Go Go Coaster!

Platform: uoftctf2026 | Category: OSINT | Type: Challenge | Difficulty: Easy | OS: NA | Author: XESXOR | Date: 2026-01-10 | Status: Solved Techniques: cross_referencing, location_identification, media_research

Summary

Task: OSINT challenge to identify a roller coaster from a scene in the Chinese drama "Go Go Squid!" and find its height in feet. Solution: Researched filming locations (Shanghai), identified Shanghai Happy Valley's Diving Coaster as the B&M dive coaster from the scene, and found its height of 213 feet via RCDB.

Go Go Coaster! — UofTCTF 2026

Description

During an episode of Go Go Squid!, Han Shangyan was too scared to go on a roller coaster. What's the English name of this roller coaster? Also, what's its height in whole feet?

Flag format: uoftctf{Coaster_Name_HEIGHT} Example: uoftctf{Yukon_Striker_999}

Notes: Flag is case-insensitive, just remember to replace spaces with underscores and no decimal points

Analysis

This is a classic OSINT challenge requiring:

1. Identification of a TV show scene
2. Research into filming locations
3. Cross-referencing roller coaster databases ‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍

The key insight is that Chinese TV dramas are typically filmed at real locations, and roller coasters have well-documented specifications.

Solution

Step 1: Research the TV Show

Go Go Squid! (亲爱的，热爱的) is a popular Chinese romantic drama from 2019:

• Starring Yang Zi and Li Xian
• Filmed in Shanghai in 2018
• Plot revolves around esports/cybersecurity competitions and romance

Step 2: Find the Roller Coaster Scene

Searched for episode recaps mentioning the roller coaster scene:

• Found that in Episode 12, Han Shangyan (the male lead) refused to go on a roller coaster with Tong Nian, Xiao Ai and others
• The recap states: "Han Shangyan refused to go on a roller coaster... he is still afraid of heights"
• Source: Episode 12 recap from storyinmyliveblog.home.blog ‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍

Step 3: Identify the Amusement Park

Since the drama was filmed in Shanghai, the likely location is:

• Shanghai Happy Valley (上海欢乐谷)
• Located in Songjiang District, approximately 40 km from downtown Shanghai
• Opened August 16, 2009
• Major theme park in the Shanghai area

Step 4: Identify the Roller Coaster

Shanghai Happy Valley has several roller coasters, but the most prominent is:

• Diving Coaster (绝顶雄风)
• A B&M Dive Coaster - known for being particularly scary
• Features a 90-degree vertical drop with a holding brake at the top
• Perfect match for a scene where someone would be "too scared" to ride ‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍

Step 5: Find the Height

Cross-referenced multiple sources:

• RCDB (Roller Coaster Database): Height = 213 ft (rcdb.com/4224.htm)
• Wikipedia: Height = 65 m (213 ft)

Technical Details of the Roller Coaster

Key Resources Used

1. Wikipedia - Go Go Squid! article (filming locations, production info)
2. Wikipedia - Happy Valley Shanghai (list of roller coasters)
3. Wikipedia - Diving Coaster (specific height and specifications)
4. RCDB - rcdb.com/4224.htm (authoritative roller coaster database)
5. Episode recap blogs - for scene identification
6. DuckDuckGo search - "Go Go Squid Han Shangyan roller coaster scared"

OSINT Methodology

TV Show Reference
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       v
Episode Identification (recaps, fan sites)
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       v
Filming Location Research (production info)
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       v
Specific Location Identification (theme park)
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       v
Technical Specifications (specialized databases like RCDB)
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       v
Flag Construction

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Lessons Learned

1. Chinese dramas use real locations - Filming locations are often identifiable through production notes
2. Specialized databases exist - RCDB is the authoritative source for roller coaster specifications
3. Fan communities are valuable - Episode recaps and fan blogs can pinpoint specific scenes
4. Unit conversion matters - Always verify the expected unit (feet vs meters) ‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍