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Did you know there was a time
when polo needed an airbag?
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They started
drawing crowds of 5,000 people
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because they would show
up for the competition,
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but they would stay
for the carnage.
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Do you remember when
your high dive partner
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could be a horse?
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A 1,000 pound
horse will make contact
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at roughly 30,000
pounds of force.
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Or when connecting flights
meant changing planes mid air?
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You want
to play a tennis match
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a mile up in the air?
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They actually set one up.
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But what an idea,
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what an idea.
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These are the things we
used to do for fun, for money,
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or maybe out of boredom
that we'll never see again.
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Were they dangerous?
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Certainly.
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Deadly?
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Occasionally.
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But boy, wasn't it exciting?
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Americans have always
been thrill seekers
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and we start young
at the playground,
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especially when the
equipment seemed designed
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for one purpose only,
to try and break us.
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The late
1800s, into the 1900s,
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millions of people arrived
from Europe primarily
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and they are crowding
into these neighborhoods
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of New York City and
Boston and Philadelphia,
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piled on top of each other.
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Absolutely nowhere
for kids to play.
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So where do they go?
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Out into the streets.
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They'd be
getting into trouble,
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getting into fights.
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We're talking thousands of kids.
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They are involved in
gambling, drinking, smoking.
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What kids do when they
hang out on the streets.
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They're also getting
run over by trolleys.
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Mothers, community
leaders, politicians,
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everyone starts to
look for healthy
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alternatives for these kids,
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and what they come up
with are playgrounds.
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The idea
behind playgrounds
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is to create a local spot
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where kids can get all
their bottled up energy out.
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They've got
everything we think of
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that a modern
playground would have,
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swings and monkey
bars and slides.
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Any kid who's gone
down any metal slide
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knows that steel gets
really, really hot,
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like 150-degrees hot.
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Your skin makes this
screeching sound
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as you get stuck going down.
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But there was one
legendary piece of equipment
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that was on nearly
every playground
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until it went extinct.
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One of the most popular pieces
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of playground equipment
is the miracle whirl.
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It's a metal disc on an axis.
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You run top speed,
grab a handle,
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and when you feel it's
going fast enough,
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you sort of throw caution
and your life to the wind
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and just jump on.
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The park where I
grew up had two miracle whirls.
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It served one purpose,
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and that was to see who
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could throw up the fastest.
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It's a vomit machine.
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There is always some
kid spinning so fast
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that other kids are puking
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and if they're not puking,
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they're falling off.
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The miracle
whirl's design
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has numerous potential pitfalls.
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The only thing
holding you on this ride
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is the strength of your grip.
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A child's grip.
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If for some reason
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you are spun from the
high end to the low end,
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you can have your legs
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trapped under the low end.
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And should you be catapulted
from the high side,
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you're not landing on today's
recycled rubber modular mats.
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Growing up in the 1970s,
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there was no padding
on the ground.
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You took chances.
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You're
landing on whatever
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was around that the town had.
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Could be wood chips, could be
asphalt, could be bare earth,
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could be bricks.
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The miracle
whirl goes through
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several safety redesigns
through the decades,
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but eventually
falls out of favor
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in the 90s and early 2000s.
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When you're being
raised in a world
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where your parents are happy
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to put you on the miracle
whirl, you know you survived it.
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But I just think that
like if your childhood
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starts from a place of
torture devices for fun,
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that you can handle almost
anything life throws you.
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I think.
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But I don't have kids.
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Once you survive
the playground,
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you are ready for
the amusement park.
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But back in the 80s, there
was one notorious destination
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that nobody was ready for.
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In the 70s and 80s,
water parks are a new concept
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and Gene Mulvihill comes up
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with an idea for Action Park.
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He's gonna be in
the center of it all
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and he markets it as the park
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for the ultimate thrill seeker.
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It's got
cliff diving,
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air slides, rapids, waterfalls.
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Gene Mulvihill kind of
had this grandiose vision
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of he was going to be
the next Walt Disney,
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but Action Park was probably one
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of the most ill-advised
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parks in the history
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of amusement parks on earth.
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Every one of
my friends that went
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came back with a
cast and stitches.
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We would pull up to it talking
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about which dangerous ride
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that we were gonna go on
to prove how tough we were
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and our parents were like,
here's money, get in there.
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We'll be at the bar.
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At the
time in New Jersey,
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there's an advisory board
for amusement park rides,
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but not a regulatory agency.
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So Mulvihill doesn't
need any permit
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when he goes about
building this thing.
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With nothing
holding him back,
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Mulvihill dreams up
one of the park's
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most unforgettable rides.
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It's the nation's first
looping water slide,
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the Cannon Ball Loop.
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So the Cannon Ball is a
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60-foot enclosed water slide
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that has a 360-degree loop that
spits you out at the bottom.
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It defied every
engineering principle,
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every mechanism
for safety or risk.
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When I look at this, I'm
like, this clearly was designed
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by someone who has no
engineering experience
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and guess what?
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It was.
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Gene Mulvihill designed
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the Cannonball Loop on
the back of a napkin.
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He's not an architect,
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he's not a designer,
he's not an engineer.
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He has no business
building this thing.
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The Cannonball
Loop was so dangerous looking
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and so ill-conceived
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that him and his
workers didn't want to
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try it out and test it.
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So Gene gets his
son to test this water slide.
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His son doesn't even have
enough faith in Gene.
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He decides, hey, I'm
gonna go down it, dad,
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but I'm gonna go down it
in full-blown hockey gear.
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And this is a slide designed
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for people in bathing suits,
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okay, not hockey gear.
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Gene Mulvihill using his
son to test out this ride
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just says so much
about attitudes
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around parenting from that era.
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Then Mulvihill
starts paying park employees,
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mostly high school
students, to go down.
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Mulvihill offers them $100
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to be the guinea
pigs, essentially.
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So one by one they go
down the water slide
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and there's a problem.
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When they enter the loop,
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the riders have to
have enough speed
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to make it all the
way around the loop.
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If you didn't make it, you
fall back down the tube
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and now you're really stuck.
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You can't go back up
the 60-foot incline
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and you can't go up the loop.
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What do you do?
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The only way to get out
eventually is they lower ropes
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down the tube where the
kids can latch onto it
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and then they pull them
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all the way back out.
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They finally decide that
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there's enough
people getting stuck
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that they have to create
this hatch to get people out.
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This was a ride that
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had its own escape hatch.
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That's how bad it was.
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But amazingly, getting stuck
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is not the worst
possible outcome.
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People would
come out and be like,
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why am I bleeding from here,
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why am I bleeding from here?
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It's a water ride.
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How are people getting cut?
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They open a hatch
and they see that
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people were losing
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their teeth on the ride.
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The teeth would get
embedded into the ride
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like shards of glass
and then we would
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just go on it and shoot around
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and get cut up by
people's teeth.
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People's teeth!
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The Cannonball
Loop causes so much carnage
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that responsible adults
are forced to intervene.
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So many people
had been injured
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that the advisory board said,
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hey, we got to put
the brakes on this.
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The ride is
only open for a month,
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00:09:00,375 --> 00:09:04,374
but the park itself hangs
on for another 11 years.
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A lot of these things
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that we talk about
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sound kind of dangerous and
perhaps too risky for children
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to be engaging with.
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But as someone that like
lived through that era,
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there was a sense of
pride in acknowledging
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and surviving the danger.
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That was Action Park
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00:09:23,042 --> 00:09:25,042
and I couldn't wait
to go back next year.
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So many people got
hurt at Action Park
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that healthcare workers
nicknamed the place
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Traction Park.
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Americans have loved
the thrill of auto races
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since cars first hit the
streets in the 1880s.
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People wanted to see
drivers push themselves
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to breakneck speeds,
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a term that for some early
racers was quite literal.
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It's hard to imagine
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the newness of a car.
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They come out of nowhere
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and people want to see them.
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00:10:05,792 --> 00:10:09,541
Almost as soon as we have
cars, we have car races.
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Back in the
day it was very lawless.
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You did not have sanctioning
bodies, you did not have rules.
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By 1900 cars
were able to reach
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a speed up to 70 miles an hour
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and that's when the craziness
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of auto racing really takes off.
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This is still new technology
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that now people are
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pushing to the limits.
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Keep in mind, there's
no safety regulations.
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00:10:37,583 --> 00:10:39,207
There's no seat belts.
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00:10:40,917 --> 00:10:42,166
There's definitely no helmets,
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so a lot of times
during the races,
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00:10:45,250 --> 00:10:47,166
these drivers were
just getting thrown out
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00:10:47,167 --> 00:10:49,207
if they didn't catch
on fire beforehand.
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By the 1920s the
sport becomes so popular,
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promoters roll out
a new invention,
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a type of racetrack
called the motordrome.
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At Altoona, Pennsylvania,
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they got rid of the dust
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00:11:02,167 --> 00:11:04,082
by building a wondrous
wooden saucer,
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00:11:04,083 --> 00:11:06,541
which became more oil
soaked and slippery.
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00:11:08,833 --> 00:11:10,457
Essentially,
these were hastily
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00:11:10,458 --> 00:11:14,207
constructed cheap tracks
that were made of planking,
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00:11:14,208 --> 00:11:16,374
but to make it the
spectacle more exciting,
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they began making banked tracks.
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It was pretty cool
262
00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:22,458
because you could
see all the action,
263
00:11:22,625 --> 00:11:25,124
they would be sort of contained
and the track could travel,
264
00:11:25,125 --> 00:11:27,416
but it was still
just as dangerous
265
00:11:27,417 --> 00:11:29,374
as any racing was before it.
266
00:11:30,708 --> 00:11:32,082
Because the wooden planks
267
00:11:32,083 --> 00:11:34,999
of a board track can be
disassembled and reassembled,
268
00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,874
it moves around frequently
to different venues,
269
00:11:37,875 --> 00:11:40,749
which also makes
it very unstable.
270
00:11:40,750 --> 00:11:44,249
You have relatively
inexperienced drivers
271
00:11:44,250 --> 00:11:47,541
on relatively unproven
pieces of machinery,
272
00:11:47,542 --> 00:11:50,582
hurtling around a
hastily made track
273
00:11:50,583 --> 00:11:52,416
that would sometimes
disintegrate
274
00:11:52,417 --> 00:11:54,249
while driving on it.
275
00:11:54,250 --> 00:11:55,666
And if it sounds scary,
276
00:11:55,667 --> 00:11:57,291
it's because it was
277
00:11:57,292 --> 00:11:58,916
freaking terrifying.
278
00:12:00,333 --> 00:12:01,291
So you also have to worry
279
00:12:01,292 --> 00:12:02,207
about the actual track,
280
00:12:02,208 --> 00:12:04,874
the boards coming up
and disintegrating.
281
00:12:04,875 --> 00:12:06,291
When you're
there as a spectator,
282
00:12:06,292 --> 00:12:07,874
you'll have to keep
your head on a swivel
283
00:12:07,875 --> 00:12:08,957
of whether or not you're gonna
284
00:12:08,958 --> 00:12:10,874
catch a stake in the throat
285
00:12:10,875 --> 00:12:12,208
shooting off this racetrack.
286
00:12:15,875 --> 00:12:18,874
These races
are pure pandemonium.
287
00:12:18,875 --> 00:12:21,916
And in fact, as the speed
and danger increased,
288
00:12:26,375 --> 00:12:29,666
fans started referring to the
board tracks as murderdromes.
289
00:12:31,333 --> 00:12:34,457
These risks make
board track racing a huge draw,
290
00:12:34,458 --> 00:12:38,207
even more popular than races
like the Indianapolis 500.
291
00:12:38,208 --> 00:12:41,582
Because of how
dangerous the sport was,
292
00:12:43,625 --> 00:12:45,207
board track racing
293
00:12:45,208 --> 00:12:46,541
was a phenomenon.
294
00:12:48,083 --> 00:12:51,374
Famously, one year in Chicago,
80,000 people show up
295
00:12:51,375 --> 00:12:53,416
to see a board track race,
296
00:12:53,417 --> 00:12:55,749
when only 60,000 had showed up
297
00:12:55,750 --> 00:12:58,417
to the Indianapolis
500 the same year.
298
00:13:00,375 --> 00:13:02,457
You would
assume that safety concerns
299
00:13:02,458 --> 00:13:05,582
is really what ultimately
ended board track racing.
300
00:13:08,458 --> 00:13:09,499
But that's not it.
301
00:13:09,500 --> 00:13:11,166
Nobody cared about that.
302
00:13:11,167 --> 00:13:12,874
The Great Depression sunk in
303
00:13:12,875 --> 00:13:14,749
and then suddenly it
just wasn't feasible
304
00:13:14,750 --> 00:13:16,874
to take these tracks
apart and move them around
305
00:13:16,875 --> 00:13:18,541
and try to have whole
races with them.
306
00:13:20,042 --> 00:13:22,957
I am glad that I was
not alive in that era
307
00:13:22,958 --> 00:13:27,374
because I would not step foot
on a board track race track.
308
00:13:27,375 --> 00:13:28,874
It's insanity, honestly.
309
00:13:31,125 --> 00:13:34,541
Board track racing was
just one of the sports
310
00:13:34,542 --> 00:13:36,749
that adventurous
Americans invented
311
00:13:36,750 --> 00:13:38,916
in the early 20th century.
312
00:13:38,917 --> 00:13:42,916
Polo may have been called a
sport of kings in England,
313
00:13:42,917 --> 00:13:44,957
but the game didn't
take off in the states
314
00:13:44,958 --> 00:13:48,207
until thrill jockeys
developed a version
315
00:13:48,208 --> 00:13:50,832
with a lot more horsepower.
316
00:13:52,250 --> 00:13:54,749
Almost every
sport has its origins
317
00:13:54,750 --> 00:13:57,249
in some real danger.
318
00:13:57,250 --> 00:14:01,166
Polo seems pretty dangerous
with horses flying around
319
00:14:01,167 --> 00:14:04,582
and jockeys with
mallets swinging them
320
00:14:04,583 --> 00:14:06,874
as hard as they can at balls.
321
00:14:06,875 --> 00:14:09,207
But just like imagine
this in a car.
322
00:14:10,458 --> 00:14:11,707
If you're
anxious to risk life and limb,
323
00:14:11,708 --> 00:14:14,082
here's an ideal game, auto polo.
324
00:14:14,083 --> 00:14:16,874
We're gonna
take this sport from the UK,
325
00:14:16,875 --> 00:14:18,624
which is so prestigious
and we're just gonna
326
00:14:18,625 --> 00:14:20,707
redneck it down.
327
00:14:20,708 --> 00:14:22,541
We're gonna play
polo out of our cars.
328
00:14:22,542 --> 00:14:23,458
Great idea.
329
00:14:25,708 --> 00:14:26,999
Auto polo is invented by
330
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,874
Ralph "Pappy" Hankinson in 1911.
331
00:14:29,875 --> 00:14:32,499
He is a Ford dealer
in Topeka, Kansas,
332
00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:35,416
looking for a way
to sell more Fords.
333
00:14:35,417 --> 00:14:38,332
Hankinson comes up
with a promotional idea,
334
00:14:38,333 --> 00:14:41,499
modeled along the
lines of horse polo,
335
00:14:41,500 --> 00:14:43,124
but instead of riding a horse,
336
00:14:43,125 --> 00:14:46,874
people will be driving one
of these new Model T Fords.
337
00:14:50,208 --> 00:14:51,457
This idea
really came to Pappy
338
00:14:51,458 --> 00:14:53,374
because other people
were doing it.
339
00:14:53,375 --> 00:14:55,416
They were just playing
around in their farms.
340
00:14:55,417 --> 00:14:58,499
And Pappy is really the one
that comes up with the idea
341
00:14:58,500 --> 00:15:02,416
to make formalized rules around
it and call it auto polo.
342
00:15:02,417 --> 00:15:05,041
In auto polo,
you have the driver
343
00:15:05,042 --> 00:15:07,041
and then in the passenger seat
344
00:15:07,042 --> 00:15:09,041
you have the mallet man
345
00:15:09,042 --> 00:15:10,499
and that person's
job is to whack
346
00:15:10,500 --> 00:15:12,041
a large ball about the
size of a basketball
347
00:15:12,042 --> 00:15:15,041
into a goal while
traveling very fast,
348
00:15:15,042 --> 00:15:18,832
leading to accidents,
crashes, all kinds of mayhem.
349
00:15:18,833 --> 00:15:20,624
Just think
about this, right?
350
00:15:20,625 --> 00:15:23,166
The car's trying to go as fast
as it can to get to the ball,
351
00:15:23,167 --> 00:15:25,374
just like a horse would in polo,
352
00:15:25,375 --> 00:15:29,166
but what if the driver
slams on the brakes?
353
00:15:29,167 --> 00:15:32,124
The mallet man is going flying,
354
00:15:32,125 --> 00:15:35,041
but they're flying
right into a field
355
00:15:35,042 --> 00:15:36,832
with a bunch of other cars.
356
00:15:38,083 --> 00:15:39,582
People refer to baseball
357
00:15:39,583 --> 00:15:42,207
as the national pastime,
boxing is the sweet science,
358
00:15:42,208 --> 00:15:44,916
but do you know what
auto polo is known as?
359
00:15:44,917 --> 00:15:47,541
The undertaker's delight.
360
00:15:48,875 --> 00:15:49,666
If they
were doing it today,
361
00:15:49,667 --> 00:15:50,874
I would go and watch it.
362
00:15:50,875 --> 00:15:53,207
A couple of drunk good old boys
363
00:15:53,208 --> 00:15:54,332
in a couple of pickup trucks
364
00:15:54,333 --> 00:15:56,082
with some mallet
whacking a ball around
365
00:15:56,083 --> 00:15:58,374
causing all sorts of
mayhem and destruction.
366
00:15:59,167 --> 00:16:00,500
Almost overnight,
367
00:16:00,667 --> 00:16:04,291
auto polo goes from country
fields to the big city.
368
00:16:04,292 --> 00:16:05,791
By 1912, just one year
369
00:16:05,792 --> 00:16:07,082
after Hankinson
starts the thing,
370
00:16:07,083 --> 00:16:08,957
they're doing auto polo in
371
00:16:08,958 --> 00:16:11,124
Madison Square Garden
in New York City.
372
00:16:11,125 --> 00:16:13,541
They started
drawing crowds of 5,000 people
373
00:16:13,542 --> 00:16:15,874
because they would show
up for the competition,
374
00:16:15,875 --> 00:16:17,624
but they would stay
for the carnage.
375
00:16:20,167 --> 00:16:21,541
In the course
of a typical match,
376
00:16:21,542 --> 00:16:24,124
cars roll over, they
crash into the stands,
377
00:16:24,125 --> 00:16:26,416
players get ejected
from the cars,
378
00:16:26,417 --> 00:16:28,166
they're suffering
tremendous head injuries.
379
00:16:28,167 --> 00:16:29,749
Some cases losing limbs.
380
00:16:29,750 --> 00:16:31,541
It got so bad
that they started having
381
00:16:31,542 --> 00:16:34,541
doctors and nurses as
a part of the teams.
382
00:16:35,583 --> 00:16:36,541
It doesn't take long
383
00:16:36,542 --> 00:16:38,082
for the cars to start
getting modified
384
00:16:38,083 --> 00:16:39,582
to be better competitors.
385
00:16:39,583 --> 00:16:41,166
So they might chop the top
386
00:16:41,167 --> 00:16:42,999
or put like a ramming
bar on the front.
387
00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,332
I mean it became like
a demolition derby,
388
00:16:45,333 --> 00:16:47,457
but some dude's
hanging out the side.
389
00:16:47,458 --> 00:16:50,708
And it's not just
the players in harm's way.
390
00:16:51,917 --> 00:16:53,624
You get a
point for each goal,
391
00:16:53,625 --> 00:16:57,374
but if you run over the referee,
you only lose half a point.
392
00:16:57,375 --> 00:16:59,291
Can you imagine a sport
393
00:16:59,292 --> 00:17:01,957
that doesn't punish
you for hitting the ref
394
00:17:01,958 --> 00:17:04,041
with a car?
395
00:17:04,042 --> 00:17:06,666
And that's why fans
absolutely love it.
396
00:17:07,917 --> 00:17:08,999
Here's a
deadly sport in which
397
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:10,416
the cars are getting destroyed
398
00:17:10,417 --> 00:17:11,707
because they're
hitting each other,
399
00:17:11,708 --> 00:17:12,791
they're running over refs,
400
00:17:12,792 --> 00:17:14,832
people are are losing body parts
401
00:17:14,833 --> 00:17:16,374
because they're getting clipped.
402
00:17:16,375 --> 00:17:18,124
And as fun as that is to watch,
403
00:17:18,125 --> 00:17:20,333
it's a nightmare financially.
404
00:17:21,458 --> 00:17:23,332
Obviously the danger in this sport
405
00:17:23,333 --> 00:17:25,125
is what led to it
going away, right?
406
00:17:25,375 --> 00:17:26,416
No.
407
00:17:26,417 --> 00:17:27,624
It was that people
were like, yeah,
408
00:17:27,625 --> 00:17:29,249
I really don't want
to smash up my car.
409
00:17:29,250 --> 00:17:31,541
It's really expensive.
410
00:17:31,542 --> 00:17:32,458
There's the irony.
411
00:17:35,958 --> 00:17:38,082
Auto polo's popularity
ran out of gas
412
00:17:38,083 --> 00:17:39,624
during the Great Depression
413
00:17:39,625 --> 00:17:42,332
due to the high
cost of car repairs.
414
00:17:42,333 --> 00:17:44,916
Well, it turns out that
most insurance companies
415
00:17:44,917 --> 00:17:47,042
won't cover auto polo damage.
416
00:17:51,208 --> 00:17:52,707
Remember the golden
age of televised stunts
417
00:17:52,708 --> 00:17:54,249
back in the 70s?
418
00:17:54,250 --> 00:17:57,499
Daredevils like Evel
Knievel risked life and limb
419
00:17:57,500 --> 00:18:00,832
as millions of
Americans watched on TV.
420
00:18:00,833 --> 00:18:05,291
And one stunt man soared above
the rest, a mysterious figure
421
00:18:05,292 --> 00:18:06,416
who was willing to go to
422
00:18:06,417 --> 00:18:09,832
any length and
height to entertain.
423
00:18:11,458 --> 00:18:12,832
In the age of TikTok,
424
00:18:12,833 --> 00:18:14,374
there's all sorts of challenges
425
00:18:14,375 --> 00:18:16,916
and stunts people do to
get attention and likes,
426
00:18:16,917 --> 00:18:18,499
but in the 60s and 70s,
427
00:18:18,500 --> 00:18:20,249
if you wanted to get noticed,
428
00:18:20,250 --> 00:18:22,207
you had to do something big
429
00:18:22,208 --> 00:18:24,041
and it had to be extreme.
430
00:18:26,417 --> 00:18:28,374
And the biggest
daredevil of the day
431
00:18:28,375 --> 00:18:30,083
was Evel Knievel.
432
00:18:31,250 --> 00:18:33,374
Evel Knievel was a master
433
00:18:33,375 --> 00:18:36,041
of clearing extreme distances,
434
00:18:36,042 --> 00:18:39,874
jumping over buses, cars, lions,
435
00:18:39,875 --> 00:18:41,791
things I would never do.
436
00:18:41,792 --> 00:18:42,791
But there is someone
437
00:18:42,792 --> 00:18:45,875
who's out to top Evel Knievel.
438
00:18:47,542 --> 00:18:49,457
There's
this Canadian guy
439
00:18:49,458 --> 00:18:53,207
in a full body suit and a mask
who shows up on the scene.
440
00:18:53,208 --> 00:18:55,375
He calls himself the Human Fly.
441
00:18:56,708 --> 00:18:58,749
He literally looks
like right out of a comic book.
442
00:18:58,750 --> 00:19:00,582
He even says Evel Knievel
443
00:19:00,583 --> 00:19:01,999
is his archenemy.
444
00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:03,333
Great marketing.
445
00:19:03,708 --> 00:19:07,041
Right out of the gate he
decides to out-evil Evel
446
00:19:07,042 --> 00:19:08,541
with his own stunt.
447
00:19:08,542 --> 00:19:12,041
He's going to ride an airplane
about 300 miles an hour
448
00:19:12,042 --> 00:19:13,874
on top of the plane.
449
00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:19,082
In order to pull this off,
they're going to strap him
450
00:19:19,083 --> 00:19:21,832
to this metal pole
on top of the plane
451
00:19:21,833 --> 00:19:24,707
and they have to
run this by the FAA.
452
00:19:24,708 --> 00:19:27,082
The FAA hears this
harebrained scheme
453
00:19:27,083 --> 00:19:30,374
and their one bit
is wear a helmet.
454
00:19:30,375 --> 00:19:32,291
300 miles per hour
up in the air?
455
00:19:32,292 --> 00:19:35,332
What's a helmet gonna do
if anything goes wrong?
456
00:19:35,333 --> 00:19:38,999
On June 19th,
1976, he boards his flight.
457
00:19:40,292 --> 00:19:41,917
A passenger of one
458
00:19:43,333 --> 00:19:47,332
on top of a Douglas DC8
four-engine jetiner
459
00:19:47,333 --> 00:19:50,041
for a 300-mile-an-hour flight
460
00:19:50,042 --> 00:19:52,583
over California's Mojave Desert.
461
00:19:54,083 --> 00:19:56,249
This is a major media event.
462
00:19:56,250 --> 00:19:58,749
Brett Musburger
is there from CBS.
463
00:19:58,750 --> 00:19:59,833
Everybody's watching.
464
00:20:02,417 --> 00:20:05,541
After 15 minutes in
the air, the plane lands
465
00:20:05,542 --> 00:20:08,707
and the Human Fly
waves to the crowd.
466
00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,291
I thought this
was the greatest stunt
467
00:20:12,292 --> 00:20:13,874
I'd ever seen before.
468
00:20:13,875 --> 00:20:16,332
I couldn't believe he survived.
469
00:20:16,333 --> 00:20:18,041
It seems
to be a success,
470
00:20:18,042 --> 00:20:21,999
but the television crew records
him going to the ambulance
471
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,707
for burns suffered on his legs.
472
00:20:24,708 --> 00:20:26,041
Despite his injuries,
473
00:20:26,042 --> 00:20:29,416
the successful stunt
earned him superhero status
474
00:20:29,417 --> 00:20:31,874
and a Marvel comic book.
475
00:20:31,875 --> 00:20:35,499
But the Human Fly has
something even bigger in store
476
00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:38,457
to upstage his nemesis.
477
00:20:38,458 --> 00:20:40,874
So the Human Fly's
plan was fantastic.
478
00:20:40,875 --> 00:20:44,124
He said Evel Knievel's
gonna jump 13 buses.
479
00:20:44,125 --> 00:20:45,457
Anybody could just be like,
480
00:20:45,458 --> 00:20:49,332
I'll jump 14 buses,
maybe 15 buses.
481
00:20:50,833 --> 00:20:53,624
The Human Fly says that
he's gonna go for 27 buses.
482
00:20:53,625 --> 00:20:55,582
You'd think that somebody
in his crew would be like,
483
00:20:55,583 --> 00:20:57,249
hey, Human Fly,
like maybe you know,
484
00:20:57,250 --> 00:20:58,541
you don't have to
really do that.
485
00:20:58,542 --> 00:21:01,541
So his motorcycle engineer
comes up with the idea
486
00:21:01,542 --> 00:21:04,916
to build him a rocket-
powered motorcycle.
487
00:21:04,917 --> 00:21:06,957
He replaces the
motorcycle's engine
488
00:21:06,958 --> 00:21:11,749
with two 1500-pound-thrust
hydrogen peroxide rockets.
489
00:21:11,750 --> 00:21:14,082
There's no laps, no
getting up to speed.
490
00:21:14,083 --> 00:21:16,707
They just place the Harley
at the bottom of the ramp,
491
00:21:16,708 --> 00:21:19,916
the Fly gets on,
presses the button,
492
00:21:19,917 --> 00:21:22,041
holds on tight and prays.
493
00:21:29,375 --> 00:21:33,374
He lands short of
the ramp, crashing near bus 19.
494
00:21:34,500 --> 00:21:36,291
He breaks
Evel's record,
495
00:21:36,292 --> 00:21:38,499
but he also pays the price.
496
00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:41,499
He's carried off on a stretcher
with serious injuries.
497
00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:42,749
Here's the crazy part.
498
00:21:42,750 --> 00:21:46,249
He's never heard
from ever again.
499
00:21:46,250 --> 00:21:47,624
As a kid,
500
00:21:47,625 --> 00:21:49,457
I didn't think much of
it when he disappeared,
501
00:21:49,458 --> 00:21:50,957
I guess I just didn't realize it
502
00:21:50,958 --> 00:21:52,166
until it was too late
503
00:21:52,167 --> 00:21:54,166
and I was like, hey, what
happened to the Human Fly?
504
00:21:54,167 --> 00:21:57,832
No one has ever seen the
Human Fly since that day.
505
00:21:57,833 --> 00:21:58,999
That was it.
506
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:00,874
I mean, talk about going
out with a blaze of glory.
507
00:22:00,875 --> 00:22:04,291
In the end, the Human
Fly's time in the limelight
508
00:22:04,292 --> 00:22:08,499
was brief like a rocket-
fueled flash in the pan.
509
00:22:08,500 --> 00:22:11,374
30 years later,
another short-lived fad
510
00:22:11,375 --> 00:22:14,416
had an amateur
daredevil flying high
511
00:22:14,417 --> 00:22:16,832
before crashing
back down to earth.
512
00:22:20,083 --> 00:22:23,041
Recreational boating hit its peak in 2005,
513
00:22:23,042 --> 00:22:26,374
and at that time there was
something like 80 million
514
00:22:26,375 --> 00:22:27,999
Americans spending
their weekends
515
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,041
and summers out on the water.
516
00:22:30,042 --> 00:22:32,750
And what do people
love to do when boating?
517
00:22:33,583 --> 00:22:34,707
Tubing.
518
00:22:39,708 --> 00:22:41,041
The most fun part is
519
00:22:41,042 --> 00:22:42,374
when you get a little airborne,
520
00:22:43,875 --> 00:22:46,832
but it's like for a
fraction of a second.
521
00:22:47,708 --> 00:22:49,582
So somebody got the bright idea,
522
00:22:49,583 --> 00:22:52,999
what if we can make that
airborne time last even longer?
523
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,957
What I love about
Americans, you got a boat,
524
00:22:56,958 --> 00:22:58,874
let's go out on the water
and have a good day.
525
00:22:58,875 --> 00:23:00,416
Not good enough.
526
00:23:00,417 --> 00:23:03,166
Let's get a rope and
let's put a tube on it.
527
00:23:03,167 --> 00:23:04,374
Not enough.
528
00:23:04,375 --> 00:23:06,541
What if like there's
a device on the tube
529
00:23:06,542 --> 00:23:09,042
that lifts the tube into the air
530
00:23:10,958 --> 00:23:12,375
and flies it around?
531
00:23:13,417 --> 00:23:15,707
In the fall of 2005,
532
00:23:15,708 --> 00:23:20,500
the introduction of kite tubes
takes tubing to new heights.
533
00:23:25,875 --> 00:23:26,875
Kite tubes,
534
00:23:27,042 --> 00:23:30,041
they don't just bounce
on a couple of waves,
535
00:23:30,042 --> 00:23:31,542
they're made to take flight.
536
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,541
When you hit the wave,
you lift on the handles
537
00:23:35,542 --> 00:23:37,917
and now the tube goes airborne.
538
00:23:39,042 --> 00:23:41,332
Going up
in the air 20 feet
539
00:23:41,333 --> 00:23:43,457
is nothing for a kite tube.
540
00:23:43,458 --> 00:23:45,874
And depending on
weather conditions,
541
00:23:45,875 --> 00:23:48,332
you could even go
higher than that.
542
00:23:48,333 --> 00:23:51,124
It's tube, kite, air, boat.
543
00:23:53,333 --> 00:23:54,917
People loved it.
544
00:23:56,042 --> 00:23:57,541
In the first
nine months or so,
545
00:23:57,542 --> 00:23:59,916
they're selling 2,000
kite tubes a month.
546
00:23:59,917 --> 00:24:02,582
The kite tube
attracts so much attention,
547
00:24:02,583 --> 00:24:04,707
it's named Product of the Year
548
00:24:04,708 --> 00:24:07,999
by the Sporting Goods
Manufacturer's Association.
549
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,124
It's an honor that's
given a little too soon.
550
00:24:12,708 --> 00:24:13,582
When you're in the kite tube,
551
00:24:13,583 --> 00:24:15,124
you're not even strapped in.
552
00:24:15,125 --> 00:24:16,791
There's no safety precautions.
553
00:24:16,792 --> 00:24:18,832
You got two little handles,
554
00:24:18,833 --> 00:24:21,541
then you got your feet in this
little holster but that's it.
555
00:24:21,542 --> 00:24:23,457
There is no
steering mechanism,
556
00:24:23,458 --> 00:24:25,041
there's no braking mechanism.
557
00:24:25,042 --> 00:24:26,957
If something goes awry,
558
00:24:26,958 --> 00:24:28,541
you have no control.
559
00:24:28,542 --> 00:24:30,291
You're crashing
back down to earth.
560
00:24:35,917 --> 00:24:37,666
When you
hit 25 miles per hour,
561
00:24:37,667 --> 00:24:40,291
you get about 10 feet of air.
562
00:24:40,292 --> 00:24:43,250
But you go a little faster,
you're 20, 30, 40 feet.
563
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,207
You're like four stories high
right now, that's a high fall.
564
00:24:52,542 --> 00:24:54,707
If you
fall from that height,
565
00:24:54,708 --> 00:24:57,582
the water is not going
to be cushiony and soft.
566
00:24:57,583 --> 00:25:00,457
It is going to be like
smacking a brick wall
567
00:25:00,458 --> 00:25:02,166
at 50 miles an hour.
568
00:25:02,167 --> 00:25:03,708
Ohhh!
569
00:25:05,708 --> 00:25:08,582
So of course there are
dozens and dozens of injuries.
570
00:25:08,583 --> 00:25:11,957
People would break bones,
would knock out teeth,
571
00:25:11,958 --> 00:25:14,916
would just skip like a
stone across the water
572
00:25:14,917 --> 00:25:17,541
and two people actually died.
573
00:25:17,542 --> 00:25:19,416
The kite
tube's popularity
574
00:25:19,417 --> 00:25:20,999
is quickly overshadowed
575
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,332
by its reputation
for injury and death.
576
00:25:24,333 --> 00:25:26,582
Kite tubes are only
around for about a year
577
00:25:26,583 --> 00:25:28,000
when they're taken
off the market.
578
00:25:28,458 --> 00:25:32,207
The kite tube is
a little bit like Icarus.
579
00:25:32,208 --> 00:25:37,041
It flew too close to
the sun and it maimed
580
00:25:37,042 --> 00:25:40,042
and killed too many
people and it was gone.
581
00:25:43,375 --> 00:25:44,625
But what an idea.
582
00:25:45,375 --> 00:25:47,041
What an idea.
583
00:25:47,042 --> 00:25:49,916
It was reckless,
it was short-lived
584
00:25:49,917 --> 00:25:54,083
and for those who tried it
and survived, unforgettable.
585
00:25:58,208 --> 00:26:00,207
Remember the expression,
get off your high horse?
586
00:26:00,208 --> 00:26:02,874
Well, for certain thrill
seekers, decades ago,
587
00:26:02,875 --> 00:26:06,707
the drop was steep and
the landing was wet.
588
00:26:08,042 --> 00:26:09,541
So it's the
turn of the century,
589
00:26:09,542 --> 00:26:12,791
Coney Island is still
America's playground.
590
00:26:12,792 --> 00:26:15,332
One thing that has captured
America's consciousness
591
00:26:15,333 --> 00:26:18,958
in their leisure activities
are diving horses.
592
00:26:21,958 --> 00:26:25,749
Coney Island is like
the Disneyland of the day
593
00:26:25,750 --> 00:26:28,791
and the diving horses
are an immediate hit.
594
00:26:28,792 --> 00:26:32,041
Even Thomas Edison was
at one of these shows
595
00:26:32,042 --> 00:26:36,332
filming the horse plunging as
part of his early experiment
596
00:26:36,333 --> 00:26:37,874
with moving pictures.
597
00:26:37,875 --> 00:26:41,374
Then a man named
Doc Carver enters the picture.
598
00:26:41,375 --> 00:26:44,624
He's got an idea to up the ante.
599
00:26:44,625 --> 00:26:45,791
In 1906,
600
00:26:45,792 --> 00:26:48,207
Carver introduces
Lorena Lawrence,
601
00:26:48,208 --> 00:26:51,875
known as the Girl in
Red, diving on horses.
602
00:26:53,250 --> 00:26:54,582
She gets on the horse
603
00:26:54,583 --> 00:26:57,916
and then they dive
together 40 feet down.
604
00:27:00,292 --> 00:27:03,041
Even when you hear
it, it sounds preposterous.
605
00:27:03,042 --> 00:27:04,707
A horse that can high dive?
606
00:27:04,708 --> 00:27:06,541
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but
there's also a person on it.
607
00:27:06,542 --> 00:27:08,749
Neither of those make sense.
608
00:27:08,750 --> 00:27:10,874
By the 1920s,
609
00:27:10,875 --> 00:27:14,374
Carver's ready to introduce
horse diving's next big star.
610
00:27:14,375 --> 00:27:17,249
This 19-year-old
woman in small town Georgia,
611
00:27:17,250 --> 00:27:20,624
Sonora Webster, sees
an ad in the newspaper
612
00:27:20,625 --> 00:27:22,707
and it's like, do
you like horses,
613
00:27:22,708 --> 00:27:25,041
do you like to dive,
do you like to travel?
614
00:27:25,042 --> 00:27:26,791
And she's like, yeah, that's me.
615
00:27:26,792 --> 00:27:28,582
So she responds to this ad.
616
00:27:28,583 --> 00:27:30,166
Sonora and Company set up shop
617
00:27:30,167 --> 00:27:32,874
on the steel pier in
Atlantic City, New Jersey,
618
00:27:32,875 --> 00:27:35,042
and the audience
response is massive.
619
00:27:38,208 --> 00:27:40,124
The tanks that these
horses are jumping into
620
00:27:40,125 --> 00:27:42,874
are only about 10
to 14 feet deep.
621
00:27:42,875 --> 00:27:44,832
Compare that to Olympic divers,
622
00:27:44,833 --> 00:27:48,707
their tanks have a depth
of 16 feet at minimum.
623
00:27:50,542 --> 00:27:52,499
Very many people have asked me
624
00:27:52,500 --> 00:27:54,207
if I'm not afraid
to ride the horses,
625
00:27:54,208 --> 00:27:57,082
and all I can say is that I
would never ride them if I was.
626
00:27:57,083 --> 00:28:00,832
Sonora is horse
diving's most renowned rider.
627
00:28:00,833 --> 00:28:04,042
But in 1931, tragedy strikes.
628
00:28:05,042 --> 00:28:07,541
Usually she closes her eyes
629
00:28:07,542 --> 00:28:09,041
when she hits the water.
630
00:28:09,042 --> 00:28:12,666
One day the horse gets off
in the wrong direction.
631
00:28:12,667 --> 00:28:15,458
Webster's not sure
of her landing,
632
00:28:16,708 --> 00:28:19,332
and she has her eyes open.
633
00:28:19,333 --> 00:28:20,707
When she hit the water,
634
00:28:20,708 --> 00:28:22,707
the force detached
635
00:28:22,708 --> 00:28:24,041
both of her retinas.
636
00:28:24,042 --> 00:28:26,375
She would be blind
from that day forward.
637
00:28:27,458 --> 00:28:29,833
Sonora spends
a year recuperating,
638
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,707
and then she starts horse
diving again, blind.
639
00:28:34,708 --> 00:28:38,291
Imagine taking that
leap on a horse
640
00:28:38,292 --> 00:28:39,957
into a pool of water
641
00:28:39,958 --> 00:28:41,916
and not being able
to see your landing
642
00:28:41,917 --> 00:28:43,500
or know when it's gonna happen.
643
00:28:44,542 --> 00:28:46,332
Sonora continues her horse dives
644
00:28:46,333 --> 00:28:49,582
in Atlantic City for
another 11 years,
645
00:28:49,583 --> 00:28:51,541
and that cements her in history
646
00:28:51,542 --> 00:28:55,249
as the last great
horse diving star.
647
00:28:55,250 --> 00:28:57,082
It finally
stops in 1978
648
00:28:57,083 --> 00:28:59,874
and it's not out of concern
for the rider's welfare,
649
00:28:59,875 --> 00:29:01,457
it's actually because
of the potential
650
00:29:01,458 --> 00:29:04,375
of profound injury to the horse.
651
00:29:05,583 --> 00:29:07,249
As horse diving faded,
652
00:29:07,250 --> 00:29:10,207
Americans hit the
water on surfboards
653
00:29:10,208 --> 00:29:12,374
and then someone
had the bright idea
654
00:29:12,375 --> 00:29:15,291
to put wheels on a board
and hit the streets.
655
00:29:15,292 --> 00:29:18,249
Today, skateboarding
is an Olympic sport
656
00:29:18,250 --> 00:29:21,332
where riders are
judged on their style,
657
00:29:21,333 --> 00:29:23,916
but back in the 70s,
what really mattered
658
00:29:23,917 --> 00:29:26,291
was how fast you could go.
659
00:29:27,792 --> 00:29:31,207
Skateboarding, it
starts as just a local fad,
660
00:29:31,208 --> 00:29:34,041
dominating the Southern
California culture.
661
00:29:34,042 --> 00:29:38,082
By the 1970s, it grew to
become a national trend.
662
00:29:38,083 --> 00:29:39,832
Skateboard competitions begin
663
00:29:39,833 --> 00:29:41,499
to pop up everywhere,
664
00:29:41,500 --> 00:29:44,874
but those early competitions
usually involve simple tricks
665
00:29:44,875 --> 00:29:47,999
or maneuvering around
orange street cones.
666
00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:49,749
The boards in those
days were primitive,
667
00:29:49,750 --> 00:29:51,457
nothing like today.
668
00:29:51,458 --> 00:29:53,332
There were basically wood planks
669
00:29:53,333 --> 00:29:55,791
with roller skate
wheels attached.
670
00:29:55,792 --> 00:29:57,207
How fast can we go
671
00:29:57,208 --> 00:29:59,792
before we burn the wheels
into molten plastic?
672
00:30:01,042 --> 00:30:04,249
And the answer was Signal Hill.
673
00:30:04,250 --> 00:30:08,166
In 1975, in the
hilltop town of Signal Hill
674
00:30:08,167 --> 00:30:11,874
near Long Beach, a promoter
decides to launch a contest
675
00:30:11,875 --> 00:30:14,749
that will have competitors
racing downhill
676
00:30:14,750 --> 00:30:17,916
in what he calls speed runs.
677
00:30:17,917 --> 00:30:20,832
Signal Hill is about 365 feet
678
00:30:20,833 --> 00:30:23,041
above Long Beach in California.
679
00:30:23,042 --> 00:30:26,041
It has this huge 30-degree
incline on Hill Street,
680
00:30:26,042 --> 00:30:28,582
which is perfect
for these insane
681
00:30:28,583 --> 00:30:30,624
downhill speed competitions.
682
00:30:30,625 --> 00:30:33,874
When a skater
goes down the incline,
683
00:30:33,875 --> 00:30:38,207
their speed increases
with the time squared.
684
00:30:38,208 --> 00:30:40,582
After one second,
you have a speed.
685
00:30:40,583 --> 00:30:43,332
After two seconds, you
have four times that speed,
686
00:30:43,333 --> 00:30:45,624
so your speed increases rapidly.
687
00:30:45,625 --> 00:30:48,500
The higher the hill, the
bigger the speed you gain.
688
00:30:49,958 --> 00:30:51,332
The skateboarders
could possibly
689
00:30:51,333 --> 00:30:54,999
reach speeds of up
to 50 miles an hour.
690
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,999
Now, put this into perspective.
691
00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,291
The US government has just
put a national speed limit
692
00:30:59,292 --> 00:31:02,874
on automobiles at
55 miles an hour.
693
00:31:02,875 --> 00:31:05,000
What could go wrong?
694
00:31:05,917 --> 00:31:06,791
The answer?
695
00:31:06,792 --> 00:31:07,999
Plenty.
696
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:10,416
Only six competitors
dare to show up
697
00:31:10,417 --> 00:31:13,749
but after getting a sneak
peek of the steep downhill,
698
00:31:13,750 --> 00:31:16,582
four drop out, leaving
just Guy Grundy
699
00:31:16,583 --> 00:31:18,374
and Garrison Hitchcock.
700
00:31:18,375 --> 00:31:20,666
Grundy,
he comes prepared
701
00:31:20,667 --> 00:31:22,707
in a leather suit and a helmet.
702
00:31:22,708 --> 00:31:23,707
Other people,
703
00:31:23,708 --> 00:31:24,999
not so much.
704
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:26,707
One guy shows up in
shorts and t-shirt.
705
00:31:26,708 --> 00:31:31,374
He looks at the hill and he's
like, no, I'm not doing that.
706
00:31:31,375 --> 00:31:32,417
You guys are nuts.
707
00:31:34,250 --> 00:31:36,666
Grundy ends up
winning the competition.
708
00:31:39,208 --> 00:31:43,417
He sets a downhill speed
record, 50.2 miles per hour.
709
00:31:44,708 --> 00:31:47,124
Garrison Hitchcock, he
doesn't walk away so happy.
710
00:31:47,125 --> 00:31:49,499
He falls, dislocates
his shoulder
711
00:31:49,500 --> 00:31:51,374
and he's whisked
away in an ambulance.
712
00:31:51,375 --> 00:31:54,082
But that doesn't put
a damper on these speed runs.
713
00:31:54,083 --> 00:31:55,707
Quite the opposite.
714
00:31:55,708 --> 00:31:57,458
It makes them even more popular.
715
00:31:59,042 --> 00:32:00,707
So the next event occurs
716
00:32:00,708 --> 00:32:03,249
and there's thousands
of spectators.
717
00:32:03,250 --> 00:32:06,707
They are rowdy, they want
to see somebody wipe out.
718
00:32:09,875 --> 00:32:11,249
In 1977,
719
00:32:11,250 --> 00:32:14,917
one of Signal Hill's
first female competitors
720
00:32:15,958 --> 00:32:17,542
is a 21-year-old
named Tina Trefethen.
721
00:32:19,208 --> 00:32:24,208
She tops the speed record
at over 57 miles an hour.
722
00:32:24,667 --> 00:32:25,957
57!
723
00:32:25,958 --> 00:32:27,083
Here's the bad news.
724
00:32:28,208 --> 00:32:33,083
She hits a pole, she
breaks both wrists,
725
00:32:34,208 --> 00:32:37,457
cracks some ribs, and
she even loses a lung.
726
00:32:37,458 --> 00:32:39,749
The chaos
of these speed runs
727
00:32:39,750 --> 00:32:42,958
eventually gets the
attention of lawmakers.
728
00:32:44,042 --> 00:32:45,166
In 1980,
729
00:32:45,167 --> 00:32:47,166
LA County passed a law that said
730
00:32:47,167 --> 00:32:50,874
the top speed for a skateboard
was 10 miles an hour.
731
00:32:50,875 --> 00:32:52,749
So it effectively just ended
732
00:32:52,750 --> 00:32:54,999
all of those speed
runs overnight,
733
00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,374
which also means that none
of those speed records
734
00:32:57,375 --> 00:32:59,958
that have been set would
ever be broken again.
735
00:33:02,417 --> 00:33:04,207
Shattered bones heal,
736
00:33:04,208 --> 00:33:08,207
but holding a speed record
in a defunct skateboard race?
737
00:33:08,208 --> 00:33:10,125
That is something that
can never be broken.
738
00:33:14,167 --> 00:33:15,541
Back in the 1800s,
739
00:33:15,542 --> 00:33:17,541
riding the rails was the
best way to see the country.
740
00:33:17,542 --> 00:33:19,999
Train tracks
crisscrossed America,
741
00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,541
connecting cities from
sea to shining sea,
742
00:33:23,542 --> 00:33:26,249
but only the most
adventurous passengers
743
00:33:26,250 --> 00:33:28,874
would dare to ride
the unique railways
744
00:33:28,875 --> 00:33:30,957
found at Coney Island.
745
00:33:32,458 --> 00:33:35,041
Coney Island in the 1880s
746
00:33:35,042 --> 00:33:37,999
is where the entire
world comes to play
747
00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,374
and be mystified and astounded.
748
00:33:40,375 --> 00:33:43,749
And the marquee
attraction of the day
749
00:33:43,750 --> 00:33:46,249
was the Switchback Railway
750
00:33:46,250 --> 00:33:48,916
and it was raking in
the modern equivalent
751
00:33:48,917 --> 00:33:52,624
of $22,000 a day.
752
00:33:53,708 --> 00:33:55,666
The Switchback
topped out at
753
00:33:55,667 --> 00:33:56,916
six miles per hour.
754
00:33:56,917 --> 00:33:59,874
This is really slow compared
to a modern rollercoaster,
755
00:33:59,875 --> 00:34:01,374
but think that back then,
756
00:34:01,375 --> 00:34:03,541
not only were roller
coasters the new thing,
757
00:34:03,542 --> 00:34:06,124
but very few people were
driving around in cars,
758
00:34:06,125 --> 00:34:07,874
so it was actually
pretty exciting.
759
00:34:07,875 --> 00:34:09,832
The people who
own the amusement piers
760
00:34:09,833 --> 00:34:11,666
begin to think, well,
761
00:34:11,667 --> 00:34:13,291
how can they up the ante?
762
00:34:13,292 --> 00:34:15,207
How can they make it go faster?
763
00:34:15,208 --> 00:34:17,582
How can they
increase the thrill?
764
00:34:17,583 --> 00:34:19,291
What they
come up with is
765
00:34:19,292 --> 00:34:22,374
the first American
coaster to go upside down.
766
00:34:22,375 --> 00:34:25,124
It's called the
Flip Flap Railway.
767
00:34:25,125 --> 00:34:28,207
And at the time, it was
the fastest freestanding
768
00:34:28,208 --> 00:34:31,999
rollercoaster in the world
because it has to be.
769
00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:33,124
The key to making
770
00:34:33,125 --> 00:34:35,374
this rollercoaster
work is speed,
771
00:34:35,375 --> 00:34:36,916
so that once you start
going around the loop,
772
00:34:36,917 --> 00:34:38,082
you don't stall at
773
00:34:38,083 --> 00:34:39,874
the top and fall down.
774
00:34:39,875 --> 00:34:43,332
Because there's
nothing but your own body weight
775
00:34:43,333 --> 00:34:45,707
and G-force holding you down,
776
00:34:45,708 --> 00:34:48,416
you have no seat belt,
you have no harness,
777
00:34:48,417 --> 00:34:50,207
you have nothing but yourself,
778
00:34:50,208 --> 00:34:51,374
God and the wind.
779
00:34:53,458 --> 00:34:56,541
The Flip Flap
Railway is a circle
780
00:34:56,542 --> 00:34:59,582
that's about 25
feet in diameter,
781
00:34:59,583 --> 00:35:02,207
and in order to
generate enough speed,
782
00:35:02,208 --> 00:35:04,874
there's an almost
pure vertical drop
783
00:35:04,875 --> 00:35:07,249
where the cars reach
784
00:35:07,250 --> 00:35:09,541
45 miles an hour.
785
00:35:11,625 --> 00:35:12,916
To put it
in perspective,
786
00:35:12,917 --> 00:35:14,541
the first auto race in the US
787
00:35:14,542 --> 00:35:17,791
is held the same year
the Flip Flap opens.
788
00:35:17,792 --> 00:35:21,999
And the cars in that race
average seven miles per hour.
789
00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:23,457
Seven.
790
00:35:23,458 --> 00:35:27,249
So the Flip
Flap is extremely fast.
791
00:35:27,250 --> 00:35:29,207
And even in today's standards,
792
00:35:29,208 --> 00:35:33,457
45 miles per hour on a
roller coaster is getting it.
793
00:35:33,458 --> 00:35:35,791
The speed
is ahead of its time.
794
00:35:35,792 --> 00:35:37,541
But as far as safety measures,
795
00:35:37,542 --> 00:35:39,791
they're making that
up as they go along.
796
00:35:39,792 --> 00:35:41,916
In the late 1800s,
797
00:35:41,917 --> 00:35:43,124
there was no real regulation.
798
00:35:43,125 --> 00:35:45,124
I mean, amusement
parks were new,
799
00:35:45,125 --> 00:35:47,749
and so this was
all experimental.
800
00:35:47,750 --> 00:35:51,249
Modern roller coasters are
made with this teardrop shape.
801
00:35:51,250 --> 00:35:54,207
That way you pull less
G-forces at the bottom
802
00:35:54,208 --> 00:35:57,416
than you otherwise would
in a circular design.
803
00:35:57,417 --> 00:35:59,457
Just for perspective,
804
00:35:59,458 --> 00:36:02,541
a space launch
generates three Gs.
805
00:36:04,667 --> 00:36:08,499
Six Gs is the
maximum a human being
806
00:36:08,500 --> 00:36:11,832
without protective
equipment can really stand.
807
00:36:11,833 --> 00:36:14,124
So the
riders of the Flip Flap,
808
00:36:14,125 --> 00:36:17,207
they will pull 12 Gs.
809
00:36:17,208 --> 00:36:19,374
This is not safe.
810
00:36:19,375 --> 00:36:23,124
So what 12 Gs means
is you'll feel a pressure
811
00:36:23,125 --> 00:36:25,082
12 times your own body
812
00:36:25,083 --> 00:36:27,582
weight pressing down on you.
813
00:36:27,583 --> 00:36:32,332
So that means a 50-pound
child would feel 600 pounds
814
00:36:32,333 --> 00:36:36,249
of invisible weight
pressing down on them.
815
00:36:36,250 --> 00:36:37,749
The scariest rollercoaster
816
00:36:37,750 --> 00:36:39,332
that any of us
have been on today
817
00:36:39,333 --> 00:36:42,833
tops out at about five Gs.
818
00:36:43,875 --> 00:36:45,791
These people were putting
these poor suckers
819
00:36:45,792 --> 00:36:47,374
on a wooden trolley cart
820
00:36:47,375 --> 00:36:49,417
that whipped around like that.
821
00:36:50,375 --> 00:36:51,541
Astronauts couldn't
put up with it.
822
00:36:51,542 --> 00:36:52,791
Do you understand
what I'm saying?
823
00:36:52,792 --> 00:36:55,957
Like astronauts
training to go to space
824
00:36:55,958 --> 00:36:58,541
don't deal with that many Gs.
825
00:36:58,542 --> 00:37:00,082
By today's standards,
826
00:37:00,083 --> 00:37:02,166
we get on these roller
coasters and we feel at home.
827
00:37:02,167 --> 00:37:04,416
We have seat belts,
we have harnesses.
828
00:37:04,417 --> 00:37:06,333
Everything is holding us in.
829
00:37:07,208 --> 00:37:08,707
Not then.
830
00:37:08,708 --> 00:37:11,332
People are
without a harness,
831
00:37:11,333 --> 00:37:14,082
just with enough money
to ride the rollercoaster
832
00:37:14,083 --> 00:37:15,833
and a little bit
of a death wish.
833
00:37:16,750 --> 00:37:17,707
People were passing out,
834
00:37:17,708 --> 00:37:20,332
they were getting bloody noses.
835
00:37:20,333 --> 00:37:22,499
Like they were seeing God.
836
00:37:22,500 --> 00:37:24,332
Their brains were rattling
around their skulls.
837
00:37:24,333 --> 00:37:26,624
They were getting
flattened like pancakes,
838
00:37:26,625 --> 00:37:27,833
and then they'd
have to pay a nickel
839
00:37:28,042 --> 00:37:30,041
or something like that
for the pleasure of it.
840
00:37:30,042 --> 00:37:34,458
Coney Island's Flip Flap
Railway closed for good in 1902
841
00:37:34,708 --> 00:37:36,625
because ultimately
it was a money loser.
842
00:37:40,667 --> 00:37:42,374
Today, in-flight entertainment
843
00:37:42,375 --> 00:37:44,457
for your next plane trip
might include watching a movie
844
00:37:44,458 --> 00:37:46,874
or bingeing your
favorite TV show.
845
00:37:46,875 --> 00:37:50,041
But a century ago,
in-flight entertainment
846
00:37:50,042 --> 00:37:53,041
meant something else entirely.
847
00:37:54,417 --> 00:37:55,749
In the 1920s,
848
00:37:55,750 --> 00:37:58,166
there's a lot of
enthusiasm about aviation.
849
00:37:58,167 --> 00:38:00,207
People are really excited about
850
00:38:00,208 --> 00:38:02,499
exploring the
skies in the world.
851
00:38:02,500 --> 00:38:04,374
World War I
had a huge impact
852
00:38:04,375 --> 00:38:06,207
on aircraft technology.
853
00:38:06,208 --> 00:38:07,832
They were made
more maneuverable,
854
00:38:07,833 --> 00:38:09,166
they were made faster,
855
00:38:09,167 --> 00:38:11,207
but when World War I ended,
856
00:38:11,208 --> 00:38:13,207
there was a surplus
of airplanes.
857
00:38:13,208 --> 00:38:14,666
So what did the government do?
858
00:38:14,667 --> 00:38:17,292
They began to sell
them to civilians.
859
00:38:18,333 --> 00:38:19,582
In the
true American spirit,
860
00:38:19,583 --> 00:38:20,957
these new airplane owners,
861
00:38:20,958 --> 00:38:23,542
they look for a way
to monetize their new hobby.
862
00:38:24,708 --> 00:38:27,832
What they come
up with is barnstorming.
863
00:38:29,208 --> 00:38:30,666
What they would do
is land these planes
864
00:38:30,667 --> 00:38:32,582
in the middle of
these huge farms
865
00:38:32,583 --> 00:38:34,957
and they would invite people
to go for rides with them.
866
00:38:34,958 --> 00:38:37,749
And of course, they're
charging a fee for this.
867
00:38:37,750 --> 00:38:40,207
Some pilots were
just raking in cash.
868
00:38:40,208 --> 00:38:42,582
It was all about trying
to make your ride
869
00:38:42,583 --> 00:38:44,707
better than the next person.
870
00:38:44,708 --> 00:38:48,332
So it very quickly became
a game of showmanship.
871
00:38:49,708 --> 00:38:52,207
Because they were
trying to up the ante,
872
00:38:52,208 --> 00:38:53,541
they got the idea of maybe
873
00:38:53,542 --> 00:38:55,041
we could take someone
else up there with us
874
00:38:55,042 --> 00:38:56,874
and do some stunts on the plane,
875
00:38:56,875 --> 00:38:59,207
but fly low enough that
people could see it.
876
00:38:59,208 --> 00:39:00,541
And that's really where
877
00:39:00,542 --> 00:39:02,458
the term aerialist came from.
878
00:39:06,500 --> 00:39:07,999
We had wing walkers
879
00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:09,999
and people that would
stand on top of the plane.
880
00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,416
When it got really crazy is
when the wing walkers decided
881
00:39:13,417 --> 00:39:16,332
maybe I could run from
the wing of this plane
882
00:39:16,333 --> 00:39:18,666
and jump onto the
wings of another plane.
883
00:39:18,667 --> 00:39:21,374
No parachute, no tethers,
just running and going for it.
884
00:39:21,375 --> 00:39:24,082
I mean, talk about dangerous.
885
00:39:24,083 --> 00:39:25,375
Sheesh.
886
00:39:26,833 --> 00:39:29,499
The stunts are hair
raising, potentially deadly,
887
00:39:29,500 --> 00:39:33,666
and with no government
oversight, anything goes.
888
00:39:33,667 --> 00:39:36,832
One early barnstorming
celebrity was named Eddie Angel,
889
00:39:36,833 --> 00:39:39,374
who wouldd perform a stunt
called the Dive of Death,
890
00:39:39,375 --> 00:39:40,792
which he would do at night.
891
00:39:40,917 --> 00:39:44,082
He would actually free
fall from about 5,000 feet,
892
00:39:44,083 --> 00:39:47,791
holding two flashlights so
you could keep track of him
893
00:39:47,792 --> 00:39:49,457
and he wouldn't
open his parachute
894
00:39:49,458 --> 00:39:51,416
until he could see the ground.
895
00:39:51,417 --> 00:39:52,666
You want to play
896
00:39:52,667 --> 00:39:54,249
a tennis match a
mile up in the air?
897
00:39:54,250 --> 00:39:55,500
They actually set one up.
898
00:39:56,750 --> 00:39:58,082
Were they watching
the tennis match
899
00:39:58,083 --> 00:39:59,124
or were they hoping for
900
00:39:59,125 --> 00:40:01,207
something bad to happen?
901
00:40:01,208 --> 00:40:03,457
Don't know, but it
was entertaining.
902
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:06,166
A 10-year-old girl by
903
00:40:06,167 --> 00:40:08,541
the name of Mildred Unger,
904
00:40:08,542 --> 00:40:11,916
she does the Charleston
on the wings of a biplane.
905
00:40:11,917 --> 00:40:14,041
Now, that's crazy
enough just to say,
906
00:40:14,042 --> 00:40:15,832
hey, she danced on the
wings of a biplane,
907
00:40:15,833 --> 00:40:17,624
but she did it without a harness
908
00:40:17,625 --> 00:40:19,749
and she did it without a tether
909
00:40:19,750 --> 00:40:22,707
and presumably without
a loving parent.
910
00:40:22,708 --> 00:40:24,791
Barnstorming accidents are frequent.
911
00:40:24,792 --> 00:40:29,833
In 1923 alone, there are
179 documented incidents.
912
00:40:30,875 --> 00:40:34,207
85 people are killed
and 126 injured.
913
00:40:34,208 --> 00:40:38,041
Aviation safety
becomes a top priority.
914
00:40:39,417 --> 00:40:41,791
President Coolidge passed
the Air Commerce Act in 1926,
915
00:40:41,792 --> 00:40:43,916
which basically
said all the planes
916
00:40:43,917 --> 00:40:46,541
had to be certified
and inspected.
917
00:40:46,542 --> 00:40:47,832
And for the first time
918
00:40:47,833 --> 00:40:50,374
pilots now need to be licensed.
919
00:40:50,375 --> 00:40:52,749
Today there's an
FAA and restrictive
920
00:40:52,750 --> 00:40:54,582
life insurance
policies that ensure
921
00:40:54,583 --> 00:40:56,999
that this kind of thing
will never happen again.
922
00:40:59,625 --> 00:41:01,124
I do always
admire the stuntmen
923
00:41:01,125 --> 00:41:02,541
and the people who are willing
924
00:41:02,542 --> 00:41:04,707
to put their lives,
sometimes stupidly,
925
00:41:04,708 --> 00:41:06,874
in danger for our entertainment.
926
00:41:06,875 --> 00:41:09,416
They may lose life,
they may lose limb,
927
00:41:10,500 --> 00:41:13,332
but I posit that these people
928
00:41:13,333 --> 00:41:15,874
are just as heroic as astronauts
929
00:41:15,875 --> 00:41:17,541
because they're putting
their bodies on the line
930
00:41:17,542 --> 00:41:19,166
for our entertainment.
931
00:41:20,250 --> 00:41:21,541
Looking back on all the things
932
00:41:21,542 --> 00:41:22,957
that we did to get our
adrenaline pumping,
933
00:41:22,958 --> 00:41:25,791
whether it was racing
cars at a murderdrome
934
00:41:25,792 --> 00:41:28,082
or high diving on horses
935
00:41:28,083 --> 00:41:31,374
or cutting our teeth on
an extreme water slide,
936
00:41:31,375 --> 00:41:33,541
we didn't always
stick the landing,
937
00:41:33,542 --> 00:41:37,332
but the thrills were
usually worth the spills
938
00:41:37,333 --> 00:41:41,541
and that's why our Hazardous
History was so exhilarating.