Let That Skeleton Out of the Closet
As I am now an official member of the United States Bobsled & Skeleton Federation, I want to encourage everyone to vote for this. "USBSF Going for Gold" is aimed at enhancing the athletic development of bobsled and skeleton athletes to compete at higher levels at the next winter Olympic Games. In order to improve the development program, USBSF must purchase additional equipment, hire a full-time strength and conditioning coach to work with athletes year round, and have funding available for athletes on an as-needed basis. Because of the high cost of being a bobsled or skeleton athlete, many potential Olympians cannot afford to train for Team USA. Other countries receive government funding to help their athletes; we don't. Therefore, USBSF relies on the help of company sponsorships and individual donations. By accomplishing these goals, USBSF will be able to increase potential talent in our sports, better train our athletes, represent our country, and give Team USA a competitive edge in the next Olympic Games.
You can vote once a day until December 31. The top 2 ideas get $250K each to use as they've listed on the site. There are tons of great causes, and you get 10 votes a day. Just make sure one of them goes to Bobsledding. It's currently #207 on the list, so let's get voting!
Hope you're all enjoying this wonderful holiday season! I know I am. Thanksgiving was great, and I'm really looking forward to all December has to offer. Katy and I just put up our first Christmas tree away from home. It's all purple and silver. Go Cats! (It is not, and I repeat, IS NOT a TCU Hornfrogs tree! We Wildcats get confused with the Hornfrogs a lot down here.) It was strange listening to the same music as always, putting up our own tree, and sweating because it's 70ish degrees outside. We had the windows open because we couldn't bring ourselves to turn the A/C on in December. It cooled off today, but I wouldn't exactly call it Christmas weather. I'm going to tons of Christmas functions in the next few weeks, and I'm going to see family over Christmas/New Years week. The preview video at C3 (that's my singles group at church) this week for the Christmas party/dinner/talent show got me all excited! These guys are hilarious! If you're my friend on facebook, check out the video I posted. I'm just really enjoying this season of celebrating Christ.
Dad and I are headed to Salt Lake City this week, and I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself! Bobsledding and Skeleton here we come! Caitlin Duffy (she's one of the girls I tried out with this summer) is now living in Park City, and she'll be volunteering at the event. She's gotten to bobsled several times already since shes been there. A 16 year old boy needed a brakeman, so Duffy has learned on the fly. She's already met athletes from all over the world who are there to train alongside them. Crazy cool! Here's are a few pictures. She even had a Dutch athlete giving her some pointers. Nice job Duf! See you in a few days.
I really haven't kept up with who reads this blog, aside from close friends and family I've talked to about it. I figured a random friend or two would see it on my facebook page and check it out now and then. I guess I just figured a kid from Kansas with big dreams wouldn't draw any attention, but I found a tab this week that said "Stats" I'd overlooked till now. I clicked on it, and I was in for a big shock. This is my 13th post, and my blog has had almost 800 views in the US. 800! You know what's even crazier than that, people from all over the world have been reading what I've been writing. People in Canada, Denmark, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Turkey have all taken a gander at one point or another. How crazy is that?!? Big shout out to whoever reads this every week in Canada and Denmark. I am completely flabbergasted, to say the least. My mouth is still hanging open in shock. So, to any and all of you that are reading this weeks post, Thanks! I'm honored you'd take time out of your life to read about mine.
Now that I am completely humbled and in awe, let us discuss this week's topic.
How It Works
Like the other sliding sports of bobsleigh and luge, the start is crucial in skeleton — where a tenth of a second lead at the start can become three-tenths of a second by the bottom of the run. These athletes train much like sprinters to develop powerful legs they need to explode onto the track. But speed is not the only factor: they must also find the best line and steer smoothly through each turn to keep their speed high. The most important factor is still: get your body on the sled!
To start, a skeleton slider grasps the handles on either side of the sled, runs as fast as possible for approximately 50 meters, then dives head first onto the sled. Sliders lie on their stomachs and steer by shifting their bodies very slightly. The action of leaping onto the sled at the start of the run is called loading or boarding. The athlete lifts their legs under their body and drops onto the skeleton in one smooth movement, avoiding loss of momentum and instability.
Now, let's check out their sweet gear.
You can vote once a day until December 31. The top 2 ideas get $250K each to use as they've listed on the site. There are tons of great causes, and you get 10 votes a day. Just make sure one of them goes to Bobsledding. It's currently #207 on the list, so let's get voting!
Dad and I are headed to Salt Lake City this week, and I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself! Bobsledding and Skeleton here we come! Caitlin Duffy (she's one of the girls I tried out with this summer) is now living in Park City, and she'll be volunteering at the event. She's gotten to bobsled several times already since shes been there. A 16 year old boy needed a brakeman, so Duffy has learned on the fly. She's already met athletes from all over the world who are there to train alongside them. Crazy cool! Here's are a few pictures. She even had a Dutch athlete giving her some pointers. Nice job Duf! See you in a few days.
I really haven't kept up with who reads this blog, aside from close friends and family I've talked to about it. I figured a random friend or two would see it on my facebook page and check it out now and then. I guess I just figured a kid from Kansas with big dreams wouldn't draw any attention, but I found a tab this week that said "Stats" I'd overlooked till now. I clicked on it, and I was in for a big shock. This is my 13th post, and my blog has had almost 800 views in the US. 800! You know what's even crazier than that, people from all over the world have been reading what I've been writing. People in Canada, Denmark, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Turkey have all taken a gander at one point or another. How crazy is that?!? Big shout out to whoever reads this every week in Canada and Denmark. I am completely flabbergasted, to say the least. My mouth is still hanging open in shock. So, to any and all of you that are reading this weeks post, Thanks! I'm honored you'd take time out of your life to read about mine.
Now that I am completely humbled and in awe, let us discuss this week's topic.
SKELETON!
Flat Out, Head First
Like I said earlier, I am so incredibly excited to see this up close and personal this week, I can't even tell you.
History
Sleighing is one of the oldest winter sports. I really don't like the word "sleighing", but since other people say it, I've decided to follow their lead. Descriptions of the sport can be found in 16th-century literature, but as a racing sport it can be traced to the mid-19th century, when British tourists started sliding down snowbound roads in the Alps. I know I've talked about this the last three weeks, but that had to be one exciting ride. No brake, old-school sled, really steep snowy roads on a mountain equals a great vacation! British and American holidaymakers built the first toboggan run in Davos in 1882.
Skeleton sled racing owes it entire early history to St. Moritz and the famed Cresta Run. The sport developed in the Swiss resort town as a pursuit for the rich. E. F. Benson put it best when he wrote in 1913, “There is one Mecca, there is one St Peter's, and there is one Cresta.”
Men’s skeleton made two early appearances on the Olympic program at its "ancestral" home of St. Moritz in 1928 and 1948. Skeleton then re-appeared as a permanent Olympic sport for both men and women at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
Skeleton racing involves plummeting head-first down a steep and treacherous ice track on a tiny sled. It is considered the world's first sliding sport. Skeleton got its name from the sled used — originally metal, now fiberglass and metal — as it resembles a human skeleton.
How It Works
Like the other sliding sports of bobsleigh and luge, the start is crucial in skeleton — where a tenth of a second lead at the start can become three-tenths of a second by the bottom of the run. These athletes train much like sprinters to develop powerful legs they need to explode onto the track. But speed is not the only factor: they must also find the best line and steer smoothly through each turn to keep their speed high. The most important factor is still: get your body on the sled!
To start, a skeleton slider grasps the handles on either side of the sled, runs as fast as possible for approximately 50 meters, then dives head first onto the sled. Sliders lie on their stomachs and steer by shifting their bodies very slightly. The action of leaping onto the sled at the start of the run is called loading or boarding. The athlete lifts their legs under their body and drops onto the skeleton in one smooth movement, avoiding loss of momentum and instability.
Just like luge and bobsled, skeleton consists of four heats held over two days, timed electronically to 0.01 seconds. The individual with the lowest combined time wins.
Here's a video of my favorite skeleton athlete Noelle Pikus-Pace. If you know me at all, you know I am not a fan of the color pink, but I don't mind it Noelle. She ended getting 4th in Vancouver, but she is still one of my Olympic heroes! She was hit by a bobsled that ran off the end of the track and had bones sticking out of her leg just 5 years ago. Talk about crazy! After missing the last Olympimajor surgery, getting back, winning a World Cup, and having a baby, Noelle showed everyone she is still a world class athlete.
Equipment
You wouldn't think there would be much to know about jumping on a little sled, but there are a few terms you should know:
- The small sled that is ridden by a single slider in the prone position is called a skeleton or a sled. Early frames bore a vague resemblance to a skeleton, which is how the sport acquired its name. Each one is fitted to suit the competitor's body. The sled is made of two runners. The frame must be constructed of steel, and is 0.8-1.2 meters long (2.5-4 ft). The same sled must be used in all the heats of the competition. It may weigh no more than 43kg (95 lb) for men and 35kg (77 lb) for women. The maximum weight of the luger and sled combined must no more than 115kg (254 lb) for men and 92kg (203 lb) for women.
- There are no brakes. Competitors attempting to slow down on the course are disqualified. At the end of the run the athlete slows the sled down with his or her feet.
- Front and rear bumpers absorb shocks and protect the athlete from the wall. I'd be really grateful for whoever invented those babies!
- Handles are used for the start push and during the race. They must be covered with soft material. I'm not really sure why, but they do.
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| Bumpers |
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| Handles |
- Once again, these athletes wear skin tight, crazy patterned racing suits. It's all about the aerodynamics, especially in this event with so little mass to move down the track. The suit is made of elastic fabric that may have padding sewn into the elbows. I'd definitely be voting for the padding in my suit!
- Gloves are worn for protection. These are usually made of leather.
- All competitors must wear helmets, which are hard plastic and equipped with a chin guard and visor.
- The shoes are made of synthetic material and have spikes on the soles for traction during the start push. I'm pretty sure they are just like the bobsledding shoes I talked about last week.
The Track
These athletes race on the same track as luge and bobsled athletes. If you want to know more, check out those blog posts. I will say again that the G-forces these athletes withstand is just incredible to me. Gravitational force is what holds the sled and athletes on the wall of a banked turn. One “G” is equal to the force of gravity. On some tracks, the “G”-force exerted on an athlete can exceed 5 G’s. This would make the athlete feel as if he or she weighed more than five times their actual weight. Imagine trying to hold your chin 1" off the ice with all that force trying to push it down. Wow! Skeleton speeds vary between 120km/h and 135km/h. That's right around 75-85 mph.
Training
Skeleton athletes train up to six days a week, two to six hours per day, depending on the phase of training they are in. Most of the speed building is done in late summer as the athletes need to build a strong fitness base for the competitive season that begins in late October. The training program for skeleton athletes is developed to allow them to be well-rested and at their fastest in February for the World Championships. Like many other sports, skeleton sliders taper, or lessen their volume of training, a few weeks out from their biggest competitions.
Following the May and June competitive season, skeleton athletes turn their focus to individual areas of improvement while maintaining the speed from the competitive season. They then integrate higher training volumes and speed drills come July and August. When not on the ice track, skeleton athletes seek out mountain bike trails and other complementary sports to help with mental agility and quick reaction time.
In the gym, training sessions look different for every athlete as sliders focus on their own areas of weakness. Trainers test for strength indicators through squat lifts, bench press and power cleans, but they also focus on working the athlete’s core muscles and flexibility. Flexibility is another important for area for skeleton athletes to work on because they need a wide range of motion during the sprint — they drive the knees up for makes for a full power stride. Flexibility is also helpful for injury prevention. Similar to other sliding sports, skeleton athletes do timed sprints.
A skeleton athlete’s focus depends on the area of the track run they are entering. At the start, it is critical to gain momentum quickly and push hard. The athlete then switches into finesse mode — becoming reactive and precise through steering using his/her weight. Athletes also focus on relaxing their muscles in an effort to absorb any chatter or bouncing of the sled runners on the ice. What works for one athlete may not work for another. Steering just takes a little nudge here and there in addition to using knees, shoulders, toe taps or little head movements for steering. The more these movements are practiced, the more comfortable and confident the athlete.
So, that wraps up this weeks post about skeleton. I'm sure I'll have lots more to tell you once I've seen it in person. Dad and I are sure to have some good stories and videos by the end of this trip. Who knows what we'll get ourselves into.