Nicco Park has a thrilling new ride that will show you the ups and downs like never before. 

The Sky Diver was launched on November 30 as part of the silver jubilee celebrations of the park and is touted as being the first of its kind in eastern India. 

The ride has visitors sitting on a horizontal 16-seater platform where they are securely fastened. The platform then shoots up to a height of 80-ft, free falls, shoots up again and so on. “It’s a two-minute ride but feels like more than five to seven  minutes,” said a Nicco Park official. 

Sky Diver was inaugurated in the presence of state power minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, MLA Sujit Bose, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation chairperson Krishna Chakraborty and actress Koneenica Banerjee. 

“This ride made me feel like I’m back in Class VI again,” squealed Koneenica after getting off the ride. “No matter how many times we take such rides abroad it feels special when it opens in our own city.”

But here’s a tip: don’t visit the Sky Diver dressed in saris or long skirts. The safety locks are such that one of them descends from above and secures the passenger’s chest and stomach while another appears from under the seat and gets fastened to the first belt. This would not be possible in case the passenger is dressed in a sari or long skirt. Riders must also have a minimum height of 120cm (about 4-ft). 

Chakraborty missed taking the ride as she was in a sari. “That’s all right. I’ll come back soon for the ride,” she said. 
“I’ve watched this ride on TV but rode it for the first time today. It was spine-chilling. It’s the best ride in town,” said Rishi Ghosh, who had come to the park with his friends from Garia. 

Twelve-year-old Sayan Dutta said he could see the road outside when he was on top of the ride. “It was scary when it was rushing down and I had closed my eyes. But I am coming back soon for this ride again,”  said the young resident of Lake Town. 

“This is a family park so we have maintained medium height for this ride,” said Rajive Kaul, chairman Nicco Group. “The safety inspection was conducted for a week by a UK-based engineering consultancy firm, West Lake. It is absolutely safe.”
The ride costs Rs 100 and is situated next to the Flying Saucer near the food court. The food court itself has been renovated and now has a capacity of almost 250 diners and serves four cuisines. A video gaming zone has been opened too with around 15 games like Flying Car, Bull, Skill Derby etc.