Breakdance (ride)

Last updated
in operation
Breakdance, Frankfurt Main - Germany Breakdance-Mueller Corny.jpg
Breakdance, Frankfurt Main - Germany

Breakdance is an amusement ride designed by Huss Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG in 1985.

Contents

Upon release, the ride design proved to be an instant hit, with HUSS now producing four varying designs, all of which can be acquired in transportable, semi-permanent, or permanent forms.[ citation needed ]

Design and operation

Breakdance consists of a dodecagonal platform with a diameter of 20 meters, upon which are mounted four hubs, each bearing four two-person cars. The entire ride is on an incline of 7.5°. When the ride is activated, the platform rotates, the hubs rotate in the opposite direction to the platform. The combination of the platform slope, hub movement, and weight displacement within the cars cause them to rock back and forth, the oblique join mount and the motion of the ride allowing the cars to rotate through 360°. Huss recommends that riders be a minimum of 48 in (120 cm) tall with an adult and over 54 in (140 cm) tall to ride alone on all models except for the Rodeo/Breakdance 4 variant; on this model riders must be at least 42 in (110 cm) tall.

Breakdances incorporate backdrops, and the provision for sound systems, elaborate light displays, and special effects equipment is made. Controls for these additional systems can easily be routed through the operator's console.

Traveling versions of this ride can be disassembled and stowed on two 12 m (40 ft) trailers, one for the ride itself, the other carrying the platforms, backdrop, special effects equipment and ticketbox.

Variants

The success of the design has prompted HUSS to manufacture three additional variants to the Breakdance design. These are:

Although officially a different ride and not a variant of Breakdance, after the success of Breakdance HUSS developed the Booster ride, which takes the idea a step further. It did not, however, gain the kind of success that Breakdance did.[ citation needed ]

Similar rides

Rides almost identical to the Breakdance have been produced by other companies.[ citation needed ] Below are listed the companies, with the ride name in brackets.

Appearances

Over 110 Breakdance rides have been manufactured by HUSS, the vast majority of which are still in operation.[ citation needed ]

Transportable

CountryNumberNotes
Australia43 manufactured by Sobema, 1 by Fabbri
Belgium4Deca Dance by HUSS, Crazy Dance by Sobema, Break Dance by HUSS, Grease (movie) built by Jabu Amusements
Germany46at least 46
Netherlands5plus 1 transportable Stardancer owned by Frank Vale, and one Break Dance owned by R. van der Wiel, built by ARM Rides
Portugal1the only transportable Huss Rodeo Breakdance (named Maxi Dance), originally built as a travelling prototype to visit tradefairs
United Kingdom3Ryan McCole (Safeco), Jonathan Hart (Stumpf & Partner [Hungary])
United States4All made by Fabbri

Theme parks

CountryLocationRide nameManufacturerModelOpenedClosed
Australia Luna Park Sydney Spider HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 119952020
Belgium Bellewaerde El Toro HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 32006
Belgium Bobbejaanland Breakdance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 119872007
Belgium Walibi Belgium Spinning Vibe (formerly Cilindri Rotanti) HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 32001
Canada Playland Breakdance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 12005
Canada La Ronde Disco Ronde HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 11986
Chile Fantasilandia Crazy Dance Fabbri Group Crazy Dance1999
China Romon U-Park Crazy Cap HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 4 (Indoor)2014
Denmark Tivoli Gardens Snurretoppen HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 119882017
Finland Linnanmäki Breakdance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 119882001
Germany Heide Park Woga Woga/Breakdance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 31991
Germany Serengeti Park Breakdance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 31995
GermanyCentrO ParkRodeo HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 420012010
Germany Freizeit-Land Geiselwind Piraten Schleuder (formerly Breakdance) HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 31994
GermanyFreizeitpark PlohnWesternrodeo HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 31996
Germany Holiday Park Spinning Barrels HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 420002014
Germany Phantasialand Crazy Loop Fabbri Group Crazy Dance (indoor)19952004
HungaryVidám ParkBreakdance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 119932013
Israel Luna Park Breakdancer
Japan Toshimaen Break Dance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 119872020
Korea Everland Championship Rodeo (formerly Breakdance) HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 21991
Kuwait Hawally Park Crazy Dance Fabbri Group Breakdance 12004
NetherlandsDrouwenerzandBreak Dance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 12011
NetherlandsDrievlietDraaikolk Nauta Bussink Star Dancer2011
Netherlands Walibi Holland El Toro HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 320002006
South Africa Gold Reef City Tornado (formerly The Old Mill)
Spain Parque Warner Madrid Los Carros de la Mina (formerly Silver Mine Spinner) HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 32002
Spain PortAventura Park Crazy Barrels HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 31995
Sweden Gröna Lund Pop expressen HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 31996
Sweden Öland Amusement Park Break Dance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 12014
Sweden Skara Sommarland Rodeo HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 420112021
United Kingdom Lightwater Valley Powder Kegs HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 42011
United Kingdom Chessington World of Adventures The Juggler/Rodeo HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 119892004
United Kingdom Alton Towers Dynamo/Astro Dancer/Dino Dancer HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 319932004 [2]
United Kingdom South Pier Break DanceSobemaBreak Dance1997
United Kingdom Pleasure Island Family Theme Park BreakdanceSobemaBreak Dance19942001
United Kingdom Funland Hayling Island BreakdanceI.E. ParkBreakdance20032013
United Kingdom Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach It's BadSobemaBreak Dance19901995
United Kingdom Barry Island Pleasure Park Rhythm DancerWilliam ThurstonBreakdance19952006
United Kingdom Ocean Beach, Rhyl Tango SensationSobemaBreak Dance19941996
United Kingdom Loudoun Castle Storm Breaker HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 420082010
United Kingdom M&D's Street Dancer Fabbri Group Crazy Dance19912002
United States Six Flags America Rodeo HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 41999
United States Six Flags Great Adventure Rodeo Stampede HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 319992005
United States Six Flags New England Rodeo HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 419982007
United States Six Flags Over Texas Rodeo HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 32006
United States Astroland Break Dance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 119882008
United States Elitch Gardens Paradise/Hollywood and Vine HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 11987
United States Kentucky Kingdom Breakdance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 31990
United States Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk WipeOut (formerly whirlwind) HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 4 (Indoor)2006
United States California's Great America Peanuts Pirates/SpongeBob's Boat Mobiles HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 42003
United States Morey's Piers Break Dance HUSS Park Attractions Breakdance 119852005

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liseberg</span> Amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden

Liseberg is an amusement park located in Gothenburg, Sweden, that opened in 1923. It is the largest amusement park in Scandinavia by area and number of visitors with about three million visitors annually. Among the noteworthy attractions is the wooden roller coaster Balder, twice voted as the Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster in the world in a major international poll. The park itself has also been chosen as one of the top ten amusement parks in the world (2005) by Forbes magazine and second best in Europe (2022) by IAAPA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tivoli Gardens</span> Amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark

Tivoli Gardens, also known simply as Tivoli, is an amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on 15 August 1843 and is the third-oldest operating amusement park in the world, after Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg, also in Denmark, and Wurstelprater in Vienna, Austria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferris wheel</span> Amusement ride

A Ferris wheel is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, they are kept upright, usually by gravity. Some of the largest modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on the outside of the rim, with electric motors to independently rotate each car to keep it upright. These cars are often referred to as capsules or pods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gröna Lund</span> Amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden

Gröna Lund, or colloquially Grönan, is an amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden. Located on the seaward side of Djurgården Island, it is relatively small compared to other amusement parks, mainly because of its central location, which limits expansion. The 3.8 ha amusement park has over 30 attractions and is a popular venue for concerts in the summer. It was founded in 1883 by James Schultheiss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Särkänniemi</span> Amusement park in Tampere, Finland

Särkänniemi is an amusement park in Tampere, Finland, located in the district by the same name. The park features an aquarium, a planetarium, Doghill Fairytale Farm, an art museum and an observation tower Näsinneula. Särkänniemi is the second most popular amusement park in Finland with Linnanmäki in Helsinki being the most popular one. Särkänniemi has five rollercoasters: the inverted coaster Tornado, the flying coaster Trombi, the family motorcycle launch coaster MotoGee and Hype, a launched steel Sky Rocket II coaster, and family coaster Vauhtimato. The half-pipe coaster called Half Pipe was recently removed due to multiple reasons. Särkänniemi is owned by the city of Tampere and attracts over 600 000 visitors annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pirate ship (ride)</span> Amusement ride

A pirate ship is a type of amusement ride based on pirate ships, consisting of an open, seated gondola which swings back and forth, subjecting the rider to various levels of angular momentum. A variant where the riders must pull on ropes to swing the ride is known as a swing boat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luna Park Sydney</span> Amusement park in Sydney, Australia.

Luna Park Sydney is a heritage-listed amusement park located at 1 Olympic Drive in the harbourside suburb of Milsons Point, New South Wales, Australia, on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour. The amusement park is owned by the Luna Park Reserve Trust, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It is one of Sydney's most famous landmarks and has had a significant impact on culture through the years, including being featured as a filming location for several movies and television shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paratrooper (ride)</span> Type of fairground ride

The Paratrooper, also known as the "Parachute Ride" or "Umbrella Ride", is a type of fairground ride. It is a ride where seats suspended below a wheel rotate at an angle. The seats are free to rock sideways and swing out under centrifugal force as the wheel rotates. Invariably, the seats on the Paratrooper ride have a round shaped umbrella or other shaped canopy above the seats. In contrast to modern thrill rides, the Paratrooper is a ride suitable for almost all ages. Most Paratrooper rides require the rider to be at least 36 inches tall to be accompanied by an adult, and over 48 inches to ride alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UFO (ride)</span> Amusement park ride

The UFO is an amusement park ride designed by HUSS Maschinenfabrik in 1978, based on the company's Enterprise and Skylab amusement rides. Numerous carnivals feature this ride which is known as Alpha One Peeters and Vertical Limits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frisbee (ride)</span> Type of pendulum amusement ride

The Frisbee is a type of pendulum amusement ride featuring a circular gondola that rotates as it swings back and forth. Riders are seated on the gondola facing inward or outward, depending on the model. On some models, the entire pendulum makes a full 360 degree swing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music Express</span> Amusement ride

A Music Express is an amusement ride based on the original Caterpillar rides of Germany. Several near-identical ride designs are also produced by other companies: Musik Express by Italian company Bertazzon and US Majestic Rides, Himalaya by American company Wisdom Rides, German company Mack, and French company Reverchon, and Silver Streak by Wisdom Rides. This ride is a modern adaptation of the famous Harry Traver Caterpillar rides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enterprise (ride)</span> Amusement ride model

The Enterprise is an amusement ride, manufactured primarily by HUSS Park Attractions and Anton Schwarzkopf beginning in 1972. The HUSS ride was an adaptation and improvement of a design produced earlier that year by Schwarzkopf, with an increased passenger capacity. Despite not owning the original incarnation of the ride, HUSS was issued the patent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scrambler (ride)</span> Type of amusement ride

The Scrambler, Twist, Twister, Cha Cha, Sizzler, or Merry Mixer, is an amusement ride in which suspended riders spinning in cars experience centrifugal force, while spinning along two separate axes. Riders are seated in small carriages clustered together and connected by beams at the top to a central point. The clustered vehicles are spun in one direction, while the ride as a whole spins in the opposite direction. There are a number of variations of the design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranger (ride)</span> Inverting pendulum amusement ride

A Ranger is an inverting pendulum ride first manufactured by HUSS Machinenfabrik in 1981. Many of the design elements were later used in the HUSS Rainbow, and the term 'Ranger' has become synonymous with inverting pendulum rides. It was the first inverting swing ride designed since Lee Eyerly's Loop-O-Plane and set the standard for many other attractions using the inverting pendulum ride system, such as the Rainbow, the Kamikaze (ride), and the Inverter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troika (ride)</span> Amusement ride

The Troika is an amusement park ride designed and manufactured by HUSS Park Attractions in the mid-1970s. The name Troika means "group of three" in Russian, a reference to its three armed design. There are several variations on the design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Booster (HUSS ride)</span> Amusement ride

The Booster is an amusement park ride made originally by HUSS Maschinenfabrik starting in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald Bussink</span>

Ronald A. Bussink has been a leading designer of giant Ferris wheels and similar structures for over 25 years. Bussink entered the amusement industry market in 1985 and designed, manufactured, and delivered more than 60 giant observation wheels between 1990 and 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HUSS Park Attractions</span>

HUSS Park Attractions is a company that specializes in developing and manufacturing amusement rides at a factory in Budapest, Hungary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delirium (ride)</span> Frisbee amusement ride

Delirium is the name of three Frisbee rides located at three Cedar Fair parks – California's Great America, Kings Island, and Kings Dominion. The installation at California's Great America, the smallest of the three, was designed by Chance Rides and opened in 2002. The installation at Kings Island was designed by HUSS Park Attractions and opened on April 12, 2003, as the largest Frisbee ride of its kind in the world. The record-setting ride is able to swing 50 passengers up to 76 mph (122 km/h) reaching a height of 137 feet (42 m). Mondial manufactured the version of Delirium at Kings Dominion, which opened in 2016. It accommodates up to 40 passengers, reaches a top speed of 60 mph (97 km/h), and swings to a maximum height of 115 feet (35 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow (ride)</span> Amusement park ride

Rainbow is an Amusement park ride created by HUSS Maschinenfabrik of Bremen, Germany. The Rainbow was manufactured from 1982 to 2000 and is often confused with its cousins Ali Baba and 1001 Nachts plus other similar models. The HUSS Rainbow has developed a vast fan base due to its large stature, smooth ride, bright lights, and iconic motor noise.

References

  1. "BREAK DANCE 5 is coming! | Huss Park Attractions". www.hussrides.com. 20 September 2023.
  2. Bennett, Dave. "Alton Towers Almanac: Retired Rides: Dynamo" . Retrieved 20 March 2012.