Here they come folks, rounding the corner, down Richland Avenue and, wow, the photo finish at The Convo! It's the luge races!
Or at least it could be, if the Athens City Council would let it happen.
At tonight's city council meeting, the members will be discussing a request from David Dean of Ohio Street Luge to start a street luge competition in Athens in the early spring.
For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, luge is the crazy event in the Winter Olympics in which competitors lay on their backs on a flat sled and hurl themselves down an icy shoot disguised as a racing course. The racers try to make themselves as aerodynamic as possible in the effort to get the fastest time.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Hello
Athens springtime! Lauren what about the snow and ice?
But in the street racing form of luge, competitors lie on what looks like an over-sized skateboard on their backs and hurl themselves down the paved hills of cities, such as Athens. This is something I've got to see.
But, if many in our fine city government have their way, we will never see a street luge competition in Athens, which makes me very sad.
At the last council meeting members discussed their concerns about closing the streets on the track - starting with West Washington and snaking down Richland to finish at The Convo - for the almost 12 hours it would take to run the competition.
In the heat of the discussion, concerns really centered around access to the Uptown area. For the duration of the race, two main routes to Court Street would be blocked.
Let's be realistic here. This is Athens, not New Orleans.
I had the good fortune to spend the Thursday, Friday and Saturday before Mardi Gras in New Orleans. But Saturday was a nightmare. The parades, which last from noon to midnight, literally cut the city in half, making it a game of wit to travel from one side of the city to the other.
But even if the streets in Athens are closed this long, I hardly think it will be the end of Athens life as we know it. Drivers could take a detour five minutes out of the way, loop around on Route 33 and miss all the street closings.
Also, the concerns about closing and inconvenience seem a bit unfair, considering in May 2003 the city approved the closure of Uptown streets for the Athens Grand Prix, a bike race that lasted from 2 to 9:30 p.m.
That's almost eight hours. Not much different from 12.
As for Uptown businesses, do we really think they are struggling so much that one day of inconvenience is going to do them in?
Please.
A large percentage of Ohio University students do not have cars, meaning they support the Uptown business scene on a daily basis. And for crying out loud, the city already gave them the mid-day bus route to assist their financial needs.
I'm really tired of city officials caving in every time somebody Uptown whines about lost customers. They're beginning to remind me of Dick Cheney's business bedfellows. Who is City Council representing?
So, bring on the luge. It's about time we had some exciting sports entertainment in this city.
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Lauren McDowell
