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 Skate adventurer Eddy Matzger lived up to his bold prediction of beating a cable car in an uphill, head-to-head battle on the streets of San Francisco. Eddy's version of the classic struggle between man and machine was filmed by Ripley's Believe It Or Not, and aired nationally on December 11, 2002. "Eddy Matzger rarely takes off his inline skates," read the online Episode Guide. "In fact, he once climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro wearing them. Now he will use them to race a cable car up San Francisco's Hyde street, one of the steepest in the city." Footage from Eddy's worldwide skating exploits was shown in anticipation of the big race. Viewers saw Eddy climbing Africa's tallest peak on inlines, fleeing on skates from mad ungulates during the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona Spain, and training in Tahiti with the natives. Matzger was cheered boisterously by riders on the cable car and tourists standing at the top of the hill. Both the cable car and Matzger ran neck and neck until Eddy kicked it into low gear and barely pulled ahead towards the top, hawking the line at the crosswalk with an outstretched skate. "That was a real drag race," Matzger said of the contest. Ripley's Beleive It Or Not also showed Eddy descending Lombard Street, the world's crookediest hill, on inline skates. "Crazy!" exclaimed one onlooker when asked what he thought of Eddy's daring feat. 10 other segments were featured on Episode #322 of Ripley's Believe It Or Not, and viewers were able to select their favorite. Eddy's cable car race finished in a virtual tie for second, behind a segment about an airline with flight attendants in lingerie offering massages to passengers. During a skate in San Francisco the day after the episode was broadcast, Matzger was stopped in the street by a group of teenagers inquiring: "Were you the guy who raced cable cars on TV last night?" When asked what they thought of it one replied: "That was tight!" |