Kids Make a Basket from the S&S Tower at Alabama Adventure

[atem122]

 

In the days after video of their 200-foot shot from the top of a monument went viral earlier this month, members of the Alabama-based group The Legendary Shots sat around pondering a particularly pressing question.

 

"We were basically thinking, 'How can we top that?'" 17-year-old Carson Stalnaker said. "What can we possibly do next?"

 

It was with that in mind that Stalnaker and his friends hatched a crazy idea to call local amusement park Alabama Adventure to ask permission to shoot baskets off one of the rides on a day the park was closed. Much to their surprise, marketing-savvy park officials agreed and four days later Stalnaker filmed two other group members hoisting shots off "The Stratus Fear," a tower of terror-style ride that catapults folks 185 feet in the air and then back down again.

 

Although the group could only attempt two shots per ride and gusts of wind and the effects of free falling elevated the degree of difficulty, 17-year-old John Massey needed a mere 25 rides before he dropped the ball straight through the rim. Stalnaker estimates that Massey was approximately 130 feet off the ground when he shot it.

 

"I was screaming my lungs out it was so exciting," Stalnaker said. "When we first told people we were going to do it, a lot of people said they didn't think it was possible. But when we got up there, we realized it was basically a drop, but it just had to be a perfect drop. We knew we could do it, but we definitely were getting a little nervous after a while."

 

The free falling shot and a shot from the top of a stationary ferris wheel are sure to bring more attention to a group of Alabama teens who thought 50 clicks on YouTube were a big deal when they began trying shots in Stalnaker's driveway two years ago. Other trick shots The Legendary Shots have attempted have appeared on Birmingham newscasts, national websites and in a series of commercials for Hampton Inn.

 

Since Massey's shot came about two-thirds of the way up the tower, he and Stalnaker decided to ride another 25 times to see if they could hit from the very top. By the time they gave up, their stomachs were doing flip flops but they were still satisfied with the day's work.

 

"It didn't even get my stomach anymore after that many times," Stalnaker said. "We were immune to it. We were totally used to it after that many trips."

 

It will be difficult for members of The Legendary Shots to keep outdoing themselves, but Stalnaker already has a few ideas for how to top this shot.

 

They're trying to gain permission to shoot from the top of a 350-foot rocket at The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. They're also interested in shooting off a moving roller coaster if Alabama Adventures will have them back. And one of the group members recently came up with the idea of building a giant catapult.

 

"We'd need something that could launch a ball 300 feet," Stalnaker said. "If we get that, we can do some pretty good stuff."

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[c0sterfreek]

I just saw this to. That was pretty cool

[Calicoasters]

I keep clicking play again lol, that shot was awesome!

[DBru]

Wow.

 

I have a new mission in life.

[Funky Cold Medina]

Pretty cool, but DudePerfect is still (in my opinion) better, even if this was on a thrill ride.

[Columbia]

For the encore? Make a basket from the Kissimmee Skycoaster. Now that's a shot!

[DarkStitch626]

Thats pretty amazing. It looks to take alot of calculation and skill.

[BaMiTsPaT]

That's absolutely incredible!!!!

[Skycoastin Steve]

I suppose that's one good way for Alabama Adventure to get into national news.

[BeemerBoy]

Give me 50 shots, and I could hit it too. This is actually one of the least impressive trick shots I've seen. He basically just tosses it forward a bit, and gravity takes over. Props to Visionland for allowing them to do it though.

[Foxy Roxy]

Idk, think about the psychology behind it. They're playing basketball on a thrill ride...

[Skycoastin Steve]

Give me 50 shots, and I could hit it too. This is actually one of the least impressive trick shots I've seen. He basically just tosses it forward a bit, and gravity takes over. Props to Visionland for allowing them to do it though.

What's Visionland?

[ginzo]

^The park that uses the following URL: http://www.visionland.com/

 

[Skycoastin Steve]

^Or this URL: http://www.alabamaadventure.com/

 

Methinks the people of Alabama are a little too much on the Forrest Gump side of the IQ scale, and that's why they kept the domain name.

[BeemerBoy]

Idk, think about the psychology behind it. They're playing basketball on a thrill ride...

Psychology behind it? Do I need a couch and a shrink to realize they're just dropping a round object off a tower into a hoop? C'mon now.

[Foxy Roxy]

^

 

It's not that they're dropping a round object off a tower into a hoop, they're being shot up about 180 feet, with no grounding, sitting down, with an OTSR on, staying up for mere seconds, dropping down, then shooting back up. There's also wind factors that can also effect the ball's trajectory. It's not as easy as just following through.

[atem122]

The thing is though, that it took em what? Like 26 chances? I forget. But at that point, it's basically just luck that gets the ball into the hoop. I'm betting there's a large amount of people that'd be able to make that shot with that many tries.

[ParkTrips]

Methinks the people of Alabama are a little too much on the Forrest Gump side of the IQ scale, and that's why they kept the domain name.

way to insult, what, 99% of the Visionland patrons? :thumbsup:

 

I'm with Scott on this one. I mean, he didn't even make his first shot (though, admittedly, at least they didn't edit the video to make it seem like he did)

 

btw, Foxy, you were being picked on because psychology played no factor in the shot. Maybe the word you were looking for is physics

[Sir Clinksalot]

I thought it was pretty impressive, but they have had better shots IMO.

 

It would have been better if they had made it on the shot either going up or when the ride was at it's peak when you only have about a second or so to throw it before dropping back down.

[BeemerBoy]

I bet it took 'em about 5-10 rides to zone in on the optimal release point, and from there on, it's just a simple flick of the wrist forward, and hope that the wind cooperates. Honestly, given the number of repetitions, it's really just a matter of time before he hits one.

 

Realistically, a three quarter length shot or further on a real basketball court would be tougher since you actually have to exert strength. Don't believe me? Then try it. I guarantee you, if you didn't hit one early on, you'd be more physically worn down after 50 attempts on level ground than this guy was on the ride.

 

Sorry guys, it's fun to watch what they did once or twice, but it's really not all that impressive. The heave from the other tower was miles ahead of this one.

[Skycoastin Steve]

way to insult, what, 99% of the Visionland patrons? :thumbsup:

I lived there for a year. I know what the patrons are like. We had a woman demand a refund because the Rampage train was "coming off the track." Even after describing how a roller coaster works and how it has three sets of wheels, she still demanded her money back because we had an "unsafe" ride.