Blade
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| Manufacturer | HUSS Park Attractions | ||||||
| Product | Pirat | ||||||
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The Blade is a Pirate Ship ride located in the Forbidden Valley section of Alton Towers, England, UK. It is the oldest ride currently operating at the park.
History[edit | edit source]
The ride opened in 1980 [1] and was called "Pirate Ship". It was situated in the Springfield Centre area, which became Fantasy World for the 1984 season. For the 1997 season, Pirate Ship was moved to the Forbidden Valley area and renamed Blade. Fantasy World was replaced by X-Sector to coincide with the opening of Oblivion in 1998.[2]
Blade did not appear on 2015 park maps, leading to speculation that it would be removed. Alton Towers confirmed that the ride was due to be leaving but would continue to operate for the first half of the season. Plans to close the ride were subsequently shelved, possibly due to the Smiler crash.[3] It is now the only flat ride in the area following the closures of Nemesis: Sub-Terra and Ripsaw in 2015.
Design[edit | edit source]
Blade is situated in a trench previously occupied by the Thunderlooper roller coaster, which closed in 1996. Large blades adorn either side of the swinging ship. Rust effects and hazard stripes are painted on the supports.