Thunder Looper

The Thunder Looper is perhaps the most missed attraction from the past. It was simple, it was white knuckle, it was fast, and people loved it! The ride simply launched from it's station into a vertical loop before climbing up a steep incline and rolling back to enter the loop again facing backwards.

Thunder Looper was a very old ride. It was first installed at Kings Dominion, as King Kobra, and was the first Shuttle Looping Coaster in the world! It then moved to the Jolly Rodger Amusement Park in 1987 before arriving at Alton Towers in 1990. After being removed from Alton Towers in 1996, it was re-located to Hopi Hari as Katapul where it remains today.

The Thunder Looper's stay at Alton Towers was short lived for a number of reasons. It was in breach of planning requirements, locals complained about the noise and it was said to have caused cattle to breed at the wrong time of year!