Wall of Death - History of the Wall

Rhett Rotten
Work can be a barrel of fun

Ironworks

December 2006

story by Mike Seate (photos by Simon Green)

It's not easy being Rhett Rotten. When he clocks in for work, you'd almost expect to hear him mumble something to the effect: " Well, looks like it's my turn in the barrel again." See, Rotten's day job finds him riding antique motorcycles around what's basically a 30-foot-wide wooden barrel otherwise known as the Wall of Death. Rotten-real name Giodano has to maintain a level of speed on his vintage 1927 Indian Scout motorcycle that's fast enough to keep the bike magically suspended above the floor. But if he rides too slow it's the end of the show, and what also could be termed a Rotten ending.

Rotten's a self-proclaimed thrill junkie, too. His act includes brushing the 12-foot-high rim of the Wall of Death were he snatches dollar bills from the hands - and occasionally teeth - of his fans at dizzying speeds. What this guy won't do for money!

"And when we're all finished with a show, we have to help the crew tear down the wall and get it ready for shipping to the next town. It's hard, grueling work that takes 15 hours just to set up and tear down," said Rotten's wife, Kim, who also serves as den mother, business manager and general go to-girl for the traveling stunt show that's in its fourteenth year of thrills.

Though the sight of a huge weathered oak cylinder at a motorcycle rally is considered a rare sight today, Wall of Death thrill rides were once common throughout the U.S. and Europe. They frequently were part of traveling carnivals and circuses. Often manned by the same sport of thrill-seeking men and women who fought in the world wars, the walls achieved peak popularity in the 1940s and 50s. SOme of the zanier tricks involved carrying monkeys on board the bikes, or even lions along in the sidecars. Some show members would ride two and even three-a beast. Because most of the wall-of-death were designed in the immediate post-board track racing era, they were at their best serving lightweight, small-displacement motorcycles like Harley-Davidson's 125cc Hummer and the Indian Scout that Rhett Rotten uses today. If you stand on the outside of the wall during a show you can actually see the walls bulge and creak while the bike circulates on successive passes.

Rotten learned just how important it was to stick with the wall's original; weight limits in 2003 when he attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the longest nonstop Wall of Death ride. Working in Las Vegas at the Harley-Davidson Cafe on the Strip, rotten rode a Buell XB9R while he braved 105-degree heat during the circular ride. "The German guy who holds the record had been wearing a high pressure 'G' suit similar to those worn by high-altitude military pilots when making his attempt. Rhett was working in hot weather and just went out in a T-shirt and shorts," Kim recalled. Though his German competitor managed a 7 hour-plus ride, Rhett succumbed to the Vegas heat after circulating for two hours and 36 minutes. He suffered severe leg cramps and dehydration form the grueling ride. Moreover, the Buell, at 475 pounds, proved too heavy for the wooden walt o support at speeds up to 60 MPH. Undeterred, Rotten promises to attempt another record-breaking ride next year, this time on his Indian Scout while wearing a high-pressure gravity suit. But before that can happen, a busy schedule, attributed mainly to Rotten's recent discovery by the mainstream media. will absorb a lot of his time.

Fame came knocking loudly this past year while Rotten was performing at the Black Hills Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. Though he isn't a millionaire football player or rap music star, Rotten was approached by a production crew form MTV's poplar celebrity profiles series "Cribs." Though the Giordano family spends their brief off-season at home in Pompano Beach, Florida, they decided to to invite the cameras inside for a close-up look at daily life running the Wall of Death. The segment went so well that Rhett has roped MTV into covering another amazing feat - he wants to make a cross-country ride to benefit breast cancer research. The ride-he intends to do it on s Sportster will take him from Long Beach, California, to MTV"s New York studios. When and not if Rotten completes the journey as planned, he'll arrive in New York just in time to be featured on an airing of MTV's daily hit music video show Total Request Live. "This is all going through the roof right now with all kinds of people I never thought would have an interest in the Wall of Death turning up to see me ride. It almost makes it worthwhile after all we've been through over the years," said Rotten during a break in a road trip to perform at a biker rally in Washington State.

Besides the accolades and well-deserved media attention, the Wall still has the ability to show Rhett who's the boss. Earlier this year in South Carolina, he was seriously injured when his knee brace caught the handlebars during a ride, sending his motorcycle careening off the walls. After being rushed to the hospital, doctors discovered a brain injury that kept the daredevil out of the barrel for more than two months. But toughness, as much as a keen sense of balance, is a part of riding the Wall of Death, so Rotten resumed practicing his craft before his convalescence was over.

"In 13 years, that was the worst crash of his career. He ended up with nine staples in his head but never missed a beat. He has 14 motorcycles at home and he likes to ride whatever chance he gets/ He doesn't sit around long, even when he was hurt," added Kim.

While recovering from the injuries, Rotten even managed to book his show in Iraq for this coming April where the entire Wall of Death show, complete with its vintage motorcycles, will be shipped tot he Middle East on a U.S. Military C-130 cargo plane. The wall, which he purchased back in 1993 while out of work and searching for a new career, has been refurbished to withstand their hectic schedule of three dozen shows each year. With an estimated half million miles already on the boards, Rotten has considered building two new walls, one to be located on each coast to avoid the demands of constant teardown,rebuild and travel. "We'll probably put the one we're using in a museum and jump keep the two new walls in semi-permanent locations to save time. The hardest part seems to be finding guys to keep us build it, "Kim said.

You might say that it's a Rotten job, but somebody's got to do it. And Rhett Rotten seems more than willing, no matter where he has to go.