GOLDENDALE -- For five years, John Ozman seriously searched for the perfect road that would be safe, but also technically challenging enough to host some of the world's top downhill skateboarding and luge racers.

And he finally found it, hiding in the prickly brush along U.S. Highway 97 just south of the rural city of Goldendale.

Now, the steep and swervy Maryhill Loops Road -- said to be the first paved road in the Pacific Northwest -- is known around the world by those with a serious need for speed.

"It's a fantastic road," Switzerland's Martin Siegrist, a champion downhill skateboarder, said Wednesday during the first day of practice for the second annual Maryhill Festival of Speed.

"Finally, we got a strong tail wind; we were waiting for that last year," Siegrist said.

Since Wednesday, more than 200 athletes from more than 10 countries have been screaming down the 2.2-mile road, which is owned by the nearby Maryhill Museum of Art and only open for special events.

This historic piece of asphalt's international reputation as a great place to race is thanks in part to Ozman, president of Volcanic Promotions out of Longbranch, Wash., near Gig Harbor.

Ozman, a former street luger from Southern California -- his brother Bob won the gold medal in the dual luge at the 2000 X Games -- founded last year's Festival of Speed, which played host to one of the International Gravity Sports Association's World Cup races.

It went so well that this year's speed fest is the host of the IGSA's World Championships -- this is the first time it's been held outside of Europe. Registration filled up in seven hours.

"And people have been screaming and crying to get in," said the 41-year-old Ozman.

The competitors -- race divisions are for downhill skateboard, inline skating, street and classic luge and gravity bike -- have until this afternoon to practice navigating Maryhill's 25 curves. The first qualifying run is from 1 to 5 p.m. today.

Those who are here are some of the top competitors in the world, such as Siegrist, a three-time world champ; and Canada's Scott "Scoot" Smith and Kevin "K-Rimes" Reimer, who both have three-to-one odds to win the downhill skateboard race.

But also keep an eye out for Billy Meiners of Portland -- he'll be the one in the skeleton-looking suit. Despite his 10-to-one odds, Maryhill is his home track.

For the 22-year-old Meiners, downhill racing is all about cruising along and having fun.

"Even if my whole body hurts," he said with a grin.

"If I can make it to the finals, I'll be stoked," he added.

In the women's downhill skateboard division, 22-year-old Haven Anderson, one of Vancouver, B.C.'s premier female longboarders, is returning to Maryhill after being seriously injured at last year's event and spending five days in the local hospital.

Her fellow skaters, though, took up a collection to help her with the bills.

"That's what kept me in this," she said. "It's such a great family to be part of."

Fellow Canadians Erian Baxter and Kevin Dubois are finding that out, too. Their 9-year-old son Quinn is competing in the junior downhill division -- this is only his second downhill race.

Outfitted in a makeshift leather suit from a thrift store, he's been embraced by his older competitors, said his mom, calmly waiting in the athlete parking lot.

"The nice thing about this whole community is they're very welcoming," she said.

And if you ask the athletes, they'll say the same thing about Goldendale, which has turned out in force to help with the races.

"These young kids are so neat," said Bob Goodwin, 70, who is one of the volunteers driving the U-Haul trucks that shuttle the racers and their gear to the top of the hill.

"We came last year and had so much fun," said his wife Mary Jo, "we decided to volunteer this year."

* Kim Nowacki can be reached at 577-7680 or knowacki@yakimaherald.com.