5 More Ways to Get Competitive in Chattanooga
You asked; we answered. 7 Places in Chattanooga to Unleash Your Competitive Side was so popular that we’re revisiting the concept with even more places in Chattanooga to celebrate a good-natured rivalry.
The Stage: Sing It or Wing It
You’ll compete for applause and a little audience participation at this downtown Chattanooga stop for karaoke and wings. Located near the corner of Market Street and 4th Street, Sing It or Wing It is a Chattanooga original that has seen the likes of Kane Brown, Lauren Alaina, and other artists before they became famous. Open Wednesday through Sunday, you’ll find families at the mic earlier in the day and a bar atmosphere in the evenings. Wings are offered both smoked and grilled, topped with signature sauces like Blackberry Sriracha, Tennessee Whiskey, Spicy Garlic, Mango Habanero, or Raspberry Chipotle BBQ. The rest of the menu includes nods to the music industry: The Fleetwood (a chicken sandwich), the Diffie Delight (a sloppy joe), Aretha Fried Okra, and the Bieber Burger. Keep an eye out for a Nashville Star-inspired competition and a singer/songerwriter night later this year.
Animation-Meets-Athletics: Topgolf
In addition to 36 climate-controlled hitting bays and an 18-hole miniature golf course, Topgolf Chattanooga has brought Angry Birds to the driving range. Mimicking the flight of your ball on a flat screen television, you’ll see an Angry Bird launch from a slingshot and rush toward piggies and TNT perched atop angled beams, cardboard boxes, and other assortments of stacked mayhem. If you aim well, you’ll take down part of the virtual tower, then have a chance to try again. To celebrate your win, there’s the expectation of an Angry Birds dance, created by rapper Ludacris. You can continue competing with friends for farthest, fastest, or highest hit, then play virtual versions of iconic courses such as Pebbles Beach and St. Andrews.
The 8-Ball League: Chattanooga Billiard Club
Phil Windham grew up in a small town in Mississippi and says much of his youth was misspent in the pool room. His older sister and his younger brother were both valedictorians. The middle child, he simply couldn’t pull himself away from billiards. He moved to Chattanooga for a job in monument sales in 1978, then after a year partnered with local fireman and pro pool player Mike Massey–best known for his trick shots–to open a billiards room in Hixson. In 1982, Windham was ready for a place of his own. He opened Chattanooga Billiard Club (CBC) downtown and was the only employee on site for two years, with beer and pickled eggs available at the bar. After adding a liquor license, a full kitchen, and league play, the business grew exponentially. Now CBC has two locations in Chattanooga, one downtown on Cherry Street and one in the Hamilton Place area off Lee Highway. In addition to 20 billiards tables and a steel tip dart-throwing arena, CBC East has an 80s style arcade, which includes foosball, skee ball, air hockey, Donkey Kong, pinball, Playstation and Xbox games, and Daytona USA. Ultimately, it’s the handicap-friendly billiards league where you’ll find the heart of competition. There’s also an opportunity to advance to higher level play. Three or four teams from the Chattanooga market typically advance to the national competition in Vegas every year.
Local Trivia: Let’s Roam, Chattanooga Scavenger Hunt
Test your knowledge of Chattanooga landmarks and history on an interactive, app-based scavenger hunt of the Scenic City. Part walking tour, part trivia quiz, Let’s Roam will have you racing around downtown looking for clues that help you answer the questions. At any given moment, you may also find yourself striking a silly pose, as extra points can be earned for your team when you complete challenges like taking a themed photo. Completely smartphone-based, you’ll make a reservation online, download the app, then follow instructions in your email inbox for where and how to begin. As it’s an outdoor experience, you’ll never be prompted to enter any private or public buildings or access public transportation. Wear comfy shoes, and move fast! When the hunt is over, you’ll compare your final score to the local leaderboard. To up the competitive edge, consider making reservations in two groups and see who finishes first.
SORBA-Maintained Cycling: Chattanooga Mountain Bike Trails
At times, the best competitive moments aren’t so much about scores as they are about speed and daring. If you’re still a newbie when it comes to mountain biking in the Chattanooga area, start at Enterprise South Nature Park, 2,800 wooded acres located fifteen minutes northeast from downtown. There you’ll find a small kids’ loop track called Hercules and 15 miles of single-track trails rated by difficulty. Directly across from Hercules, accessible from the same parking lot, is the Black Forest Mountain Bike Trail, 3.6 miles for beginners, which will ride either clockwise or counter-clockwise depending on what day of the week it is. For the more experienced riders, Raccoon Mountain trails circle the reservoir for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) pumped storage facility, and while you’ll find a few without much change in elevation, that’s not the norm. For a wild descent, check out Grindstone Ridge. If you prefer the added difficulty of rocks, roots, and other technical obstacles, look for the trails marked Live Wire 2 or Megawatt. Both Enterprise South Nature Park and Raccoon Mountain trail systems are maintained by the local branch of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA).
