153. Taylor Bybee of Coaster Studios on RMC and "This Is How We Roll"

Fred Grubb of RMC stands near Stunt Pilot in the Taylor Bybee documentary This Is How We Roll.

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The world of amusement parks has changed dramatically during recent years, especially with roller coasters. We’ve come a long way from the steel coaster wars of the ’90s. A rising star in the past decade is Rocky Mountain Construction, known commonly as RMC. The Idaho-based company’s innovative tracks helped create a new generation of remarkable coasters. Beginning with the New Texas Giant in 2011, their roster of hits includes Outlaw Run, Twister Timbers, Steel Vengeance, and Lightning Rod. RMC’s story comes to life in the new documentary This Is How We Roll by Taylor Bybee. It provides an upbeat, warm look at the people behind RMC and their rides.

Taylor is my guest on this episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast to talk about his experience making the film. We discuss original ideas for This Is How We Roll and how they ultimately evolved into the finished movie. Taylor spent a lot of time with RMC founder Fred Grubb and his family, and that strong connection is clear in the story. He also describes fun moments like going skiing with coaster designer Alan Schilke, shooting behind the scenes at Outlaw Run, and much more. If you’re unfamiliar with RMC, Taylor’s background will help give you a primer on their success.

Taylor Bybee is the owner of Coaster Studios and the director of This Is How We Roll. — Photo by Taylor Bybee

Taylor is also the owner of the popular YouTube channel Coaster Studios, which currently has more than 188,000 subscribers. I’ve spent a lot of time watching his videos while at home during the pandemic. They include vlogs from parks around the world, striking drone footage of coasters, fun parodies, ride reviews, and more. On the podcast, he talks about how he got interested in shooting videos and why the channel has done so well. We close the episode with random coaster topics including what Taylor’s excited about for 2022 and what Six Flags St. Louis needs with coasters. I had a blast talking with Taylor and really enjoyed his new documentary.