Wanted: A rollercoaster tester for Alton Towers
Wanted: a person with the ultimate head for heights, a strong stomach and a need for speed who can cope with a whole career's-worth of twists and turns in just one morning...
Alton Towers has launched a search for an official Rollercoaster Tester.
The job will entail riding each of the theme park’s biggest rollercoasters before they open to the public.
The lucky candidate will have to endure G-forces which would challenge an astronaut, speeds of 0-60 in just two seconds, a 60-metre drop and be able to handle the first 14-loop rollercoaster, The Smiler, before most people’s days have even started.
The job might sound like a dream come true for some, but it does come with a few downsides:
a) You will need to be on site for 8am daily until the end of September
b) You won’t be paid
c) There won’t be any travel expenses
d) Food is not provided either
On the upside, you’ll be free to go on as many rides as you like all day thanks to your free annual pass.
To enter, participants must visit the Alton Towers Resort website and submit a video describing why you should be the park’s rollercoaster tester, along with what your favourite ride is and why. A panel of rollercoaster experts will judge the entries and decide who wins.
The big six rollercoasters at Alton Towers
- The Smiler is the world’s first 14-loop rollercoaster and Alton Towers’ most expensive ride at £18m
- Oblivion is the tallest and fastest ride standing at 60m and reaching speeds of 110km/hr – the same speed as hurricane force winds.
- Rita travels from 0-100km/hr in 2.5 seconds and has the highest G-force of the rides at Alton Towers – 4.7gs. NASA Astronauts experience 3Gs on take off.
- Air gives its riders the feeling of flying and experiences 3.5Gs. It is still the only flying coaster in Europe.
- Nemesis was Europe’s first inverted rollercoaster. It reaches a G force of 4 and speeds of 81km/hr.
- TH13TEEN is the world’s first free-fall drop coaster and cost £15 million. During a season it travels 47,000 miles, which is the equivalent of going to Australia five times.