When most people talk about Stealth at Thorpe Park, one thing dominates the conversation: that brutal, face-grabbing, 0–80mph launch. It’s marketed as the star of the show, it’s what the ride is famous for, and it’s the moment that fills the queue with nervous laughter and second thoughts.
But here’s the truth nobody talks about enough: Stealth’s greatest moment isn’t the launch — it’s the top-hat crest. And if you know, you know.
Don’t get me wrong. The hydraulic launch is iconic. It’s pure adrenaline, pure speed, pure chaos. It’s Stealth’s headline act. But it’s over in about 1.8 seconds, and after the initial gut-punch of acceleration, your senses calibrate surprisingly quickly. Riders brace themselves for the launch because they know what’s coming. What they don’t brace for — what they can’t — is what happens next.
As the train rockets upward, something magical happens: the speed starts to bleed away, the roar of the launch fades, and suddenly you’re weightless, floating, suspended above Thorpe Park with a view you can’t get anywhere else. This moment — only a second or two long — is where Stealth truly delivers.
At the very top, the train almost stalls, creating a rare and intense sensation of zero-G. You leave your seat. You hover. For a heartbeat, you’re not on a roller coaster — you’re in the air. The launch is loud, and the ascent is noisy, but at the crest, it’s eerily calm. That contrast makes the moment unforgettable. The absence of sound amplifies everything: the view, the height, the sensation of floating. Blink and you’ll miss it, but the skyline you see from the top of the 205-foot structure is breathtaking. You’re higher than The Swarm’s lift hill, higher than anything else on site, and for a moment, you see the entire park, the lakes, and even glimpses of Surrey beyond. It’s peaceful… right before it becomes absolutely terrifying again.
The drop that follows is amazing, arguably the best pure freefall in the park, but it only hits as hard as it does because of the delicate, weightless moment before it. The crest primes your senses and then rips the floor out from under you. It’s high-speed art in its simplest form.
Most guests think Stealth’s selling point is speed, but Intamin’s accelerator coasters are designed with the top-hat in mind. The launch only exists to get you there. The track is almost entirely vertical, the only real element is the top-hat, and the ride’s pacing gives the crest a spotlight moment rather than just serving as a transition. Stealth is a masterclass in simplicity: two spikes of adrenaline sandwiching a moment of bliss.
The catch is that many riders are too overwhelmed by the launch to appreciate the crest. Their brain is still processing 4 seconds ago while they’re already at the top. That’s why the second ride is usually the moment people realise how special the top-hat truly is. Once you know the launch is survivable, you finally feel the float.
Stealth’s launch gets all the glory, all the marketing, and all the screams. But the top-hat crest is where the coaster stops being about brute force and starts being about raw, elegant thrill. It’s where speed becomes silence, power becomes weightlessness, and a 20-second ride suddenly feels surprisingly profound. The launch gets you hyped. The crest makes you fall in love.
Got an opinion on this story? Drop a comment on our Facebook page @UKThemeParkSpy
