March 30, 1999. A sunny day in Williamsburg, Virginia. Busch Gardens was buzzing.
They were launching Apollo’s Chariot, a massive new "hypercoaster" designed to be the crown jewel of the park. To sell the image of a Grecian god taking flight, they hired the only man on earth who actually looked like a statue come to life: Fabio Lanzoni.
You know the guy. The long blonde hair, the chiseled jaw, the man who sold a billion romance novels just by leaning against a fence on the cover. He was seated in the very front row, flanked by a group of women dressed as Greek goddesses. It was the ultimate PR stunt.
Then the coaster dropped 210 feet at 73 miles per hour.
When the train pulled back into the station two minutes later, the cameras weren't catching a triumphant hero. They caught a horror movie. Fabio’s face was a mask of blood. His nose was gashed. The "goddesses" next to him had blood spattered on their white tunics.
The headline wrote itself instantly: Fabio hit in face by goose. It became the quintessential 90s tabloid story—part freak accident, part "too weird to be true" comedy. But if you look at the details, the story is actually way weirder than a bird just flying into a guy.
The Mystery of the Disappearing Video Tape
Here is something that kinda drives conspiracy theorists crazy. This was an inaugural media run. There were cameras everywhere. There was specifically a POV camera mounted to the front of Fabio’s car to capture his reaction for commercials and news B-roll.
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That footage has never been released.
Fabio has been vocal about this for over 25 years. He claims the park suppressed the video because it showed the "truth" of what happened. According to Fabio, it wasn't a direct bird-to-face impact. He says the goose actually hit the mounted video camera first.
"The goose hit the video camera. The video camera shattered at 85 miles per hour," Fabio told People in a retrospective interview. "I saw the metal passing by and it cut the bridge of my nose."
Basically, he’s saying he was hit by shrapnel, not a 10-pound bird. Think about it: at 73 mph, a direct hit from a large goose would likely do more than just require three stitches. It would probably break every bone in a human's face.
The park, however, stuck to the "act of God" narrative. If a bird hits you, it’s a freak accident. If a piece of park equipment shatters and slices a celebrity's face, that sounds like a massive liability lawsuit.
Wait, Why Were There So Many Geese?
People always ask, "How do you even hit a goose on a roller coaster?" It seems like a one-in-a-billion shot. Honestly, it was a design flaw.
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The first drop of Apollo's Chariot plunges down toward a scenic pond. It turns out, that pond was a favorite hangout for local Canadian geese. The coaster track was literally built right through their flight path.
Fabio claims that the park knew about the bird problem. He’s even alleged that they had people out there trying to clear the birds before the ride opened. Whether that’s true or just Fabio being Fabio, the fact remains: the goose died. It was found floating in the water under the drop later that day.
The Aftermath: From Hunk to Punchline
The injury itself wasn't actually that bad. Fabio went to Williamsburg Community Hospital, got three stitches on the bridge of his nose, and was released. He didn't even break his nose.
But his ego? That took a massive hit.
He was furious. He left town immediately, skipping the big media dinner planned for that night. He then went on a bit of a media crusade, calling the ride "dangerous" and telling anyone who would listen that the park was negligent.
The public didn't really buy the "danger" aspect. Instead, they just laughed. It was the peak of late-night TV monologue culture. Jay Leno and David Letterman had a field day. It’s hard to stay the world's most mysterious, untouchable heartthrob when the world is looking at a photo of you looking like you just lost a boxing match to a waterfowl.
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Why It Still Matters Today
It sounds like a silly piece of trivia, but the "Fabio vs. Goose" incident actually changed how theme parks handle bird mitigation.
- Nesting Prevention: Parks now use ultrasound or physical barriers to keep birds away from high-speed drop zones.
- Mounting Safety: Look at a modern coaster camera. They are encased in heavy-duty housings to prevent "Fabio-style" shrapnel incidents.
- The "Act of God" Precedent: It’s a case study for PR crisis management—how to turn a potential lawsuit into a "freak occurrence."
Real Takeaways from the "Goosening"
If you're ever in Virginia, you can still ride Apollo’s Chariot. It’s still a fantastic coaster. It’s smooth, fast, and has incredible "airtime." But maybe, just maybe, don't sit in the front row if you see a flock of geese nearby.
What to do if you want to see the "evidence":
- Search for the "Fabio Bloodied Nose" AP photo—it’s the definitive image of the day.
- Look up the "Bobby Fingers" diorama on YouTube. It’s a bizarre, high-effort breakdown of the physics involved.
- Check out Fabio's 2021 interview with People where he finally breaks down his "miracle" survival.
The story is a weird blend of 90s celebrity culture and sheer bad luck. It reminds us that no matter how much you plan a perfect "image," nature usually has a different plan. Usually involving a goose.
Check out the ride's current safety ratings or watch a modern POV video to see just how close that track still gets to the water.