Photo Update: Hersheypark's Skyrush!

A trip to Hershey must include checking in with 'the girls!'

Hersheypark is only a little over an hour from me, but I wanted to wait to check out Skyrush until the ride was almost complete.  That said I was drawn to the land of dairy milk and chocolate in order to see the 200 foot giant they've been building!

Thankfully for fans of the park Skyrush is being built in an area of the park that has a nice path bordering it off property.  While taking photos I saw no less than 4 other folks milling around just observing, and a handful of cars either stop or slow just to look up in awe at the new coaster!  Needless to say, Skyrush is drawing quite a bit of attention from Hershey inhabitants.

Before we get up close and personal with the ride, I wanted to check out the holding area for ride parts - picked pretty clean at this point.  There were only about 10 track pieces still sitting across from the park, and even less supports.

Back at the construction site, I have to admit that seeing the ride in person is equally impressive, if not more so, than seeing the photos online.  Here we see Skyrush's steep 50 degree lift crossing over the Comet, and the 85 degree first plunge heading directly down toward the ground.  The ride does a quick swoop at the base of the drop, coming really close to the ground as it turns.  This part is going to be intense, no doubt on that.

Following the ride's pullout, you're sent flying into a beautiful mess of track that hovers over the creek below.  In this shot you'll cross on the second highest point of the ride, the large camel hill seen stretching right to left across this image.  With its relatively low height and the massive drop before it I foresee plenty of air-time on this element!

You'll then move into a ground-hugging high speed turn, the entrance to which can be seen in the middle of this image on the right and will swoop toward us on the track at the bottom.  This track interacts with another of Skyrush's turnarounds, both of which are still missing a couple pieces of track.  Aside from some track pieces that will be used in the brakes-to-station area these are the only unfinished areas of the coaster.

Up and over the train will head on the large hill seen in this shot.  Again, I'm sure we can all expect that there will be plenty of air on this one just before the trains swoop around another low curve to head back in the opposite direction.

Let's take a brief pause to marvel at the beautiful yellow Intamin track set against a wonderful blue sky.  The ride sticks out in the area like a sore thumb, but in a good way.  A really good way.  The walking path that will go along the ride and creek is going to be an amazing place to take photos and video this Summer.

Alright, after that second low turn the train flies up into this overbank element, where the track turns slightly but banks a bit past vertical at the same time.  We've seen versions of the element on other Intamin rides, and this one should provide equally unique forces as well.

Hopefully I haven't lost you yet on the track segments we're following, after the previous overbank the train will dive down into another low turn around, seen incomplete in one of the images above.  It then hits Skyrush's first small air-time hill, only this one does a quick snap direction change in the middle.  Twisty air-time will ensue I'm sure.

Intamin rides are known for being designed for some crazy air if a park desires it, and the next and final traditional camel back looks like it'll do just that.  A upward swooping turn takes the train up alongside the Comet once more, where the brakes are waiting to slow the train.  A final turn around Comet's station will bring Skyrush back home.

The old and the new!

I doubt I need to blather on about how great Skyrush looks, the photos show this on their own.  2012 is a busy year for new coasters (for which we are grateful) but it already looks like for diehard coaster fans Skyrush has the potential to be at or near the top of the bunch!  I simply cannot wait to take it for a spin.