Australian Amusement Fanatics

What are your thoughts and experiences of the classic Hurricane ride? I use to love seeing the sweepers glide over from the rooftops at the Adelaide show, and wonder why such a loved ride has disappeared from the major shows (much like the rainbow, pirate ship etc.) please share any pics!

Regards
SAM

It is an all time favourite with me too and many of our members, you can still see it around, you will find many photos of the hurricane on this site.

Yeh if a Hurricane is at a show I usually will not go without riding it. I usually see Young's unit alot when the shows are on around my area, it gives a good ride, Joyland's and Bell's are run well too which give a great ride, great fun when your falling, spin close to the centre tower then shot back up. Great classic

Sam was that Durkin's Hurricane that used to do Adelaide? Yeh if you look in the NSW and VIC threads and look at some of the photos from some of the regional shows, you will find a few photos.

Thanks guys I hope I will have an opurtunity to ride it some time. I am pretty sure that the adelaide show Hurricane was Durkins as they operated many of the older rides featured on the rooftops like their pirate ship. (gone as well)

Yeh the Pirate is Wittingslow's, they still operate it throughout the year with it still doing the Rye Christmas Carnival

Mmm... where do I start on the Hurricane? I could share many experiences about this particular ride, but there is one that I can't help but laugh at every time I think about it.

It was March's Hurricane a few years back, I was watching it from the midway and as the cars bounced... I saw something blue / green colored fly out of the car. It hit the operator fair in the head! Let's just say he was NOT impressed, and I think someone had a few too many slurpees. There are more stories I could tell about this particular ride, but that's all I can remember off the top of my head. I would go as far as saying the Hurricane is my all time favorite ride, but I don't think that's a big surprise.

The Hurricane would have to be one of the very first BIG rides I ever 'braved' as a kid. Haha, I used to think it was such a scary looking ride, and it seemed MASSIVE at the time. It's simply one of my all time favorite rides, even just to sit back and watch it run a few cycles or more, I never get sick of seeing it and especially hearing it do it's thing.

Agree Superloops. For me it's also one ride that I just can't get my head around, as to the mechanics of it.

I've had it described in detail (the centre cylinder, valves etc) but until someone can draw me a diagram, I don't think I'll truly understand it.

Hurricane has been the only ride ever to make me feel like being sick.... foolish piece of machinery!
Rainbow was probably my first ever big thrill ride, when I was 12, hated every minute of it, could remember the operator at Moomba asking if I wanted to go around again, and I happily said NO! oh stupid me!

Speaking of Hurricanes, does anybody know who owns the Hurricane painted with purple and green on the arms and carriages that is fitted with the square boxy "lego" carriages? It was in the Rocky paper about 4-6 weeks ago and was at a festival at Yeppoon, just out of Rocky. I had forgotten about it until today. I was unaware of there being any with these carriages in Aus.

Deefa.

This is the ex-Tassie model. And yes this is a Dartron built ride.

And speaking of experiences with the Hurri I forgot to mention another one. I remember my family used to go to Ulladulla for Easter and they would have the blessing of the fleet street parade along with a carnival right on the harbour wharf which was run by Joyland's. I used to be petrified of the trademark bursts of air. This was when I was about 4, I used to walk past blocking my ears. Funny because I never remembered this until now, even when I've ridden Joyland's Hurricane it never really came up until now

That one is owned by Bills Amusements from Gracemere, who I work for occasionally...
So yeah, you will probably see it around a bit Deefa...

Ah?, thanx Josh. I had a feeling it may have been Bills' ride as that is usually who fronts at our local events. That now adds to his Jurassic Park themed Sizzler and Slide, all he needs now is a couple of thrill rides. I will have to keep an eye out for it around the Gracemere area where he parks the Sizzler and Slide on my way out to work at the mine. The Sizzler was parked up there last week I noticed. He'll be busy doing work and school X-mas parties soon, I'll see what he brings to the Cresso school break-up this year as he does that one every year.

Yeah mate, they do almost all of the mine picnics, which are pretty huge.
They flat out now till new years, as with alot of operators too i guess...