Friga says his crew at Friga Tyme Corp. has remained mostly busy throughout the shutdowns of the last 11 months, but when building departments closed, making it impossible for his company to get inspections done, he put his guys to work in his backyard.

Friga says the 310-foot rollercoaster, with a custom cart, took seven men about four days to complete.

“We drew up the plans, got a bunch of two by four lumber and some PVC pipe, and we were in business,” Friga said. “We had one guy do all of the cutting because you have to keep the track the exact same width all the way.”

Friga says his children have been enjoying the rollercoaster virtually non-stop since its completion, adding he hopes to give it a whirl soon.

“The kids have been hogging it,” he laughed, adding “But I’d like to give it a shot. I’m a bigger kid than any of them and this has been a lot of fun for me too.”

The next project Friga and the crew will undertake is the construction of a go-cart track, he said.

“We’ve already ordered the go-carts and we’re waiting for those to arrive. It shouldn’t be too long before the kids are out there enjoying that.”

As word about Friga’s home basketball court, gymnasium and rollercoaster spread throughout the area, Friga says he’s noticed a lot of people driving by to have a peek at some of the recreational fun going on in his backyard.

“We’re pretty involved in the community, so most people around here know what we’re doing,” he said. “Yeah, we’ve noticed people slowing down to have a look as they drive by.”

Do you need a special permit to have a fully operational 310-foot-long rollercoaster in your backyard, I asked Scott?

“I haven’t asked and I haven’t heard anything about it, so no news is good news,” he said with a laugh, adding “What are they going to say, your kids can’t have fun?”

He does say the city made him remove a 30 foot slide he’d constructed.

“We put in a slide going into a canal but they made us take it down because it didn’t meet their height ordinance,” he said.

Friga’s six children range in age from 12 to 28, and he says he’s a little nervous about what their next request might entail.

“They’re waiting for the go-car track to be finished, but the next thing they ask for will be scary, I’m sure, because it’s pretty hard to top a rollercoaster and a go-cart track.”