The owner of a South Carolina hair-replacement business says a Myrtle Beach roller coaster isn't nearly as hair-raising as the commercials claim.
A television ad shows the 150-foot-tall Time Machine at Freestyle Music Park moving so fast that a man loses his hairpiece. But Dennis Murphy, who owns a hair-replacement business, says the ad puts toupees in a bad light.
So he rode the coaster Thursday to prove his toupee would stay on. The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reported that his hands stayed in the coaster and his hairpiece stayed put, though he looked like he'd been in a strong wind.
"I don't know if I proved my point," Murphy, 63, told the newspaper. "I proved it to me and that's all I care about. ... As you saw on the ride, [the toupee] blows in the breeze."
Murphy said he appreciates the park giving him a chance to demonstrate the staying power of his hairpiece. Park officials said the ad is meant to be fun and they'll keep running it.
"I'm pleased to say that he proved us wrong," John Stine, director of sales and marketing at the amusement park, told the Sun News. Stine sat next to Murphy during the roller-coaster ride.
"It came out of left field, but we wanted to respond."
This story contains information from The Associated Press.