Pure nostalgia in the Calypso at the Oide Wiesn!
What the “Breakdancer” is today, its predecessor Calypso was in the sixties. The cross-turning ride with its exotic gondolas and unpredictable changes of direction is a tribute to the old days of folk festival, and today is one of the most popular attractions of the Oide Wiesn.
What’s special: Calypso – the last of its kind
The carousel with its four by four gondolas remind older visitors of their glorious youth. Actually mothballed in the nineties after the owner had an accident, the colorful Calypso got a new chance as part of the 2010 Oide Wiesn for the 200th anniversary of the Oktoberfest. Of the twelve originally built specimens, only this one still makes its rounds in Germany, all others have been scrapped or stored over the decades.
Calypso: fast and not to be underestimated
Even today, the old-timer can easily keep up with modern attractions among the rides. This is due in no small part to the sophisticated technology: You sit in one of the gondolas, which rotates around two axes and is mounted on an inclined disc. The platform is mounted and driven on car tires. The guys who jump onto the platform and move between the “dancing” cabins are especially cool today. Those who don’t yet dare to ride the successor Breakdancer are in good hands with the fast but nevertheless family-friendly Calypso.
Calypso for backseat drivers: born from music
The Caribbean at Oktoberfest: Even though the Calypso is now in its rounds at Oktoberfest, the idea for the ride originally came from Trinidad. The carousel designers were inspired by the enticing rhythms of the Caribbean dance style of the same name, in which the gondolas spin around one another just like the dancers. The colorful fifties design adds an extra helping of vacation-style flair.
