‘I like it fast, but Void is so good it made me dizzy!’
‘CRYING IS NOT AN EMERGENCY’ WARNS NEW HULL FAIR SUPER-RIDE VOID. INTREPID REPORTER JAMES CAMPBELL TRIED IT OUT
I HAVE tested a few different rides over the years during my coverage of Hull Fair – such as the XXL, Air and Power Tower.
My preference is high rides, the taller the better, or rollercoasters.
I’m not so good with spinning rides and I tend to avoid waltzers.
Void is somewhat in the latter category, so I stepped onto the platform with some trepidation.
Costing nearly £1m, it has been a labour of love for owner Terence Reeves, who has spent months with designers, manufacturers and artists to get the ride just right.
He said: “Hull Fair will be the first event the attraction has attended in the UK since its construction earlier this year. It has been in Ireland during the summer.
“It’s a self-contained ride – everything you need to build it fits on one trailer – and we designed the scenery with engineers to fold intricately and it takes longer to dismantle than the ride itself. Its inspired by origami.
“We worked on the lighting with an Italian firm and the floodlights are of every colour and function you could possibly imagine.
“It is a version of the Extreme ride, but we have made some tweaks which we think makes it even safer and a better experience.
“We are also future-proofing it. There is no point in putting in all this hard work and then not meeting new safety standards in a couple of years’ time.
“I take great pride in having helped design and manufacture a new ride like this.”
Terence says the ride is geared towards teenagers and young adults – a demographic I have not been a part of for more years than I’d care to admit.
“There are so many audio and visual effects, which sync in with the motion of the ride.” Terence said.
“The sound systems are meant to produce a lot of vibration – the team of operators on the ride are pretty good at judging the crowds and can up the tempo and the
bass depending on the mood”.
One thing about testing out a ride in advance is that often the sound systems, smoke and lasers are not in operation. In fact, it makes it scarier.
It is just me on the ride and you can hear every creak groan or mechanism clicking into place.
Once everything was checked over, I sat in the seat and was clicked into place securely but with enough wriggle room to move about a bit.
In fair ride speak this provides “air time”, which basically means you periodically lift off your seat, adding to the thrill but remaining safely secured.
The ride began and the first few revolutions were a gentle motion, no more frightening than a kid’s caterpillar ride.
But that was just to lull you into a false sense as it began to speed up and rise. Anyone familiar with Extreme will know that as the ride turns the arms also turn independently, which provides an extra layer of excitement and disorientation.
Eventually, I was spinning all over the place and felt almost as if I was upside down.
I could feel the blood plummet to my feet and there was certainly some G-force at work.
The ride slowed down for a bit before speeding up once more.
As I was going round it was not too bad but once it stopped I realised I was dizzy and my feet were tingling.
My colleague was filming for a video for Facebook and there was almost an embarrassing moment as I swayed around as she approached me for a reaction. At one point I thought I might fall over.
I very much enjoyed the ride even though it is not my favourite type.
Terence gleefully told me that he only had the ride at three-quarters speed and the ride can last up to four minutes – I think I was on there for maybe three, which was enough!
I do feel the music and razzmatazz would have added much to the experience.
As Terence said: “This is just the bare bones of the ride.”
It is not just the effects either, but the screams and laughter of fellow riders and the general crowds which will enhance the experience.
The price has not been finalised for Void yet, but it is likely to be a reasonable £2-3.
Anyone looking for an intense and fun hit at Hull Fair should head to Void, but eating after rather than before is advisable.