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When drama marked the opening of the Dragon roller-coaster in Hong Kong’s Ocean Park
The promise of thrills in the revamped park hit snags as power failures left riders stranded, prompting government scrutiny
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“Raging Rivers, giant water slides and the Dragon are the latest package of adventurous thrills about to be unleashed at Ocean Park,” reported the South China Morning Post on January 9, 1984. “The $240 million two-year-long redevelopment into a fun world for youngsters and a paradise for adventurers will open in early April. And the longest outdoor escalator in the world and a spectacular roller-coaster – the Dragon – perched on the head-land 120 metres above Deep Water Bay are two of the revamped park’s new highlights.
“The Dragon is one of the largest roller-rides in the world, claim park officials. And the biggest thrill of all during the 2 ½ minute ride comes when the car shoots through two giant loops and hurtles out towards the sea at speeds of up to 170km per hour. But the danger of the ride is an illusion, said Ken Tomlins, park general manager. ‘Modern construction techniques and control systems have taken the risk out and left the thrill in,’ he said.”
On April 16, 1984, the post reported that, “the Dragon, said to be one of the largest roller-coasters in the world, which suffered a few teething troubles during its inauguration on Saturday, performed perfectly, a park spokeswoman said, [stressing that] the passengers were in no danger on Saturday when the Dragon suddenly ran out of puff. It failed to move for 25 minutes after three successful runs, leaving passengers suspended several metres in the air.”
The Post followed up the next day, reporting that “Ocean Park has been asked by the Government to explain why its new roller-coaster broke down during Saturday’s inaugural run, an inauspicious start when the cars were stuck for about 25 minutes in a more or less horizontal position because the power supply failed.
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