Georgia teen builds backyard roller coaster, receives huge surprise
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Atlanta, GA (WGCL) — While many Georgians took to household or craft projects to stay busy at home during the pandemic, one metro Atlanta teen did something more unique: he built a real-life roller coaster in his own backyard.
Using two-by-fours, PVC pipes, and cinder-blocks, 19-year-old aspiring engineer Ben Tolliday spent weeks building his own roller coaster, and coaster car, in his backyard.
“It was so much fun to build,” said Tolliday. “It was a lot harder than I was anticipating; I set aside about a week for it, and it ended up taking up three weeks.”
Video of his successful endeavor and test rides made its way to just the right people, catching the attention of engineers at Six Flags Over Georgia.
Tolliday, who attended Georgia State University during the fall to study engineering, would get the surprise of his life when he had the opportunity to meet Six Flags’ own Chief Engineer Larry Chickola, the man responsible for engineering Six Flags roller coasters across the world.
Chickola shared with Tolliday some of the ins and outs of how some of the world’s fastest and tallest roller coasters come to life, from conception to that first test run along the track, an experience that the aspiring young engineer is certain to always remember.
Six Flags Over Georgia is open for Spring Break April 3-11 and weekends through May before summer operation begins. Tolliday was invited to return to the park to get another tour of THE RIDDLER Mindbender when it opens later during the spring.
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