Local woman sets high score at Estes Park Ride-a-Kart — but not without controversy

Late in the evening on a steamy August evening, a local woman steered her go-kart toward the black-and-white checkered flag at the Ride-a-Kart gaming complex on Highway 34.

She’d never been a hellion on the road, and as she braked and puttered to a stop, a man spring from the kart before her like a calf from a cold mountain stream. She went to unstrap herself from the still-rumbling contraption, feeling the hot sting of defeat: The only thing worse than being “the first loser” (taking second place)? Being the only loser.

She and her friend had pulled into the gaming complex on a lark, thirty minutes before closing. There was no one else in line at the go-karts. If the young attendants, after a long day, had felt any annoyance at the sight of these two overly enthusiastic late comers, they had not let on.

Manager Hunter Peters greeted them kindly and explained the rules of the game. His was not your typical, “keep your hands to yourself and do not leave the cart,” cautionary speech: There were symbols on the track, and riders could gain special points and powers by driving over them. The woman had wanted to study the colorful diagram on the wall, which reminded her of a video game, but her friend had pulled her towards the track, eager to race.

Now, as she was climbing carefully out of the kart, preparing to congratulate hher braggadocious opponent, go-kart attendant Maddox Nagl remarked:

“That’s the highest score I’ve ever seen.”