Blackpool Rollercoaster Challenge

September 1984

In 1984, David De-val was challenged to escape from the "Revolution" roller coaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach by Mick Hanzlik and Blackpool-based magician Derek Lever. A challenge he gladly took on and succeeded in. The original stunt was filmed for the popular BBC entertainment programme, "Hotline". The Hotline TV show was a Surprise Surprise-style series with Hosts Mary Parkinson and Chris Tarrant. It was filmed live to my knowledge and David was there with the host Jenny Barnett who watched as the escape began. I know that these locks and items were genuine and were real. He had to escape from them without any help and he did so. The skill alone is just amazing to even be able to remove these without being on a roller coaster! Mick Hanzlik Supplied the 2 locks in the video Derek Lever supplied the steel face mask and thumb cuffs the lady collector of police equipment supplied the Hamburg 8's.

 

 

Blackpool Rollercoaster Challenge

By Derek Lever

There was a time a few years ago when I challenged him on live television to escape from a set of thumb cuffs, with an iron mask locked on his head, whilst seated on one of the most terrifying rides I’ve ever seen –The revolution at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach. How on earth he managed to pick the locks whilst the Revolution looped the loop time after time is quite incredible, but he did and made his escape in minutes.

To accept challenges requires Guts and lots of them, but to my certain knowledge David has never turned down a challenge or been beaten whilst attempting one- a quite remarkable record.

 

 

Blackpool Rollercoaster Challenge

By Eddie Dawes

The intrepid escapologist’s tour de force was undoubtedly the marriage of the old and new when before television cameras on BBCs Hotline he escaped from traditional restraints such as an iron mask, thumbscrew and handcuffs while travelling on the stomach churning, very modern Revolution ride at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach. The challenge had been issued by Derek Lever and the programme was broadcast on 26th September 1984. This fearsome ride in which the cars loop through 360 degrees, running at 60m.p.h along the straight stretched and then going back in reverse, must be testing enough for the passive rider. The additional stress it must have placed upon the escapologist can only be imagined. Viewers were able to see David’s effect his release from Thumbscrew, handcuffs and finally padlocked helmet by means of a video camera and lighting attached to the lead car in which he was seated together with presenter Jenny Barnett. It was an impressive performance