A Norwegian hairstylist had a theory about curls. Then she strapped into a wooden coaster to prove it.
The back seat of a vintage wooden rollercoaster isn’t where most bridal stylists conduct their research. But Hanne Tangen Johansen isn’t most stylists.
On an October afternoon at a Norwegian theme park, Johansen and her friend Anine Aaseth climbed aboard a ride with one mission: to settle a debate that has dominated wedding prep for years. Can a bride with fine, Nordic hair actually hold a curl through an entire wedding day?
“Norway and the Arctic countries are dominated with fine, silky hairstyle that rumors to never hold a curl,” Johansen explains. It’s a refrain she hears constantly – stylists warning brides away from elaborate updos, insisting their hair simply won’t cooperate. “A lot of stylists in Norway talk their brides out of a loose updo and make them wear a full updo and blame the bride’s hair for not holding on to the curls.”
Johansen wasn’t buying it. So she devised an experiment that would make any scientist proud – and any bride nervous.
With Aaseth’s permission, she curled her friend’s hair into a romantic loose style, the kind of effortless waves that grace wedding Pinterest boards. Then came the real test: As the pair made their way around the park, Johansen filmed the back of Aaseth’s head, documenting every loop, drop, and wind-whipped moment.
“Leading up to the shoot, I had this clear vision of how it was going to play out,” Johansen recalls.
After one ride, the curls looked as fresh as when they’d started. Johansen was confident enough to push further. Over the next four hours, they rode 13 more times, with Aaseth’s hair barely budging.
“I was very focused on getting the footage all the way until we were out of the ride area, so I could have the proof that we didn’t touch up anything,” she says. “Being confident in my work, I knew it would hold.”
The response to her viral demonstration has been swift and enthusiastic. “People think it’s both funny and impressive,” she notes. Some stylists have pushed back, naturally, but Johansen stands firm: “Honestly, millions of people have been riding coasters with their hair loose… it’s even on theme parks’ posters.”
Her message to brides across the world is simple: Don’t let anyone talk you out of the hairstyle you want. With the right technique, even silky hair can hold its own – even at 50 miles per hour.
