Not Your Average Race Rig
Washington, D.C.
When Jefferson Smith hit the bike transition at the Nation’s Triathlon, riders around him were hopping on expensive, lightweight road rigs. Smith, though, took off on a red 40-pound street cruiser that he rented from Capital Bikeshare, Washington’s citywide public bike rental program. It took Smith over two hours to finish the 25-mile leg, but for his efforts the D.C. Department of Transportation refunded his rental fees.
Bling and Bang
Atlanta, GA.
Buy a diamond; get a free gun. That’s the promotion at Atlanta jeweler D. Geller and Son, which is passing out vouchers for free rifles with a diamond purchase greater than $2,499. Business owner Mike Geller told a local news station that many of his customers are hunters. Diamond purchasers must redeem the voucher through a gun dealer after completing mandatory legal requirements for gun purchases.
95-Year-Old Rafts The New
New River Gorge, W.VA.
In late summer Meyer Melman celebrated his 95th birthday with a whitewater rafting trip on the New River. Industry vet and managing partner of Adventures on the Gorge Dave Arnold told the Charleston Gazette he thinks Melman is the oldest person his guides have ever taken down the river. Melman, who bounced down the class II-IV lower stretch of the New, is a retired grocer who didn’t start rafting until he was 80. This was his second trip on the New and he’s vowed to return for his 100th birthday.
Flying Tomato Jailed
Nashville, TENN.
Olympic snowboarding gold medalist and X Games dominator Shaun White landed himself in a Music City pokey after being arrested for public intoxication and vandalism back in September. The 26-year-old boarding phenom apparently pulled the fire alarm at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel where he was staying, and after fleeing an employee, he knocked into a fence and gave himself a black eye. Police said White was acting drunk and reeked of booze.
Race in Space
Earlier this fall Astronaut Sunita Williams completed the first triathlon in space. Hovering 240 miles above the Earth on the International Space Station, Williams raced along with the California-based Nautica Malibu Triathlon, using a treadmill to run four miles, a stationary bike for the race’s 18-mile ride, and a strength-training machine to simulate the half-mile swim. Williams finished the race in 1:48:33
Good Dog, Bad Neighbors
Leechburg, PA.
A Pennsylvania couple has been charged with conspiracy and not making a reasonable effort to return lost property after selling a neighbor’s dog that wandered into their yard. Scott and Roxanne Duff told police their neighbor’s Rottweiler puppy ran away, but it was later revealed they sold the dog on Craigslist for $50.
Beyond the Blue Ridge
Singletrack Settlement
Deerfield Beach, FLA.
Mountain biking in Florida might not sound too extreme, but a woman—unnamed as settlement negotiations were still ongoing at press time—will potentially collect $17,500 from Broward County taxpayers after an endo on the trails of Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield left her with injuries. The woman claims she has incurred $81,000 in medical bills after fracturing her cervical vertebrae. County officials, though, claimed she was technically a trespasser who shouldn’t have been riding the trails, because she didn’t sign a waiver and watch an instructional video, both requirements for riding the IMBA-designed singletrack at Quiet Waters.
Hey, Don’t Eat That Turtle
Tampa, FLA.
A 15-pound endangered turtle nearly became a Florida fisherman’s dinner, but a neighbor blew the whistle before the big feast. The man found the rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle back in May and had been keeping it in a tank in his backyard. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rescued the turtle before it could become soup meat and rehabilitated it at an aquarium before releasing it into the wild.
Drunk Cyclist Rides into DUI Checkpoint
Red Bluff, CALIF.
The Red Bluff Police Department didn’t arrest any drunk drivers while holding a five-hour checkpoint back in September. But when 30-year-old Christopher Pence pedaled right into the checkpoint area officers stopped him for riding without a headlight. The cyclist was visibly intoxicated and charged with suspicion of riding a bicycle while under the influence.
Living Not So Large
San Francisco, CALIF.
The city of San Francisco is considering approval of the smallest apartments in the country. While many people dream of owning vast acreage, people in the City by the Bay could soon be able to rent a pad that’s just 220 square feet—reported to be just double the size of some prison cells.
