While in Branson, Missouri, last summer, our attention was drawn to a small sign only a block south of the replica Titanic: "Segway: Feel The Excitement." We realized we were in front of the world's first (and only) Segway track -- but it was still under construction.

Segway: Feel The Excitement opened briefly in the fall of 2006, and now is open for good. (For those who've forgotten, Segways are computer-stabilized scooters that were supposed to change the world when they were unveiled in 2001.) The presence of this attraction in Branson has nothing to do with the town's aged tourism population and everything to do with Mike Stuart, a local pharmacist who bought a Segway, liked it, and decided that if he bought a whole bunch of them, people would pay to ride on them. It's the world's only Segway track because, frankly, despite the initial hoopla, the Segway company really hasn't done much to sell Segways to the general public.

That's a mistake, according to Bill Rinke, the daytime manager at Segway: Feel The Excitement. He told us that people of all ages stop by to test drive Segways on the small course, despite its lack of a gaudy Branson storefront. "The oldest fellah that I know of was 85," Bill said. "He came in here on a cane, we got him on a Segway, and he said, 'You know, I can't walk fifty feet, but I'm gonna buy one of these!'" Aside from an occasional sale -- nine thus far -- this is principally an attraction, not a showroom, although you can certainly buy a Segway ($5,000) if you're interested.

Customers pay their fee ($19.95 for 20 minutes), watch an introductory video, strap on a helmet, and are escorted to the track by a safety supervisor who keeps an eye on things. The track is small and simple: ten-foot-wide, crisscrossing asphalt pathways with little hills, and no water hazards or Goofy Golf obstructions. "We had a graded hill with a wood chip path up and over the top," Bill recalled, "but on our first week open a guy from Chicago oversteered, fell off, complained, and we've closed it ever since." The idea of just riding a Segway is considered exciting enough in Branson. Bill told us that if anyone tries stunts or tricks, "we immediately pull them off of the track. They're outta here. We will not allow anything that borders on unsafe."

Segway: Feel The Excitement draws an older crowd in the morning and a younger one at night. Bill, a senior himself, feels that he relates well to the daytime visitors. "Older folks sometimes seem real nervous about it. I'll say, 'If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?' And they'll say, 'I'm 68 or 69 or 70.' And I'll say, 'Look, I'm pushing 75 and I can ride these just fine, so why can't you?'" [04/15/2007]

November 25, 2009