Derk Garmon’s affection for Outlaw Run was love at first drop a decade ago.
With its gravity-defying dips and the world’s only wooden coaster with a double-barrel roll, Outlaw Run was Silver Dollar City’s newest ride in 2013. Derk turned 50 that year and realized it's never too late for new thrills.
“I decided I should have some fun in my life,” he laughs. “I’ve been coming to The City since I was little and would always people-watch and hold my family’s stuff while they rode the coasters. My wife convinced me at 50 to ride WildFire. I loved it!”
Suddenly, the guy who couldn’t be coaxed onto coasters as a kid was becoming a self-proclaimed enthusiast.
“I remember riding the steam train and watching Outlaw Run go up,” he smiles. “I was intrigued watching it being built. I already knew I’d love it because it was at my favorite park!”
Even he, though, couldn’t have predicted how much he’d love it. Now 62 years old, Derk has spent the past ten years making monthly trips from his hometown in Illinois—six hours away—to log a goal of 100 rides per visit.
“I keep track of each ride in my phone notes and have tried to keep on pace to ride 1,000 each year,” he smiles. “Sometimes weather would work against me, but I’d make up for it on sunny days each season.”
Derk brings his own sunshine to Silver Dollar City. Known as “The Hot Chocolate Man” by the crew at Eva & Delilah’s Bakery, he’s also befriended a slew of Citizens through the years, including Joe Wendel who has worked at Outlaw Run since its first trip down the tracks.
“He rode a few of my anniversary rides with me,” Derk says. “It’s been really special to have my park friends celebrate with me each time I hit a big milestone.”
Derk finally hit his biggest milestone on Friday, December 13 when he loaded up for his 10,000th ride on his favorite coaster. Also sitting in seats to celebrate him were park president Brad Thomas, Terry Wayne Sanders, Stefan Nolting from Attractions and Greg Bailey of the Homestead Pickers.
Derk blazed back into the Outlaw Run station to hoots and hollers from a queue packed with Citizens celebrating their coaster king.
“Well, that was special,” he beamed. “What are we gonna do next?”
Citizens presented Derk with a commemorative sign made by park woodcarver Davy Decamp and a special box filled with small, discarded parts from Outlaw Run.
“Not a bad day,” he smiled. “Not a bad day at all.”
Derk considers the team at Silver Dollar City his family away from home. He can remember his first visit when he was in third grade—long before coasters existed in the hills and hollers.
“We’d come for the cave,” he smiles. “But we kept coming back for the people.”
A longtime season pass holder, Derk enjoyed countless visits throughout his adult life and says each one was incredibly special. Aside from being a coaster enthusiast, he also became a loyal fan of the Homestead Pickers (https://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/attractions/shows-entertainment/mchaffies-homestead), creating the Facebook page called Homestead Pickers Friends seven years ago that’s grown to 6,500+ fans.
“I cherish the friends I’ve made at the cabin. To have Greg take his first-ever ride on Outlaw Run for my 10,000th trip was truly special. A memory I’ll never forget.”
Once he retired from the insurance world, he became an avid Hot Wheels car collector and would visit other theme parks across America during collector conventions.
As Public Relations Manager for the Silver Dollar City Company, she is eager to tap into her journalism background to hunt down “heart tugs” to write about—those stories that celebrate…
