Go Karting

A few weeks back we were in MA for a tournament and we couldn't help but notice, N especially, that there was an indoor go-kart track en route to the ice rink, Pioneer Valley. We were on the highway so it wasn't that simple to get there, but during the tournament we had a lull of several hours and it turns out that several of his teammates went over and raced. I was bummed we missed out, though truth be told, N had a blast back at the hotel swimming and playing knee hockey with his other teammates, so it wasn't a big deal. Even still, go-karts would have been cool.

One of the many reason it made such an impression was that several years back we were in Arizona and went to a game park that hard go-karts and golfing and all sorts of good stuff. A got to ride the go-karts but N was too young and small. He rode in the little kid carts that went about 5 mph, while A was zipping around on the fast go-karts. I felt really bad and from then on figured that as soon he was old enough, we would give it a go. The problem is, there aren't any go-kart tracks near us.

Well, after the tournament, we were heading home and I asked him if he wanted to give it a try. Believe me, all I wanted to do was to get home, but I figured it was a good opportunity to try it, and it would scratch an itch that has been bothering us for some time now. Of course he was up for it, so we stopped by and gave it go... or rather, he gave it a go, I just watched. The setup was easy, I just signed some waivers, we watched a safety video, they fitted him with a helmet and neck brace, and he was off. There were several kids on the track and I got a sense they had done this before - numerous times, in fact. They really knew how to handle those machines, which for the record were not toys. Not even close, they're pretty serious racing machines, even for indoors.

It looked like fun, though I think N felt a bit intimidated by the level of competition, and I can't say I blame him. He did a full session, which lasted about 20 minutes, and then he said that was enough. We got in the car and headed home. It was nice because the tournament ended early in the day so we got home while it was still light outside, which is always a bonus. Not a bad weekend, they won the championship, he had a blast with his buddies, and he got to ride the go-karts. I love when that happens.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to MAC Photography for the pic.