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CNN Live At Daybreak

Look at Roller Coaster in Small Indiana Town

Aired May 24, 2002 - 06:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And you know some dreams do come true. Reporter Kevin Rader of CNN's Indianapolis affiliate WTHR takes us along for the ride.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN RADER, REPORTER, WTHR (voice-over): There's a quiet comfort to rural Indiana. A comfort in knowing that what was here yesterday will still be here tomorrow.

JOHN IVORS (ph), COASTER CREATOR: No, not much change.

RADER: That's what folks here in Bruceville have grown accustomed to.

IVORS: It's a small community. When you get three cars, you have a traffic jam in Bruceville. We don't have much excitement.

RADER: Life is simple, safe, predictable. Or, at least, it was.

IVORS: This is where it all started, I guess you could say.

RADER: A few turns of a wrench and an even-keeled John Ivors turned his world upside down.

IVORS: That would be about right. I think so.

RADER: And he took Bruceville with him.

IVORS: Oh they thought I was nuts. Yes, they thought, what's this guy doing? I thought about it for a long time before I actually started. You know, I thought, yes, it would be cool to build by own roller coaster.

RADER: The Blue Flash, as Ivors calls it, is constructed from scrap material from the manufacturing company where he works.

IVORS: Lay back and relax on the way up.

RADER: Eighteen months of toy all rolled into 17 seconds...

IVORS: Top of the left (ph) hill.

RADER: ... of ageless joy. IVORS: Here goes nothing. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

You see, this is called a hilly (ph), four-screw loop. The loop's a blur.

We'd say it's probably the biggest thing in Bruceville, yes.

Have a nice ride.

RADER: To the 48-year-old Ivors, this "what goes up must come down" gift to his grandchildren simply means no waiting in line.

IVORS: All right, here we go. It's no different than having a swing set in your backyard. Well, maybe a little.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess it's just his dream. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

IVORS: I'm sure there's a lot of people who would like to have their own backyard coaster. Up the hill...

RADER: So for John Ivors, life really is a roller coaster. His message: just enjoy the road.

In Knox County...

IVORS: Master Blue Flash.

RADER: ... Kevin Rader, Channel 13 Eyewitness News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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