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Breakdance (ride)
Encyclopedia
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
and fairground
Funfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
ride, designed by HUSS Maschinenfabrik in 1985. 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.
Design and operation
A Breakdance consists of a dodecagonDodecagon
In geometry, a dodecagon is any polygon with twelve sides and twelve angles.- Regular dodecagon :It usually refers to a regular dodecagon, having all sides of equal length and all angles equal to 150°...
al platform with a diameter of 20 meters. On this platform 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" tall with an adult and over 54" tall to ride alone on all models except for the Rodeo/Breakdance 4 variant; on this model riders must be at least 42" 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.
Travelling versions of this ride can be dissassembled and stowed on two 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:- Breakdance 2 - Six four-car hubs are installed on the 20 m platform.
- Breakdance 3 - The platform is reduced to 18 m in diameter, and the slope of the platform is changed, making the platform slightly cone-shaped. No backdrop is sold with this ride, which in combination with the size and slope reductions, significantly reduces the overall weight of the ride. The 8 ton difference makes this variant popular for transportable operations.
- Breakdance 4 - Also known as a Rodeo, this variant removes the platform entirely. Instead, three four-members of a "crew" are connected to the central dance by extended arms. There is no slope to the dance. It is much better suited for families than the other variants.
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.
- BoosterBooster (HUSS ride)Booster is an amusement park ride made by HUSS Maschinenfabrik. It is an evolution of the firm's Breakdance ride, and a competitor for Mondial's Shake and Fabbri's Crazy Shake rides. The basic movement is the same as these rides, but the car is pivoted so that riders are spun sideways. During the...
Similar rides
Rides almost identical to the Breakdance have been produced by other companies. Below are listed the companies, with the ride name in brackets.- Safeco (Blade Runner)
- Sobema (Break Dance)
- Fabbri (Crazy Dance)
- Top Fun (Magic Dance)
- Nauta BussinkRonald BussinkRonald Bussink Professional Rides is a leading designer of giant Ferris wheels and similar structures. Previously known as Nauta Bussink, the company was renamed when it moved its offices from the Netherlands to Switzerland....
(Star Dancer) - Mondial (Shake) - originally operated with swinging cars, most Shakes now feature looping cars.
- Parkash (Break Dance)
Appearances
Over 110 Breakdances have been manufactured by HUSS, the vast majority of which are still in operation.- Australia - There are 5 Breakdances in Australia; four transportable models and Spider at Luna Park SydneyLuna Park SydneyLuna Park Sydney is an amusement park, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. - Belgium - There are 3 Breakdances in Belgium, 3 transportable
- Canada - At least two, at PlaylandPlayland (Vancouver)Playland is an amusement park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in Hastings Park and is the oldest amusement park in Canada....
and La RondeLa Ronde (amusement park)La Ronde is an amusement park in Montreal, owned and operated by Six Flags. It is the largest in the province of Quebec and the second largest in Canada after Canada's Wonderland, with about 2.5 million guests in 2006...
. - Germany - There are at least 46 Breakdances operating in Germany.
- Israel - Breakdancer at Luna Park, Tel Aviv.
- South Africa - Tornado (formerly The Old Mill) at Gold Reef CityGold Reef CityGold Reef City is a large amusement park in Johannesburg, South Africa. Located on an old gold mine, the park is themed around the gold rush on the Witwatersrand. Park staff wear period costumes of the 1880s, and the buildings on the park are designed to mimic the same period...
, JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. - Sweden - Pop expressen at Gröna LundGröna LundTivoli Gröna Lund or Grönan is an amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located on the seaward side of the Djurgården island and is relatively small compared to other amusement parks, mainly due to its central location, which limits expansion. Gröna Lund is a popular venue for concerts during...
, StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... - The Netherlands - There are 5 transportable Breakdances in The Netherlands; 1 transportable stardancer owned by Frank Vale; one stardancer at Drievliet
- United Kingdom - Powder Kegs at Lightwater ValleyLightwater ValleyLightwater Valley is a theme park in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. The park is perhaps best known for being the home of Europe’s longest rollercoaster - The Ultimate....
Breakdance 4. - United States - Rodeo at Six Flags Over TexasSix Flags Over TexasSix Flags Over Texas is a major amusement park located in Arlington, Texas , east of Fort Worth and about west of Dallas. It is the oldest park of the Six Flags chain. The park opened on August 5, 1961 following just a year of construction and an initial investment of US$10 million by real estate...
is a Breakdance 4, Crazy Dance portable model owned by Midway Of Fun, Break Dance at AstrolandAstrolandAstroland was a amusement park in Coney Island first opened in 1962. It was located at 1000 Surf Avenue on the boardwalk...
, Hollywood and Vine at Denver's Elitch GardensElitch GardensElitch Gardens was a family-owned seasonal amusement park, theater, and botanic garden in the West Highland neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, United States at 38th and Tennyson streets. For more than a century Elitch's was one of the most popular entertainment destinations in Colorado...
, Breakdance at Six Flags Kentucky KingdomSix Flags Kentucky KingdomKentucky Kingdom is an amusement park located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The park is located on of land which includes a collection of 27 amusement rides and a water park named Splashwater Kingdom...
; also, the "Crazy Dance" mobile carnival ride was also featured in the 1991 movie Problem Child 2Problem Child 2Problem Child 2 is the 1991 comedy film sequel to the 1990 sleeper hit Problem Child; a continuation of the exploits of an adopted orphan boy who deliberately wreaks havoc everywhere he goes...
. Wipe Out at Santa Cruz Beach BoardwalkSanta Cruz Beach BoardwalkThe Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of the few seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States.- Overview :...
is an indoor/enclosed Breakdance 4, as well as SpongeBob's Boat Mobiles at California's Great America, though not enclosed. - Hungary - At least one, at Vidám Park.
External links
- Technical specifications available at HUSS Maschinenfabrik's website
- Amusement Ride Extravaganza - Breakdance
- a video of a huss breakdance onride