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October 23, 2006
Scooter racing more than child's play
Gary Schmitt purchased a scooter at Toys R Us a couple of years ago and began racing it. He traveled to Finland and, against riders nearly 10 years younger, became a world champion.
Sound preposterous? The Finns thought so, too.
"It surprised the hell out of them. And it surprised me, too," Schmitt said. Schmitt, 54, is 5-9, 168 pounds, and a native of Dayton, Ohio. The graphic designer at Indiana University's School of Medicine has lived in Indianapolis since 1980.
His scooter is not to be confused with a motorized gadget or child's toy. Riders kick from high-tech machines that resemble a racing bicycle with a small rear wheel and no seat or pedals.
What originated in Finland a century ago as kick-sledding -- a winter sport -- was transformed into a summer sport in the 1990s with a scooter designed like the sleds. The International Kicksled and Scooter Association had its first world championship in 2004.
Schmitt won two gold medals in the over-45 masters division, at 1,200 meters and a marathon, on Aug. 4 and 6.
Link.
Posted by Frank at October 23, 2006 5:40 PM
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