The Story

Coaster Highlightz began as a personal endeavor to create a 3D-printed roller coaster model that was both impressive and practical. Initially conceived in a small 1-bedroom loft, the idea was born out of a desire to produce something that stood out—both in realism and elegance—without overwhelming the very limited space I had at the time. 

Browsing coaster content over the many years I've been an enthusiast, I've encountered a few popular functional 3D-printed models and popular videos of large custom KNEX toy creations. While these items were very impressive and even brought some nostalgic memories back (what coaster enthusiast didn't have KNEX growing up??), I noticed immediately how impractical everything I was seeing was for someone like me with a very limited amount of space. This, in part, drove to want to create something fresh and unique that solved this problem. 

An idea came about to focus on just a key (or highlight) moment of a coaster instead of an entire sprawling layout. With that, the first prototype was made. It was a non-inverting loop modeled after Flying Aces at Ferrari World. The piece was 3D-printed in all white, crudely super glued together and placed on my dresser. Even with the flaws of this prototype, it resembled a marble statuette, sparking immense satisfaction and inspiration for further creation.

The second prototype, a beyond vertical drop inspired by Hangtime at Knotts, saw some design improvements from the first iteration, and the results, while not perfect, were still equally striking. Displayed in my work office, it garnered outside admiration and validated the idea that there may be a potential niche of enthusiasts that may appreciate such unique pieces in their homes. 

With each future piece, design techniques were honed in and refined until eventually, a product that required no glue and no tools to assemble was able to be sold to the first customer! 

Thus, Coaster Highlightz was born, aiming to bring the thrill and beauty of roller coasters into homes and offices in a practical, elegant form!