TikTok's latest horny obsession? Hersheypark's Decayed Brigade, a crew of "haunt sliders" who skid across the pavement on their hands and knees to scare guests. They come out at night at the park's Dark Nights Halloween event.
The thirst reels have gone viral on TikTok, drawing fans who say they traveled eight-plus hours to see them, according to Business Insider. Park spokesperson Quinn Bryner told the outlet some people have bought season passes because of the videos, though she cautioned the park can't say the sliders alone drove the event's growth.
The performers are "haunt sliders" from a crew called the Brigade. The stunt involves gliding up beside guests at speed on modified knee pads and gloves. Videos of two of them, Fryboy and Archer, have racked up millions of views, Business Insider reports, and fans are showing up in person.
"We have people who have bought our season passes because of it," Hersheypark spokesperson Bryner told Business Insider. She cautioned that the park can't say the sliders are the sole driver of the event's growth, and that the evidence is anecdotal. Still, she said the event's popularity has let the park expand its operating days through the fall.
The sliders have noticed the crowds. "This year especially, it feels like every other person's coming up saying they drove eight-plus hours to come see us or they just came for us," Fryboy told Business Insider. Fans wait up to an hour at weekend-night meet-and-greets, and the park's professional photographers have taken more than 4,000 fan photos this fall, according to the outlet.
The internet's interest is not purely about the scares. TikTok edits are set to suggestive music, and the comment sections are bawdy. One commenter on a video of the two men wrote, "Ok maybe my ex was right and i'm actually ill." Yahoo Entertainment also reports that one fan edit pairing the pair with 10cc's "I'm Not in Love" has drawn more than a million views.
Hersheypark's own TikTok has noticed. The most viewed videos on its official channel are all of the sliders, Business Insider reports, even during the off-season.
The performers say sex appeal wasn't the plan. "I think at the end of the day, we're just trying to perform and have a good time, and it's Halloween, we're dressing up as characters," Fryboy said. "But it's definitely not the end goal in any sort of way."
Fans who want to catch the Brigade in person have a short window. The park's Dark Nights event runs through Nov. 1, per Yahoo Entertainment, and the park lists a Brigade slide showcase with post-show photo opportunities in its Midway of Misery, according to Hersheypark.
"Halloween has always been the holiday for the weirdos, and we're the weirdos," Fryboy said.