After a half a year’s worth of work by his grandson, a Rhode Island man can boast a unique addition to his front yard — a roller coaster.
Elliot Ryan, 20, is studying to become a civil engineer and said he’s always dreamed of building a roller coaster. While he was home from college due to the coronavirus pandemic, he decided to turn his dream into reality on his grandfather’s lawn.
Dr. Fred Silverblatt said his grandson worked nearly every day from April through August, building the roller coaster out of wood and a slide that Silverblatt gave him when he was 2 years old.
“He did everything all himself. That’s the amazing thing about it,” Silverblatt said.
And after Ryan put the final touches on the one-way ride, Silverblatt was its first rider.
“It was crazy. I was a little nervous … I knew it was going to be fun for him and fun for everyone to watch him do it,” Ryan said.
“It was very exciting. Probably more exciting than I anticipated,” Silverblatt said.
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