After The 2000 X Games

AFTER THE 2000 X GAMES street luge competition, experts agreed it was the best track and deepest field of competitors ever. With street-luge pioneers and up-and-coming young competitors going head-to-head on specially designed luges (which look a lot like big skateboards), the competition and excitement soared—especially in the Super Mass finals.

Racing down Seal Rock Run in San Francisco, the final matched top-seeded Lee Dansie, No. 2 seed Bob “the Piranha” Pereyra, and four other top lugers that included Dennis Derammelaere, Sean Mallard, John Rogers, and Dave Auld. The speedy, hilly course provided the large crowd all the thrills it expected. Dansie bolted from the starting line and built a commanding lead. However, Pereyra kept things close and waited for an opportunity. His chance came at the Cliff House Turn when Dansie hit the brakes too late and skidded. The slight loss of speed was all Pereyra needed. With his head inches from the pavement and his body lying as flat as he could get it, Pereyra made a strong outside move and passed Dansie near the finish line. Dansie came in second, while John Rogers captured the bronze.

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POINT Bob Pereyra and Lee Dansie helped create street luge more than 20 years before the 2000 X Games. Pereyra had even won the first X Games gold in street luge in 1995. Dansie had four medals, but no gold. So when Dansie held the lead right before the finish and saw Pereyra slipping up beside him, he admitted thinking about nudging his competitor into the hay bales that lined the course. But Dansie overcame those thoughts of turning to the “dark side” and let Pereyra safely pass. Dansie said his reputation of being a clean racer and his desire to have others treat him the same way in the future helped him make the decision.

God wants us to do the same thing as we choose how to treat people in our daily life and in our athletic endeavors. By treating others how we want to be treated, we’re setting a good example.

GOAL! Do you have a reputation on the athletic field? Strive to always be a fair competitor. Ask God for help.