Published: May 15, 2008 10:19 am            

TELEVISION: 'Chopper' dudes debuting coaster at Darien Lake.

Darien Lake Theme Park will debut a new roller coaster Friday, and a couple VIPs will be in town to take the first ride.

Mikey and Paul Teutul Jr. of “American Chopper” will be on hand at the Genesee County theme park to cut the red ribbon on the Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster. In addition to opening the coaster to the public, the two will gather inspiration for a custom motorcycle to be built for the park, the process for which will be recorded for a future episode of The Learning Channel show.

Darien Lake officials came to the Teutuls with the idea, Paul said during a recent phone interview. Even with apparel, souvenirs and plenty of other Orange County products on the market, the family jumped at the chance.

“We have a lot of licensed products, but to have a roller coaster themed after your company ... is pretty neat,” he said.

“American Chopper” debuted in September 2002 and follows the Teutul family — Paul Sr., Paul Jr. and Mikey — as they complete custom motorcycle projects around the world. The company, based in the downstate town of Newburgh, counts the Fire Bike, Air Force Bike and a New York Giants Bike among the thousands of custom cycles it has constructed.

With five seasons under the family’s belt and millions coming in from cycle builds and merchandising, it might be easy to ease off the gas a bit. That’s not the case, Paul Jr. said, as the company just opened up a 30,000-square-foot showroom that took more than three years to finish.

“Being that the theme always changes, it definitely helps keep the bikes different and keeps the inspiration coming,” said Paul Jr., who gave credit for the company’s success to the series’ fans. “I think people are fascinated by motorcycles. With our bikes, it’s obvious the theme doesn’t really require you to be a motorcycle enthusiast.”

Paul Jr. started building bikes at age 25 after spending time in the steel business. The company’s expansion allows for more of the work to be done in-house, which in turn gives the Teutuls more of a chance to have a bike conform to their true vision.

“There’s more creative freedom with doing what we’re doing now,” the 33-year-old Paul Jr. said. “I think people just don’t get chances like that too often.”

After the ceremony Friday morning, the coaster will be open to the public and feature figure eights, hairpin turns and takes the rider up to 45 feet high, said Mary Sellan, the park’s public relations manager. The Teutuls will begin working on the custom bike after this weekend and will return in early June to unveil the bike, which Sellan said will go on permanent display at Darien Lake.

The crew averages about three weeks to complete a bike, Paul Jr. said, with up to four people having a hand in the project. An air date for the Darien Lake project has yet to be announced.

Having never taken part in a project such as this, Paul Jr. looks forward to his first visit to Western New York.

“It’s always fun when it’s a neat theme. There’s a lot to work with when it’s a theme park,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun build.”



THEME PARK SEASON STARTS

Darien Lake Theme Park in Darien Center is open Friday-Monday, then Thursday -Monday from May 22-June 5. The park is open daily after that. Visit godarienlake.com for details.

Martin’s Fantasy Island in Grand Island is open from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. The park will also be open May 26 and June 13 before beginning its summer schedule June 19, at which point the park will be open Tuesday-Sunday. Visit martinsfantasyisland.com for details.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.