No short shrift: Charlotte welcomes the Tall Tour from a 6-foot-9 influencer
In eighth grade, Tyler Bergantino had his growth spurt. It’s the typical time teens start to teeter on their new lanky legs.
On average, Bergantino would’ve hit 5 feet, 8 inches, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. But Bergantino isn’t average. His spurt shot him up to 6 feet, 7 inches.
Now at 32 years old, the Floridian is a full 6’9” and hard to miss, literally and figuratively. Literally because, well, he’s taller than most of the Charlotte Hornets’ starting five. (Only center Ryan Kalkbrenner is taller at 7’1”.)
Figuratively because he’s taken his height to, well, new heights through social media shorts and skits. And one of his skits-turned-event is coming to Charlotte.
Tall Tour is a tall person meetup, hosted by Bergantino. It’s next stop is Charlotte on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Brewers At 4001 Yancey.
There’s no height requirement, so there’s no need to add that extra inch to the bio. And the event is free.
But it’s a chance for taller Charlotteans to feel like they’re an average height. Maybe even short.
“You’re never going to be around this many tall people, maybe ever again until you go to the next Tall Tour,” Bergantino said. “Having this many tall people in one room is crazy, and you never feel shorter in your life.
“That’s kind of the (idea) behind Tall Tours, is having that experience and feeling either normal for once or short for once.”
‘Golly, you’re tall’
As much as social media swoons over tall people, men in particular, being tall wasn’t and isn’t always a great thing, Bergantino said.
“Sometimes, we feel isolated, especially growing up,” Bergantino said. “Everywhere we go it’s ‘Golly, you’re tall.’ Or I go around a corner too fast in a grocery store, and I’m scaring an old lady. You’re always conscious of your stature.”
Bergantino ended up using that consciousness and turning it into social media content.
From trying to find size 16 shoes to crouching on a plane in search of the exit row, Bergantino has amassed over 1.6 million followers on TikTok.
And while sometimes the comments section is feral and not safe for work, many viewers applauded Bergantino for bringing to life the issues taller people may face.
That’s where Tall Tour comes in.
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“There’s a lot of different communities out there but there doesn’t seem to be a huge tall community voice,” Bergantino said. “Tall Tour is a meet and greet. And for me, I no longer felt like such a tall human being. I have buddies now who are way taller than me now.”
Bergantino said that’s especially true for the taller women.
“When they walk in, the ladies are usually hunched but by the end, they’re standing tall,” Bergantino said. “It’s really cool to watch them light up and celebrate their height, which I’m sure has been a struggle for them … The girls make the group chats, and they’re meeting up after the event. You can feel their confidence.”
Tall Tour Charlotte
Each event is a little different, Bergantino said. But at the end the tallest man and woman will be dubbed the tall king and queen.
Bergantino’s last stop was in Charleston, where the tall queen was 6 feet, 3 1/2 inches. The tall king was 6’11”.
Charlotte can expect its own king and queen. And a Bojangles buffet.
For now, Bergantino is creating community through Tall Tour, but more tall people awareness is on the horizon.
While the Tall Tour has no height restrictions, Bergantino is looking to create an exclusive event called VIP, for Vertically Inclined People.
He’s also looking to start a tour for teens, which Bergantino said he would’ve loved growing up. There may also be tall fashion shows and international tours in the future.
Bergantino also wants to use his tall voice to promote more inclusivity.
“People are craving community and I can at least try to do something like this,” Bergantino said. “And that goes for all people. Use your gifts and the things that make you different to add value to the world.”
And Bergantino’s No. 1 goal:
“I want an airline to have tall-specific seats,” Bergantino said.
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 5:20 AM.
