The Big One, Steel roller coaster at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, England
The Big One is a steel hypercoaster at Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool, designed by Ron Toomer and built by Arrow Dynamics. Its out-and-back track measures 1,675 metres, with a 65-metre lift hill, a 62-metre first drop at 65 degrees and a top speed of 119 km/h. Trains of five cars carry 30 riders, and the layout crosses over and under other rides, including the Big Dipper.
Construction began in 1992 under Arrow Dynamics, led by designer Ron Toomer, at a cost of £12 million. The ride opened as the Pepsi Max Big One on 28 May 1994, the tallest coaster in the world at 65 metres; Fujiyama in Japan took that record in 1996. Pepsi sponsorship ended in 2011, and Taziker has since replaced sections of track over four closed seasons.
The ride opened as the Pepsi Max Big One, and Pepsi sponsorship lasted until 2011, when the branding was removed. The tunnel at the start was originally themed as a Pepsi Max can. The park still markets the coaster as Europe's tallest, using the 72-metre height measured from sea level.
The station sits at the south end of Pleasure Beach, and the lift hill climbs beside the promenade, so the structure is visible from the seafront before you enter the park. Trains hold 30 riders in five cars, three rows of two, and the ride handles up to 1,700 people per hour. A full cycle lasts about three minutes and returns to the same station.
The first descent drops riders at a 65-degree angle from a height of 65 meters (213 feet). Forces acting on the body reach up to three and a half times normal gravity during this section.
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