HISTORY

Skeleton is the oldest competitive sliding sport on the track. It was invented by a British man in 1892 but remained a recreational sport until it's Olympic debut in the 1928 Winter Games and then again in 1948 (both held in St Mortiz, Switzerland). After a fifty-two year absence, Skeleton was reintroduced into the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and is here to stay. In 2006 over 19 different nations competed in this exhilarating sport where a hundredth of a second can be the difference between a Gold and Silver medal.

SLEDS and EQUIPMENT

Sleds:

Skeleton sleds look extremely simple but are made with expertise, precision and skill. They consist of a steel frame, fiberglass bottom and padding for comfort. Although they may all look similar on the outside, they are all very unique to each slider. They differ in weight (64-73lb for women), fit, feel and are sculpted to each body type. My sled is built by Ryan Davenport.

Runners are the interchangeable steels that come in contact with the ice. They are all made from standardized material issued by our International Governing Body (FIBT). Made with round steel (16mm in diameter), they are machined to have custom groves cut into the rear half for control. The cutting of the grooves becomes complicated because there are so many different ways in which to cut the runner depending on sliding style, ice conditions, track difficulty, etc. It truly is a science and art to create and select the correct runner for each race condition. Most sliders own several sets of these. 

Clothes:

Speed Suits are worn for aerodynamic purposes. They are a skin-tight, one-piece suit made from a thin layer of spandex or similar material. Many sliders have adopted the Speedo full-body swimsuit for races.

Shoes:

Sliders used to compete in regular track and field spikes but the rules have recently changed. These days, “Brush Spikes” are worn. They look similar to a track spike on top but the forefoot area is covered with hundreds of tiny needles to grip the ice. There is also a reinforced toecap for our occasional toe steering.

Head Protection:

It is important for our helmet to be light in weight because most of us sliders already have a tough time holding up our heads with up to five G’s of pressure in some turns. Ski racing helmets (Carrera, Uvez, Boeri, Joafa, etc.) and skydiving helmets (Z1) are the most popular.  Chin guards and full-face shields are attached if not already assembled. Oh yeah, don’t forget about the mouth guard… some bumps on the track will just about knock those pearly whites right out if you’re not careful!

TRACKS AROUND THE WORLD

There are 14 tracks around the world that Skeleton sliders compete on. The majority of these tracks are in Europe. Here is a list of the locations:

North America:

Lake Placid, New York - Park City, Utah - Calgary, Canada - - Vancouver, Canada *NEW*

Europe:

-St Moritz, Switerland -La Plagne, France -Altenberg, Germany -Lillehammer, Norway -Winterberg, Germany -Sigulda, Latvia -Konigssee, Germany -Cesana Pariol, Italy -Igls, Austria

Asia: Nagano, Japan

RACE DAY

Race day consists of two runs down the track. Based on the first run times, there is usually a cut off (top 20 sliders) that receive a second run. The two times are combined and the fastest wins! (Note: World Championships consists of four runs.)