Backyard Roller Coasters
March 11th, 2008 by JonWhile doing my research for the previous blog post on the fastest roller coasters in the world, I managed to stumble across a hidden gem - the Blue Flash roller coaster. What is unique about this roller coaster is that is has been built entirely by one man, in his own back garden. Nicknamed the Blue Flash due to the distinctive blue colour the creator, John Ivers, painted his construction the coaster is completely hand built from scrap metal and old car parts. Incredible to watch the coaster even has a complete upside down loop, quite an achievement for a backyard coaster!
You can find the official site here. Here you can see the video and see pictures of the coaster. Although not updated for some years I figure many enthusiasts may have missed this brilliant creation. We have emailed John with the hope of setting up an interview, so watch this space in the coming weeks!
After finding Blue Flash I had a fish around in Google for some more backyard coasters to see if anyone else had matched Mr Iver’s ingenuity. While finding a lot of attempt at coasters none matched up the mighty Blue Flash, until I found Jeremy Reid that is….
This coaster dwarfs the Blue Flash. Reid’s coaster cost $5500 to make is 17 feet high and runs for 444 feet. Constructed entirely from wood the coaster is a very impressive achievement and just goes to show what you can do if you’re a qualified engineer. You can check out his website for more photos and details, and I recommend you do, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Looking at these coasters I never realised that making something like this in your own garden was even possible.
There are a whole bunch of videos on YouTube as well, I suggest searching for some they can be quite amusing to watch. Have any of you made your own coasters, or know anyone that has? Perhaps you’ve found a better backyard coaster than the ones I have here. Don’t forget to let us know!
Technorati Tags: backyard coaster, blue flash, jeremy reid
