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Launch Pad (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)

S&S Worldwide drop tower ride at Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool, England

Field	Value
name	Launch Pad
image	Ice Blast Blackpool.jpg
imagedimensions	250px
location	Pleasure Beach Resort
section
coordinates
cost	£2,000,000
opened
status	Operating
previousattraction
replacement
type	Space Shot
manufacturer	S&S Worldwide
designer
theme
height_ft	180
drop_ft
length_ft
length_m
speed_mph	80
speed_km/h
gforce	4.5
riders_per_vehicle
riders_per_row
participants_per_group
audience_capacity
duration	1:30
restriction_ft
restriction_in	52
restriction_cm
virtual_queue_image
virtual_queue_status
single_rider
custom_label_1

| speed_km/h =

Launch Pad (formerly Ice Blast: The Ride, Tango Ice Blast and PlayStation: The Ride!) is an S&S Worldwide drop tower ride at Pleasure Beach Resort (better known as Blackpool Pleasure Beach) in Blackpool, England. It is 55 metres (150 ft) tall, and drops at 130 km/h (80 mph). It is the fastest and second-tallest drop tower in the United Kingdom, after The Volcano at Fantasy Island.

History

PlayStation: The Ride

At some point prior to 1997, Pleasure Beach Resort decided to purchase a drop tower. When Sony approached the park as a potential sponsor for the ride, it was decided that the ride would tie in with the then-current success of Sony PlayStation products. The ride would open to the public in 1997, replacing a flat ride called Monster!. It was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom.

The tower was painted white, with the interior structure painted red, and the platform painted grey, black, and amber: the colours associated with PlayStation. Banners advertising PlayStation were placed on the ride vehicle, and the top of the tower featured the PlayStation logo.

Tango Ice Blast and Ice Blast: The Ride

In 2002, the ride was renamed Ice Blast upon receiving a new sponsor, and in 2004 was named Tango Ice Blast, in conjunction with the drink of the same name. The ride underwent changes to its ride vehicle's seating arrangement as well.

On 2 March 2024, Amanda Thompson, director of Pleasure Beach Resort, announced that the ride would be closed for the 2024 season as they awaited the arrival of a new part for the ride. All branding was removed, as well as the queue rails. A spokesperson for Pleasure Beach Resort announced that the ride would remain after renovation.

Launch Pad

On 10 December 2024, the park announced that Ice Blast: The Ride would be renovated and rethemed as Launch Pad for the 2025 season. The ride is now space-themed, and received a new pressure cylinder. The ride was also repainted to a blue colour scheme with red accents.

Ride experience

Riders are restrained using over-the-shoulder restraints and a seatbelt. There is a blast of compressed air which sends the gondola to the top of the 55 metre (180 ft) tower, before it falls back down at 130 km/h (80 mph). This is followed by a second blast, in which the gondola is sent two-thirds of the way up the tower, and a final blast of air, sending the gondola one-third of the way up the tower. During the descent, the riders experience weightlessness. Riders are subjected to a maximum of 4.5 Gs during the ride. A full ride experience on Launch Pad lasts approximately one minute and 30 seconds.

References

"Educational Info Pack". Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
[https://riderater.co.uk/12347/ice-blast-to-become-space-themed-launch-pad/ Ice Blast to become space-themed Launch Pad]. ''RideRater''. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
"Pleasure Beach Announce Launch Pad".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

blackpool-pleasure-beach amusement-rides-manufactured-by-s&s-–-sansei-technologies drop-tower-rides tango-(drink) amusement-rides-introduced-in-1997 towers-completed-in-1997

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