KANSAS CITY, Kan. - An Oelwein native died Saturday while preparing for a street luge event in Kansas.

Steve Baumgartner, 28, of Palatine, Ill., was practicing for an "outlaw" race Saturday when he lost control and hit a tree, according to the Associated Press.

Baumgartner attended Oelwein High School from 1994 to 1998, where he participated in basketball, football, track and cross country. He was a Navy petty officer 1st class and was a weapons specialist on a ship. Family members said he was on leave when the accident occurred.

Karen Rogers, Baumgartner's sister, said the news was a shock but not a big surprise because her brother was an action and outdoor sports enthusiast. Family members warned him to take it easy, she said.

He liked adventure, Rogers said.

"The bigger the better," she added.

Street luge involves low-slung boards on wheels, similar in design to a skateboard, only larger. Riders lie on their backs and go downhill feet first. They steer by leaning from side to side.

Baumgartner was reportedly on a 5-foot luge. The accident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on Puckett Road in Rosedale Park in Kansas City, Kan. At the time, Baumgartner was wearing protective padding and a helmet.

According to his MySpace.com page, Baumgartner also enjoyed skateboarding, inline skating and shooting.

Rogers described her brother as a family person, who loved his nieces and nephews. He also played guitar in a band and loved to travel. He wore a leather jacket with about a dozen flags from the countries he'd visited. Recently, Baumgartner re-enlisted in the Navy.

Rogers said her brother loved being in the Navy. It "straightened him out," she said.

She talked to her brother shortly before the race. She said he went to Kansas City to get a few practice rides in ahead of time.

"He was really excited," she said.

The event was described as an unsanctioned race promoted on several Web sites as "Kansas City's first outlaw gravity race mini series," according to KMBC in Kansas City. The race was subsequently canceled.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Zion Lutheran Church with burial in Woodlawn Cemetery, both in Oelwein. Visitation is scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Geilenfeld Funeral Home in Oelwein and an hour before services Friday at the church. A memorial fund has been established.

For information, call Geilenfeld Funeral Home at (319) 283-4653.

Contact Josh Nelson

at (319) 291-1565

or josh.nelson@wcfcourier.com.