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Corkscrew Memories

Ted

Ted

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Kondaa
Ah Corkscrew, Alton's former iconic coaster that opened in 1980 and was arguably the key to Alton's success. Without it, Alton might not be where they are today. Corkie closed in 2008 after 28 long years of entertaining the British public.

If you have any memories of this iconic ride, then post them here. I only rode it once, but I did enjoy my only ride on Corkie. :)


Corkscrew_(Alton_Towers)_01.jpg


R.I.P Corkie 1980 - 2008
 
The main thing I remember is feeling as if I had marbles in my head while it was being knocked around, and feeling like someone had clouted me on both ears! Still, it was worth it! *pets Corkie*
 
Corkscrew was my first ride when I first went to AT. Still have some good memories of this ride! :)
 
I think everyone who had been on the ride has fantastic memories of it but for me it was the first rollercoaster I had ever been on and I think that was the point where theme parks came a big part of my life and finally I can remember the night when I saw the news it was been removed so really glad it's been put back up at the entrance for a reminder of the great ride
 
I initially adored the Corkscrew and the surrounding UG Land area pre-Rita although the ride itself I wasn't keen on. The Corkscrew was my first inverting rollercoaster too as a starter for the other bigger rollercoasters on park, I particularly recall my Dad asking "Do you want to do Nemesis now?" and I fiercely shook my head in utter contempt! A few years later I got over it and re-rode it a handful of times.

:p
 
My first inverting coaster... I loved it! I always thought the chainlift was actually intended to sound like a dinosaur to fit in with the Ug Land theme-ing!

A ride which was being phased out though, Alton made the right decision.

LONG LIVE CORKIE!
 
Ahh the Corkscrew, was my first looping coaster back in 1994 (i used it as a warm up for Nemesis). I genuinely loved the look of this ride, the corkscrews where quite imposing as was the drop, it's certainly one of the best looking non-custom designs of coaster ever built.

As for the ride the first half was fun, the second half dull and the whole lot very rough, they utilized the coaster well for Ug Land but it died a death once it was hidden behind Rita and she really was not pleasing the crowds as much as she used to. Ironically my parents rode the ride in it's opening year and remember the hype surrounding it's installation. It had a fond place in the hearts of many but other than sentimentality i don't really miss it.

She does look nice over the entrance plaza though
 
Ah Corkie! I have many fond memories of this coaster (and Festival Park) back in the day. This ride used to feel quite intimidating, but a ride on Nemmy in 1996 changed that.
 
My lasting memory of Corkscrew is that after riding it on its last day of operation, it wasn't anywhere near as rough as I remembered it being! Unfortunately it's a coaster I didn't go on too many times, 2009 was the first season I went more than 2 times in a season and the times I did go before 2009 people I went with were not all that keen on riding poor Corky!

Still, if it wasn't for Corky leaving when it did I wouldn't have had the excuse to attend my first ever meet! I have fond memories of that day at Towers, one being Russell Barnes and "progress", the other all of us standing at the exit ramp watching the last train being dispatched! And the epically massive group photo of all the different fan sites that had been there for the day!

:)
 
Seems odd but I used to enjoy watching Corkie and marvelling at how much coaster technology has come on probably more than I enjoyed riding it lol. To think it was the ultimate in coaster technology at the time. So raw and simple, nowadays I'd imagine a restraint locking system on a new ride is probably more complex than Corkies entire control system was. You had to love it.

Seems funny now that it was such a massive engineering feat at the time. Absolute classic and I'm really pleased Alton honoured the ride by immortalising it at the park entrance, a fitting end. ;D
 
DaveW said:
this one Rob?

P1000902.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes! It looked much bigger at the time though! Shows how big our meets have become recently. Still, a great photo! Can just about see my head popping up at the back! :p
 
Wow, it looked FILTHY towards the end, didn't it?

I rode Corky many times over the years - Best bit was getting to the top of the lift hill where you could see for MILES past Alton and beyond, then swinging round down the first drop and into the corkscrews. Good times!

Also, I'll always admire the genius of whoever came up with the theme for Ug Land - "how to make a giant, yellow, unthemed coaster fit into a new themed area? Well I guess it kind of looks like a giant dinasour skeleton - PREHISTORIC THEME!"

It was past its use by date at the end though - it was the right call to replace it.
 
Re: Corkscrew Memories

This ride was One it my favourite rides there but it did hurt my ears because of them g-force but that is them whole fun of them thing.

Just wish I could go to alton towers but I am recovering from a back operation

Sent from my PMP5097CPRO using Tapatalk 2
 
I loved Corkscrew for what it was and always loved UG Land, Th13teen put a downer on the whole area for me as much as I enjoyed the ride the first few times, and still ride it every now and then now. Really wish they'd at least kept UG Land, even when it wasn't in it's prime and it just had the UG Swinger, Rita and Corkscrew it was very upbeat and a whole lot of fun to be in, 1 of the best memories of AT and I wish it still existed, luckily I still have Katanga and TS...
 
I was priviledged to work as a ride host on Corkscrew for some time during the 2007 season. It may have been drab, it may have been poorly themed and it may have been rough - but I recall children in particular enjoying the ride immensely. What was even better, was that large cuddly toys which were won on games, could also ride in the seats.

It was a tremendous icon in the park, and I doubt Th13teen, whilst better themed and a more pleasant ride, will ever have the legacy of Corkscrew.

:)
 
This I guess is quite off-topic, but a colossally massive cuddly bear was riding front seat of Eurosat last week. :D
 
I only rode the Corckscrew once, in about 2005-6 I believe, So i can't remember much of it. But I do remember the fact that it was my very first rollercoaster and I did immensely enjoy the experience.

I do think the Corckscrew looks nice outside he entrance, but m£rlin had to come along and paint it purple instead of the iconic yellow I always associated with Corckscrew. Another reason to add to the immensely large list of why i hate them... :mad:
 
Corkscrew Memories

I remember corkscrew when the cars were red and I queued for well over 2 hours one bank holiday when I was only just tall enough to ride it.
In visits of more recent years it was a rare thing to queue at all which was a sad thing really.

Good times!
 
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