Gian Steinbusch
Karls will host a 24-hour roller coaster challenge at its Erlebnis-Dorf Elstal near Berlin on October 16 and 17, 2026. Nine participants, including Karls owner Robert Dahl and several well-known content creators, will spend an entire day riding the new “Bettys Beerchen Boomerang” roller coaster. The event will also raise money for Karls’ own foundation. Immediately after the challenge, the new roller coaster will officially open to visitors.
The “24h Roller Coaster Challenge” will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 16. Until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, the nine participants will ride “Bettys Beerchen Boomerang” over and over again. Alongside Robert Dahl, the group will include creators Daniele Rizzo, Julz, Big M and ViviBing.
The new roller coaster reaches a top speed of up to 60 km/h (37 mph). According to Karls, riders experience forces of up to 2.7 G during the ride. Due to its boomerang layout, the train travels along the track both forwards and backwards.
24 hours of roller coaster rides with regular breaks
The 24-hour challenge will follow a fixed schedule of approximately 30-minute riding sessions. Between each session, participants will have a five-minute break for bathroom visits, food and drinks, while also allowing additional riders to switch places.
Three longer breaks are also scheduled for technical maintenance at 7:00 p.m., 1:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. Each will last approximately 30 minutes, giving the participants additional time to rest before continuing the challenge.
Visitors will also be able to follow the challenge on site. Between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., guests can watch the event at Karls Erlebnis-Dorf Elstal and cheer on the participants.
Fans can take part in the challenge
Karls is auctioning off individual seats during the 24-hour challenge. Those interested can choose an available time slot and select the challenge participant they would like to ride alongside.
Bidding for a seat starts at €7. The highest bidder at the end of each auction receives the corresponding seat. Bids can also be placed on multiple time slots.
All proceeds from the event will go to “KARLS für alle – Die Robert Dahl Stiftung.” According to the company, the foundation aims to reduce barriers and make the Erlebnis-Dörfer more accessible to people with different needs.
Challenge ends with the official opening
The end of the 24-hour challenge will also mark the start of regular operations for “Bettys Beerchen Boomerang” in Elstal. The final round of the challenge is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 17.
Interviews with the participants are planned immediately afterwards. At around 11:30 a.m., Robert Dahl is expected to officially open the roller coaster to visitors.
Karls is therefore using the unusual challenge as the opening event for its newest attraction at the Elstal resort.
Second “Bettys Beerchen Boomerang” at Karls
“Bettys Beerchen Boomerang” was manufactured by Dutch roller coaster manufacturer Vekoma and is one of two similar coasters built for Karls. Another version of the attraction opened at Karls Erlebnis-Dorf Döbeln in Saxony on July 4, 2026.
The attraction is a boomerang coaster, meaning riders travel along the track forwards before completing the course again in reverse. One distinctive feature is the station, which is housed inside an oversized version of Karls’ iconic strawberry-shaped sales kiosks.
Following its official opening on October 17, “Bettys Beerchen Boomerang” will be open to all visitors at Karls Erlebnis-Dorf Elstal.
Images: Glenn Gonderinger
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