"Golf cars have developed an undeserved image as a sedate, even elderly form of transportation," asserts Dave Reiser, owner of RV Wallbangers. But across the U.S., his chain of demolition derby-style arenas is appealing to "kids of all ages,"
(prHWY.com) August 1, 2012 - Seattle, WA -- "Golf cars have developed an undeserved image as a sedate, even elderly form of transportation," asserts Dave Reiser, owner of RV Wallbangers. But across the U.S., his chain of demolition derby-style arenas is appealing to "kids of all ages," according to Reiser.
Instead of go-karts or bumper cars, fans of RV Wallbangers operate reinforced (on the outside) and ultra-padded (on the inside) golf cars at high speeds around a faux urban and residential cityscape, all within the confines of a small stadium. Drivers wear helmets and suits that are filled with styrofoam peanuts and miniature air bags, and though they look like the flimsy "putt-putters" of the fairway, the vehicles are constructed of extra thick steel and iron, to withstand high-speed collisions.
The cityscape is filled with structures that crumble and collapse when rammed by a golf car moving at even medium speed (20 mph). "Heck, this is way-cool awesome," 13-year-old patron Doug Tryon said after careening around the course with his grandfather Ike. Tryon said his favorite part of the course was knocking down the cloth statues of street mimes.
Sociologist Paul Frischberg thinks Reiser is onto something. "For many decades, the only place you saw a golf car was at a country club. They have come into subsequent use on film sets, in warehouses, and as the workhorses of nurseries, but they're most commonly associated with retirement communities today. The result has been that golf cars have acquired a stodgy image."
To further minimize the chance of injury to participants, the vehicles are all connected to a network that instantly shuts them all off in the event a driver or passenger falls out of a golf car on the course. Reiser is proud of his clean incident record in a year of operation and a growing number of franchise arenas that has reached more than a dozen in three Western states.
"Let's face it, we're all probably going to end up using one to get around someday," Reiser said. "I figured, why wait until we're too aged and fragile to enjoy it? Why not experience the thrill of the chase and the excitement of high-speed crashes and smashups while we're still able to handle the adrenaline?"
Frischberg agrees. "When you move into a retirement community and come to depend permanently on a
golf car for transport, you'll have these great memories to savor every time you snap in your safety harnesses." Reiser is currently in negotiations to place an RV Wallbangers franchise adjacent to Disneyland.
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