Luge
Imagine yourself lying on a sled as you jet down a track of ice at eighty
miles per hour. There is a sport where you can do that. It is called luge. Luge
is the French word for sled. One or two sliders hurl themselves down a steep,
curvy, ice-covered track on a sled. The athletes learn to lie back, relax, and
steer their sleds. The point is to do it as fast as they can without falling off
of the sled.
Equipment
If you want to be safe while doing luge you need gear. To keep your noggin safe you will need a strong helmet with a face shield.
Athletes also need aerodynamic racing suits and clothing underneath to keep them warm. If an athlete wanted to increase his/her speed they would wear extra weight like gloves with spikes, and streamlined boots. The luge (sled) is inevitability. The luge can be made of composite alloys or steel. It can also be a very light weight sled made moderately with canvas.Training
To do well lugers have to train. They train to improve their speed and agility. They can be men, women, or children in great physical condition. These lugers need strong necks, arms, and legs because they will need to carry their own sleds, which are VERY HEAVY! The athletes must practice the way they will start the run ("starts"). They can practice their starts on a specially designed strip of equipment that is like a luge but with wheels. They practice pushing themselves off with their spiked gloves we talked about above. As the lugers lie on their sleds, they would also learn to relax, shift their weight, point their toes and concentrate for the thrilling ride ahead.
Track
The racing track can be man-made of concrete or it can be a natural track made of snow and ice. The Olympic races are held on a mock track of about 1300 meters. The track must at least one curve, one right curve, one labyrinth and one straightway. Having a men’s and a women’s start is a must have for an artificial track; also it should have a finish house. It is the track director’s job to make sure the ice on the track is the precise temperature and is kept clear of debris.
Cool Fact-there is only two artificial tracks in the US. One is in Lake Placid, New York and the other is in Park City, Utah.
The Race
Athletes compete in official races to see who is fastest. Each racer makes two runs in a race. The two times are added together to see who wins first, second, and third place. Many judges help in a race so that all of the rules are followed. If an athlete breaks a rule they are disqualified. Before a race, the racers must weigh in with a judge. They are allowed to add a certain amount of extra weight to a vest to increase there speed.
Pocantico Hills School
e-mail us at:
gbrigham@pocanticohills.org