Bannister Speedway

The concrete hallway led straight to the stairwell, and there it was: a smooth, sloping wooden banister railing spiraling all the way down! I didn't hesitate for a second. I scrambled up the iron baluster, hooked my red shoes onto the polished wood, and dropped flat on my plush tummy. Swoosh! The wood was ice-slick. I whipped right down the slope, catching a sharp draft of cool air as the stairs blurred beside me. When the handrail leveled out at the midway landing, I popped up on both feet and stuck a clean two-inch skid against the brass newel cap. That banister is the ultimate speed slide!