Swinging rides have been popular among park guests, ever since Huss debuted the Swinging Pirate Ship. As everything goes in this industry, once someone has success with an idea, other companies copy or improve on the idea. That is exactly what Intamin did when they released their Gyro-Swing, which strangely looks like a Huss Frisbee. In 2001, rumors were spreading that Drayton Manor in Fazely, England would be adding the first Huss Frisbee in England. This rumor was short lived, but it wasn’t all wrong. Drayton Manor instead turned to Intamin, who they had developed a good business relationship with, to purchase one of their new Gyro-Swing rides. Construction soon started and the white, light, and dark blue structure started to grow in the same area as the Storm Force 10 ride. With construction now wrapping up, a name was needed. The park decided on Maelstrom because of the rotating of the ride, which they related to a whirlpool. Along with the new ride, Drayton didn’t slack on the scenery to enhance the ride. The entire queue line is themed to a village wrecked by severe storms. Maelstrom stands at 52-ft tall and swings riders, making them almost horizontal to the ground.

   Park guests make their way to Maelstrom and from first glance the ride doesn’t seem that impressive. Weary riders enter the queue line and realize that Drayton Manor didn’t get cheap on the theming of the ride. The queue slowly winds its way through a village wrecked by severe storms. Destroyed buildings and smashed surfboards lay among the wreckage, which is made complete with signs to warn of appending severe storms. Finally riders make their way to the loading area and secure themselves into the seats, which face outward instead of inward, like the Huss Frisbees and the KMG Afterburners. Once the over-the-shoulder restraint is locked, the stairs drop leaving rider’s feet dangling, and the ride is on. Maelstrom starts to swing back and forth sending riders screaming. While this is going on the ride pod starts rotating adding even more disorienting fun to the ride. The location of this ride puts the swinging pendulum right above the miniature railroad and coming very close to the old cable cars. Once the motors have done their work, the ride is set on free fall, where all the swinging is being controlled by gravity. The pendulum swings and swings giving riders an great view of the sky and then the ground, and then the sky and ground again. Once the swinging has stopped, the motors kick in once more and bring the ride to a complete stop. Riders unfasten the seat belts, raise their restraint, and head for the exit.

   Maelstrom isn’t exactly what you would call a white-knuckle thrill ride, but it definitely provides a change from the Huss and KMG rides.