Georgia man taking his need for speed to the world stage

COBB COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Street luge is one of those sports that takes nerves of steel. A Cobb County man has the nerves and the skill enough to head to the World Championship in Barcelona as part of Team USA.

Matt Bartlett, 35, said he races down hills at speeds close to 100 miles an hour on his street luge sled.

"My fastest was 97, that was in Quebec," said Bartlett.

"The idea is to be as low to the ground as possible and as streamlined as possible to achieve maximum speed," said Bartlett.

He wears a leather suit, gloves, and a helmet for protection. He's modified a pair of sneakers, adding extra thick material to the soles, for him to slow down.

"We use our feet to brake," said Bartlett.

Matt first got interested in street luge when he was a teenager.

"It was the late 90's, it was in the X-Games. Being a skateboarder at the time, I wasn't very good at it, I realized I just wanted to go fast and I saw that on tv and went outside, laid on my board, went down a hill and loved it ever since," said Bartlett.

His love for the sport plus the skills he's developed over the years has earned Bartlett a spot on Team USA for street luge. He'll be competing in the World Championship in Barcelona this summer.

"I'm excited for him. he has this passion for this sport," said his wife Brooklyn.

The World Championship may not be Matt's biggest race. He's hoping street luge will be an Olympic Sport by 2024.