ALL PHOTOS BY PASCAL FOUQUET (@PF.PHOTOGRAPHY_)
The first U.S. edition of the Red Bull Tandem Rollercoaster took place on Saturday, September 27 at Cranes Roost Lake in Altamonte Springs, drawing more than 40,000 spectators. The event featured 30 teams racing tandem bicycles built to look like miniature rollercoasters along a raised course filled with dips and drops. Only 11 teams managed to complete the course without plunging into the lake.
Local Orlando duo NFT Boombox won the overall competition on the final run of the day, combining the fastest time with the judges’ scores and also taking home the award for Most Creative Build. Rider Jensin Holmgren joked that the win ranked right next to graduating college, while teammate Joey Iorio credited countless hours of practice for their performance.
The judging panel included Orlando Magic legend Dwight Howard, eight-time world champion wakeboarder Meagan Ethell, and creator Zack Fairhurst. Howard said he loved watching competitors “singing one moment and flipping over the next” as they tried to navigate the track.
Adapted from a Red Bull event previously held in Europe, the Tandem Rollercoaster’s Orlando-area debut highlighted Central Florida’s reputation as the rollercoaster capital of the world. Teams traveled from across the country to take part, but it was an Orlando team that claimed victory at the inaugural U.S. edition.
Check out these great photos by local photographer Pascal Fouquet (Instagram) and a video from Shine Street Team member, Alex Copeland (Instagram).
