>Skeleton
Luge: we try-out for the British Olympic Team (by Mark Warrender)
Mark Warrender (a.k.a. Mr.
Cool) and Dr. Neil Farrow put away their streetluges for
a weekend and set sail for Bath University to have a go
at their new Bob Skeleton practice track. That's the ice
version of the luge where the racers go HEAD FIRST!
Here's Mark Warrenders report...
Bath University: Dry start
track for practicing Bob Skeleton throughout the year.
It sounded crazy
enough and at only £2.50 I thought it was a snip. We took
a day off for the Queen and headed down, meeting outside a
café for 10 a.m. We were led off by a guy called Paul to the
lecture theatre. After filling out various forms we had the
speech from Paul. That's where I started to feel like I'd
been shafted. He told us about Skeleton and it's origins,
the fact it's an Olympic sport and that they were doing
talent trials that day for the British Olympic team! That
part sounded cool, the next part didn't! Skeleton (apparently)
is about commitment, 110% dedication and joining the Olympiad
at all costs - dedicating 4 years of your life. I just wanted
to have a go for the shit of it.
We would be subjected
to a series of sprint tests to assess our potential as 'Sliders'
(sounds like a cheesy US Sci-Fi to me!). Timed running trials
and a go on a mock up sled to assess our technique. Sprinters
have the advantage here, as the fastest 6 starters had the
fastest 6 course times at the last Olympics. (Nothing to do
with rider skill then??).
Everyone got into
their track suits and we headed out to the track. The warm
up we were taken through was knackering, and I was beginning
to wish I'd never gone at this point. Timing gear was set
up along the back straight, and we were all timed across a
30 and 50 metre sprint. Best 2 times of 3 goes, with another
2 runs available if you wanted. I got the second fastest time
which I was quite pleased with, Neil kept muttering something
about 10 mile races and sprinting being for poofs.
We were then led
off to the mockup, which was seriously impressive when we
got there. A tarmac incline with the exact dimensions of the
Olympic course starts. There was a Skeleton on a set of rails
that you could run, push and ride to the bottom, where there
was an uphill incline to slow you down. A bungee cord arrangement
then fired you backwards towards the start.
I would guess the
speed at around 30 MPH which felt fast as I only had a t-shirt
on, no leathers. We did have helmets though. This was fun
but there was no steering, you could just feel the sled bumping
from side to side between the rails. I'm sure the real thing
is much better and I'd love to have a go, but we're still
waiting to be contacted by the BBSKA. I guess that means we're
shit, or they sussed us out as being there for a laugh and
not having Olympic level commitment. (What happened to Sport
for all?).
In
short I would draw the following conclusions from my excursion.
Skeleton luges have no brakes as you don't need them, the
course guides you (so I'm told). They don't race head to head,
just against the clock. To get in you have to be committed
110% and a brilliant sprinter. In my book it's all a bit too
sanitised, not enough danger. Excitement maybe, but not something
you can easily share with someone or even experience yourself
- perhaps a bit elitist in that respect. If I'm invited to
the ice trials I'll be there like a shot, but if not this
is one sport I'll have to pass on. Highlight of the day? Kinny's
bum - that's one of the (female) members of the British team.
There's a picture enclosed but it in no way does it justice.
What is Bob
Skeleton?
Bob skeleton is where a sport where
athletes race down a sloped ice track on a small
sled (i.e. a 'skeleton'). Unlike luge, the Bob
Skeleton racers are positioned head first and
steer by leaning, moving their head from side
to side or dragging a toe on the ice. Skeletons
do not have any brakes or suspension and with
top speeds exceeding 80 mph, this is not a sport
for the timid. As with all gravity sports making
a good start is vital and thus this sport favours
those with a strong sprinting abilities.
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