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CNN Live Today

Man Builds Rollercoaster in Backyard

Aired May 24, 2002 - 13:49   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It started as a gift for his grandchildren, but when John Ivors was done, he was ready to take all of Bruceville, Indiana for a wild ride. Reporter Kevin Rader from CNN affiliate WTHR has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN RADER, WTHR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is a quite comfort to rural Indiana, a comfort in knowing that what was here yesterday will still be here tomorrow.

JOHN IVORS, COASTER CREATOR: Oh no. Not much change.

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

IVORS: It's a small community. We get three cars, we have a traffic jam for ourselves. We don't have much excitement.

RADER: Life's 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's about right. I think so.

RADER: And he took Bruceville with him.

IVORS: Oh, they thought I was nuts. Yeah, what's this guy doing?

I thought about it for a long time before I actually started it. You know, I thought about, yeah, it would be cool to build my own rollercoaster.

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, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and just 17 seconds.

IVORS: Top of the lift.

RADER: Of ageless joy.

IVORS: Here goes nothing!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I said, boy, look at this.

IVORS: This is called a helix, corkscrew loop. The loops of blur.

I would say, that is probably the biggest thing in Bruceville, yeah.

Have a nice ride.

RADER: To the 48-year-old Ivors, this what goes up must come down gift to his grandchildren simply means...

IVORS: All right, here we go.

RADER: No waiting in line.

IVORS: It's no different than having a swing set in your backyard. Oh, maybe a little.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess it's just his dream. If you'd let me, I'd do it.

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

Up the hill.

RADER: So for John Ivors, life really is a rollercoaster. His message, just enjoy the ride.

In Knox County...

IVORS: That's the Blue Flash.

RADER: Kevin Rader, Channel 13, Eyewitness News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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