By Steffen Klenk
In the small town of Athol, Idaho, a short drive from Coeur d’Alene, children, families and thrill-seekers take in the ambiance of Silverwood Theme Park. A popular summertime attraction, the park boasts over seventy attractions. One of its newest additions is the newly-built Stunt Pilot, a single-rail steel coaster, with a height of 105 feet and top speeds of 52 mph.
In a span of nine months, the coaster was built by Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). Under the creative vision of RMC founder Fred Grubb, the company has lent its hands on several projects over the years, including the refurbishment of the New Texas Giant in Arlington, TX, and Cedar Point’s Steel Vengeance. Locally, they are best known for the construction of the Jersey Devil Coaster, a new attraction at Six Flags Great America.
Rocky Mountain Construction and Fred Grubb are the subjects of a new documentary that was released on October 8th. “This is How We Roll” takes an inside look at Rocky Mountain Construction and its twenty-year history. The man behind the film is Taylor Bybee of Richmond, Virginia. After visiting the RMC facilities multiple times, Bybee pitched his idea for the documentary film during his final year as a digital cinema major at Utah Valley University. “Honestly, I didn’t know what they were going to say,” he explained. According to Bybee, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. “At that moment, it was full steam ahead, and that’s when the adventure began.”
Bybee is also the creator of Coaster Studios, a popular YouTube channel dedicated to roller coaster and amusement park content. Viewers are quickly immersed into the world of roller coasters with up-to-date vlogs, coaster footage, drone shots and Q&As. Since launching in 2013, the channel has gained more than 187,000 subscribers and over 90 million views.
One LOCAL resident played a key role in the filmmaking process. Former Ocean City High School graduate, Sarah Anderson joined Coaster Studios earlier this year and was brought on to the project as a producer. Her passion for thrill rides and nifty camera skills were invaluable to the project.
Anderson’s passion for amusement began at a young age. After visiting local parks such as Storybook Land and Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, she went to Six Flags Great Adventure. She enjoyed the experience so much that she decided to invest in a season pass. There was one small problem. ”I realized I didn’t have a car because I was a kid,” says Anderson. “So then I started buying season passes for my older friends that did have cars.”
Scott Schaffer also brought his superb skills to the table for this project as one of the camera operators. Nine years ago, Schaffer launched Upstop Media, a digital media production company that focuses on the amusement industry. He also creates videos for a YouTube channel called CoasterForce, focusing on ride point-of-views.
“This is How We Roll” has premiered in three American cities, one of which included Six Flags Headquarters in Texas. The film has received rave reviews from all in attendance. Schaffer has also met praise from members of American Coaster Enthusiasts, or ACE. “I had people come up to me and they said this was the single-handedly the best theme park-related media they had ever seen in their entire life.”
For the better part of two years, the Coaster Studios team has invested much of their time in creating the documentary film, traveling throughout the country to speak with coaster designers and engineers whilst compiling footage. The experience has been very rewarding, according to Anderson. “It’s like giving your kid off to their first teacher at a preschool. You spent all this time on something and now you’re sharing it with everyone else. It’s a very surreal feeling.”
Photo Credit: Coaster Studios
There are not many people that get to build roller coasters for a living, but Fred Grubb and the hard-working team at Rocky Mountain Construction are re-inventing the thrill ride for the next generation of thrill-seekers. This documentary film showcases the dedication and hard work of the RMC team. From the moment I began watching, I was immediately enthralled. This film captured my attention immediately with its outstanding cinematography and directing of a little-known topic. I highly recommend this film to everyone, whether you are a hardcore thrill enthusiast or enjoy the sights and sounds of the roller coaster. This must-see documentary will captivate you from beginning to end.
“This is How We Roll” is now available to purchase and stream at the following website: vimeo.com/ondemand/thisishowwerollmovie.
