Finally, a dream you can achieve: Professional chair racing has bubbled to creation

If you like to participate in activities that only require an average desk chair, biking safety equipment, duct tape and a complete lack of common sense, boy do I have the sport for you. In a world filled with darkness and dismay, one shining beacon of courage remains, an idea created by the Germans but loved especially by high schoolers with a mobile imagination and big city dreams: Racing each other on swivel chairs.

If you want to compete, however, you better be OK with losing to some top tier talent. Luxembourger Pierre Feller captured the championship trophy by racing down a 200-meter track in only 26.95 seconds, which translates to about 22 MPH. Most other incidents with swivel chairs that have reached speeds of 20-plus MPH have been labeled homicides.

Feller set a new course record for his win by covering the 200-metre downhill stretch in just 26.95 seconds, reaching speeds of up to 35 kph (22 mph).

“His lying-down technique was sensational!” gushed organizer René Karg of Feller’s winning run, before pointing out the strict regulations in place for the third championship of its kind: the chairs are allowed to be fitted with inline-skate wheels and handles, but no kind of motorized aid is permitted.

“We check each chair in advance,” said Karg.

Video here.

To ensure that talent prevails, there should be some kind of uniform chair that competitors use that they can modify with different colors or handles, but that’s IT. I hereby decree that no fancy chair will be the sole reason for victory in chair luge, it ain’t cool! Let the record show!

If you haven’t already been convinced that you should follow chair racing as your new number one sport, here’s another little tidbit that may push you over the edge:

The design prize was won by Heiko Winter, also a local resident, who was dressed as a cowboy and had fitted his chair with a horse’s head and a saddle.

How cute! Imagine if they’d race that thing with a toddler instead. Remember, gimmicks save sports.

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Screw NASCAR, let’s watch chairs race [With Leather]

Luxembourger triumphs in German office chair race [The Local]