It’s 10:57 a.m. on a recent Sunday at Valleyfair, and Michael Dedeker is ready for battle.
He patiently waits behind the chain that separates visitors from the rear part of the park, where he’ll spend the better part of the next eight hours getting tossed around at 55 miles per hour. Again. And again. And again. And today, I get to be his sidekick.
Last year, Dedeker made the decision to begin tracking how many times he can ride the Excalibur rollercoaster, a classic Valleyfair attraction, in a single season. This is how he transformed from a mere fan of the ride into a park legend known now as Excalibur Michael.
At 11 a.m. sharp, the attendant unhooks the chain and Dedeker takes off as I do my best dad-style power-walk three steps behind. He jogs past the waterslides, beyond Thunder Canyon, and through that weird little concrete tunnel. That’s when he sees it: Excalibur.
“I was very young the first time I came to Valleyfair back in 2005,” Excalibur Michael says of his initiation to Minnesota’s favorite amusement park. “Probably around 2023 was when I started riding Excalibur and really enjoyed it. Last summer is when I started tracking my rides.”
The 28-year-old Lakeville resident is at the park every Saturday and Sunday, clad in a custom sleeveless T-shirt that reads “Excalibur Michael” across the front, complete with the iconic sword-in-the-stone logo of the ride itself.
Despite the park being barely open over a month, Excalibur Michael has already been on the ride nearly 1,000 times this year, with a grand total of 1,550 rides (so far).
Before we hit the line, he takes a moment to place his hand on the stone sign in front of the ride, to ensure safe passage throughout the day.
“The first thing I do is pay respect to the stone,” he says, as he takes a few deep breaths to honor the 37-year-old park ride.
After he has sufficiently paid homage, we slide through the Lightning Pass Lane (Excalibur Michael gets a new Lightning Pass each visit), and head toward the back car to kickstart the day.
“I prefer to sit in the back,” he tells me as he tosses his backpack onto the shelves next to the ride.
I take a seat, only to quickly get checked on my Excalibur etiquette.
“That’s where I like to sit,” he says plainly. I don’t question it and slide over to allow the king to take his throne.
After a brief safety announcement, the operator hits the switch for the very first ride of the day, and Excalibur Michael’s next step toward rollercoaster immortality.
“Dun da da dun! CHARGE!” he yells, as he pantomimes drawing his medieval sword. This is another of Excalibur Michael’s daily rituals.
“I only do the catchphrase for the first ride of the day,” he says as we click clack our way to the top of the hill.
The next two minutes and 15 seconds are a total blur. My body gets shaken and shifted, my brain bounces around in my skull, and I get that unmistakable drop feeling in my dick-and-balls region that can only happen at 11:05 a.m. on a wooden rollercoaster.
We come to a sudden halt and the ride is over. People laugh, cheer, tuck their D&B back in if necessary, and prepare to carry on the rest of their day at the park. But for Excalibur Michael, this is just the beginning.
“Lots of people in the rollercoaster community have been asking me if I ever feel sick or sore. But I don’t feel any pain at all. This body has never stopped me,” he says, proudly slapping his chest.
No sooner has the lap bar risen and Excalibur Michael is already rushing back down the path and back in line for the ride.
While he is clearly the king of the Excalibur, Michael isn’t the only marathon rider in Minnesota. His role model, Mike Cameron, better known to Valleyfair enthusiasts as Renegade Mike, has rode the Renegade roller coaster over 30,000 times. While some would wonder if two titans of the rails could coexist, Excalibur Michael credits Renegade Mike with inspiring his mission.
“I met [Renegade Mike] last year and chatted with him and saw what he was doing on that rollercoaster. That made me want to do it too, just with a different ride. We’ve been good friends for over a year, and seeing what he has done has really changed my life.”
Though he has a way to go to reach Renegade Mike’s numbers, Excalibur Michael has already started building his own fanbase inside the park.
“It’s so great,” he beams after snapping a quick pic with a group of kids who recognize him from social media. “The more people that want to say hello and take a picture with me, the happier I get.”
Aside from the sheer fortitude and dedication he has in keeping up this marathon pace, Excalibur Michael is also a legitimate fan of the ride’s lore and ambience as well.
“I chose this ride because the Excalibur is one of the most forgotten coasters in the coaster community,” he says. “I love the sword, the train, the station. Plus, when you get into this part of the park there’s no music playing, so it’s just peace and quiet.”
While I personally only took one more ride on Excalibur that morning (making sure to sit in the right seat this time), Excalibur Michael would go for a total of 72 rides that day. Impressive, though still shy of his record of 87. For those who love math, that is roughly 162 minutes of active ride time in just eight hours.
Throughout the afternoon, Excalibur Michael will take time out to snap pics with fans, rest and eat (yes, he does take breaks when the mood hits). He’ll also likely close out the day with a few bonus spins on another ride after Excalibur shuts down at 7 p.m., before making the trip back home. While he loves all the different attractions the park has to offer, he’ll be back again next week with one thing on his mind.
“My goal is to ride Excalibur until I decide to retire,” he says. “Right up until the very end. One of the things I love about it is the theme. It’s medieval times. It’s King Arthur and the knights. All of that. Part of the story is seeing who can pull out the sword and become the next king. Maybe I might be the next chosen one of Excalibur.”
Follow Excalibur Michael’s quest on Instagram at @Excalibur.Michael and on YouTube @ExcaliburMN89.
