly bashed by the hard overhead restraints.
Sadly, Infusion is by far the worst of all the rollercoasters at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. If you possibly can, its well worth missing it completely. There's nothing much to say to redeem it, apart from perhaps it can look nice on a sunny day, as long as you ignore the pained faces of the riders.
Infusion entrance
Top of the lift
First drop
Inversion
Water fountain
Skimming the water
Passing over the lake
Inverted Infusion
Pleasure Beach Express passes beneath Infusion
Watching the rollercoaster
The first suspended coaster entirely over water
