On a trip to Colorado we stopped in Nebraska at Cody Go Karts. It was huge and looked like a giant, wooden, log fort. Outside of the fort like track you couldn’t hear a thing. Once you go inside it was a dome full of sound. You could hear Go Karts speeding around the turns. Some going really fast whipped around the sharp turns making you wonder if they were alright or if they had whiplash. It smelt like a jungle of excitement, fun, freedom, and burnt rubber. Once ready to start racing you could feel the adrenaline shoot through you at a 100 mph. Once you get on the track, don’t look back. The adrenaline was slowly draining, making it feel like you hadn’t slept for days. You could hear the screech of the engine getting tired of being run all
Every year an estimated 290 million people all over the world flock to amusement and theme parks to experience the thrills and excitement of the modern day roller coaster. (Boldurian 16). Now thousands of people a day can safely experience the G-forces that an astronaut or fighter pilot would experience in flight. "The Revolution" a roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia California gives riders an amazing 4.9 Gs; that is 1.5 more than an astronaut at launch. (Boldurian 16). These G-forces create thrills and fear and excitement in all who ride them. But the truth is that there is no reason to fear. Roller Coasters are exceptionally safe. The mortality rate for roller coasters is one in 90 million, and most of the fatality occurred due to failure to follow safety guidelines. (Boldurian 17). But roller coasters have not always been this safe. One of the first coaster attractions was actually just a mine rail designed to bring coal to the base of the mountain (Lemelson-MIT Program). The attraction was a thirty minute ride, with speeds of more than one-hundred miles per hour. As time went on entrepreneurs in the late 1800's began creating “quick buck cheap thrill attractions.” These early coasters lacked safety for the sake of thrills. This changed when John A. Miller engineer and roller coaster designer began making coasters. John Miller held over 100 patents many of which were for roller coaster safety and functionality that are still used today (Lemelson-MIT Program). John Miller's inventions and improvements to the roller coaster make him the father of the modern roller coaster that we know today.
The day started off like any average day, I took a hot shower, got dressed and got prepared for the day. It wasn’t until I sat down and started eating my bowl full of cheerios with extra sugar, that I realized what was actually happening. Today would be the day I finally bought my first car, after a year of hard work and conservative economic decisions.
The racecar was not the most creative or what some would call beautifully designed. But the owner and his father worked for weeks on that little wooden block to turn it into something the ten-year-old boy could be proud to race. A previous race showed what needed to be done for a car to make it in the top five. After careful designing, sanding, painting, and graphite the car was finished.
I woke up at six to shower and eat breakfast. We were out the door and 6:30 and off to Ashland, Nebraska. We had the hammer down only stopping in Ashland to grab three Red Bulls apiece. We chugged our energy drinks while driving a couple miles out of town to the raceway hoping to get awaken by the rush of the sugar. We parked our truck by our buddy Jacob after getting signed in and paying our entry fees. We made fun of Jacob for awhile for being such a die hard and having to be one of the first ones at the track. Setting up our canopy and unloading our bikes took about 5 minutes because we wanted to hurry up and walk the track. The track was a freaking mud pit. They had overwatered it. I was hoping that it would stay a little muddier after practice until the moto’s because I could out ride three-fourths of the guys in my class in the mud. After the track walk we all walked back to our trucks and got our gear on. The C riders were first to practice. The first kid to start up his bike just revved the piss out of it not letting it warm up like it should. We started shaking our heads because our dads taught us to respect your things and not mistreat them. Leaving our little camp
As we pull into the racetrack I look around. There are a ton of trailers which means a ton of cars, which also means a ton of people. Aside from all the diversity we all love the same thing, racing. We all unite together, we are all there for the same reason and we all have the same goal. To win the Kyle Larson Outlaw Kart Showcase. One day, two Nascar drivers, three classes, over 225 cars. The biggest outlaw kart race in history to ever be held, and I’m apart of it. I can feel the tension of everyone around me, whispers of people talking about all their set-up ¨secrets¨
After eating our sack lunches, our group of five decided to enter the park. I can hear the roller coaster tracks and machinery almost sounding like a train, watching the faces of the people. After...
Have you ever looked off a gigantic cliff? Now imagine traveling 30 miles per hour on a bike with curvy roads with enormous cliffs on your side with no rails. This is exactly what I did with my family when we went to Colorado. From the hotel we drove to a bike tour place to take us to the summit of Pikes Peak. After we arrived at the building we saw pictures of how massive the cliffs were, but what terrified me was the fact they had no side rails. This observation was thrilling as well as terrifying. It was an odd mix of emotions, but I loved the adrenaline rush it gave me. My dad whispered to me, “ This will be absolutely horrifying”.
Every single time I go canyoneering I get a rush of adrenaline. I love climbing down the polished walls of the waterfall, it’s unbelievable. It’s so hard to describe, it’s sort of like the feeling you get when you’re on you’re on a rollercoaster it feels like theirs no gravity and you just float in midair. The feeling of gliding down the waterfall is breathtaking. Canyoneering is my passion. I’ll never stop until I have to.
My parents still tell me stories when my brother and I would fall asleep riding with them. When I was five I got a Mini Z 120 that was the best thing a five-year-old could get and let me tell you I rode the daylights out of that. I only hit two trees and one pickup and the house two times, dad was never happy about that, but then again I was only five. Then when I got older I would ride with my dad on the back and tucker would ride his own and then now and then I would drive with my dad with me. Then one day I was riding on my own. I was 13 and we got to Ventura and we had to get gas so we pull into the gas station there was a DNR sitting there. I didn’t have my
Many thoughts were running my head as I headed to Great America for the first time. “What am I going to ride? Why do I want to ride?” When I arrived, I picked a ride. It was called the Demon, and forgot one crucial detail: I had an extreme fear of roller coasters. Though, I wouldn’t call it a phobia, it was rational. I waited a good hour until I got in the front of the line. It was torture waiting in the hot summer sun. I realized it while I was in the front of the line, so it was too late to back out, they would call me a chicken head. But who would expect an 11 year old, 4’11 boy to love roller coasters?
The Mississippi Valley Fair not only has the Ferris wheel, but they also have some popular fair rides that create an atmosphere full of thrill. For example, the tilt-a-whirl and sling-shot are two popular fair attractions. These rides attract kids, which then attract their parents and ends up drawing in many families to the fairgrounds. The roller-coasters and fair rides are a great way to persuade people to come to the fair. Even just hearing the word roller-coaster, I can already feel my heart beat faster in anticipation for the huge adrenaline rush I get from the rides. The feeling of your stomach dropping and the wind blowing through your hair are two great feelings that I enjoy and I’m sure others do as well. These attractions appeal to people because of the thrill and excitement they
I dip my toes in—feels cold. My nerves rise up and spread like fire throughout my body while I watch—while I wait. Stomach hurts. All those butterflies clash and crowd. They come every time that I race—it never fails. There is so much noise—the splash of water, talking, yelling, whistling, cheering.
Experiencing the world is a feeling like un-other where I’m free to do as I choose as I’m in charge of which paths to take and explore. My happy place is behind the wheel of my car it is my freedom to see what the world has to offer. Whether I be driving to school or a friend’s house the experience of driving is what I crave most. With every traveled mile a new adventure has been accomplished, a feeling of thrill has been sought after, and a challenge to continue going forward is presented before me. While some may see a vehicle as a simple tool I see it as a machine of my creation a palette of colors of which I choose. I take inspiration from what I see around me to build my car to be the creation I want it to be. My car is my happy place, my instrument to play as driving is where life seems to mesh together and the stresses of life are left behind.
I have always been fascinated by carnival rides. It amazes me that average, ordinary people eagerly trade in the serenity of the ground for the chance to be tossed through the air like vegetables in a food processor. It amazes me that at some time in history someone thought that people would enjoy this, and that person invented what must have been the first of these terrifying machines. For me, it is precisely the thrill and excitement of having survived the ride that keeps me coming back for more.
From the turbo-charging system to the new electric powered motorbike, the Isle of Man TT sees the peaking edge in motorcycle performance when it comes to two wheeled motorsport. So why should it not see the peaking edge in safety in motorsport? The teams that come to the small island to race this event know danger and eminent death that is barreling around the corner at two-hundred miles per hour with a high-pitched four cylinder turbo scream. “It’s a numbers game. If you keep coming back, sooner or later (the Isle of Mann TT) will catch you” (Donald, Cameron). Mr. Donald and many others like himself suit up for two weeks out of the year, risking having their wife and children lose a husband and father just for the minimal amounts of prize money and pride of winning the race. If we were to improve the safety equipment for the racers, then fewer men would have to risk their lives and family for a race.