# The Backyard Coaster! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 26, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-backyard-coaster/100215 "2002-03-26T18:39:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-backyard-coaster/100215/1 "2002-03-26T18:39:28Z")
Check it out, this guy built a working, mini rollercoaster in his backyard out of scraps of metal he acquired from his job! **“The Blue Flash”** has a working lift hill, a loop(!), a nice little airtime bunny hop, and a helix! [http://www.negative-g.0catch.com/BlueFlash/February2002/Blue-Flash-2002-2-1.html](http://www.negative-g.0catch.com/BlueFlash/February2002/Blue-Flash-2002-2-1.html) How cool is that?!! I really like how he built the “train” out of an old car seat! LOL! I want one! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-backyard-coaster/100215/2 "2002-03-27T15:16:17Z")
Also anyone can ride it! Just give John a call and drop by. No charge either. 🙂 From the website: > [@](#): > > Also anyone who is in the Vincennes Indiana are is welcome to come for a ride on the Blue Flash just please give him a call ahead to set up a good time. John Ivers phone number is 812-324-9030. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-backyard-coaster/100215/3 "2002-03-27T15:20:14Z")
After checking out all the pictures, I tried to imagine what it would be like to have taken the first test ride. No thanks… Much as I love roller coasters, ain’t no way I’d get on a homemade contraption. And offering to let anyone ride? Sure hope he has good liability insurance… [sub]how sad that I even thought of that[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-backyard-coaster/100215/4 "2002-03-27T15:23:02Z")
We should contact him and invite him to be a Doper. Then we could have DopeFests at his house! ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-backyard-coaster/100215/5 "2002-03-27T16:19:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FairyChatMom \* > \*\*After checking out all the pictures, I tried to imagine what it would be like to have taken the first test ride. No thanks… Much as I love roller coasters, ain’t no way I’d get on a homemade contraption. > > And offering to let anyone ride? Sure hope he has good liability insurance… [sub]how sad that I even thought of that[/sub] \*\* Well he says that it hasn’t crashed…yet. 😉 His sign-in sheet also acts as a waiver. Smart guy. 😉 Next time I am in Indiana, you better believe I am going to ride it! It will make for an interesting coaster to add to my overall ‘coaster count’. LOL! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-backyard-coaster/100215/6 "2002-04-26T03:07:11Z")
Here is an article about John Ivers and his coaster in the Indianapolis Star. [http://www.indystar.com/article.php?coaster23.html](http://www.indystar.com/article.php?coaster23.html) ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-backyard-coaster/100215/7 "2002-04-26T05:44:33Z")
Um. Which Doper lives closest to Bruceville, Indiana? If you can lend me a floor, I will pay you for the privelege of my visit AND bring you a) Beer; b) Chocolate; c) Cook for you.