The sport of Skeleton and myself..
Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 6:37 am
Hey everyone, I don't know how many of you watch the Olympics (winter games) and know what the sport of skeleton is, but I thought all of my good friends here in the fleet should be among the first to know that I have successfully begun my journey into the sport.
A little about skeleton..
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which a person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which the rider experiences forces up to 5 g and reaches speeds over 130 km/h (80 mph). The sport was named from the bony appearance of the sled. It was added to the Olympic program for the 2002 Winter Olympics; previously, it had been in the Olympic program only in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1928 and 1948.
The skeleton originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland, as a spinoff of the popular British sport called Cresta sledding. Although skeleton "sliders" use equipment similar to that of Cresta "riders", the two sports are different: while skeleton is run on the same track used by bobsleds and luge, Cresta is run on Cresta-specific sledding tracks only. Skeleton sleds are steered using torque provided by the head and shoulders. The Cresta toboggan does not have a steering or braking mechanism, though Cresta riders use rakes on their boots in addition to shifting body weight to help steer and brake.
The sport of skeleton can be traced to 1882, when English soldiers constructed a toboggan track between the towns of Davos and Klosters. While toboggan tracks were not uncommon at the time, the added challenge of curves and bends in the Swiss track distinguished it from those of Canada and the United States.
(From Wikipedia)
And a YouTube video..
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_aSpFCjJvZg
The reason I am sharing this with you all, is because becoming a skeleton driver has been a dream of mine since I was a kid I aspire to one day compete in the Olympics for the United States. (my home country). This summer I will be attending an athletic combine where they will test my physical abilities and then either place me on the Olympic development team, or the club team. The reason I am telling you all this, is because the 9th is one of the best communities I've ever been apart of and you all are very supportive and kind. Plus, I'm not sure about our history but if I can achieve my goal, I'll be the first 9th Fleet Olympian! Anyway, thanks for reading this and I hope I can make all of you proud in the years to come!
Also, be sure to watch!
A little about skeleton..
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which a person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which the rider experiences forces up to 5 g and reaches speeds over 130 km/h (80 mph). The sport was named from the bony appearance of the sled. It was added to the Olympic program for the 2002 Winter Olympics; previously, it had been in the Olympic program only in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1928 and 1948.
The skeleton originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland, as a spinoff of the popular British sport called Cresta sledding. Although skeleton "sliders" use equipment similar to that of Cresta "riders", the two sports are different: while skeleton is run on the same track used by bobsleds and luge, Cresta is run on Cresta-specific sledding tracks only. Skeleton sleds are steered using torque provided by the head and shoulders. The Cresta toboggan does not have a steering or braking mechanism, though Cresta riders use rakes on their boots in addition to shifting body weight to help steer and brake.
The sport of skeleton can be traced to 1882, when English soldiers constructed a toboggan track between the towns of Davos and Klosters. While toboggan tracks were not uncommon at the time, the added challenge of curves and bends in the Swiss track distinguished it from those of Canada and the United States.
(From Wikipedia)
And a YouTube video..
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_aSpFCjJvZg
The reason I am sharing this with you all, is because becoming a skeleton driver has been a dream of mine since I was a kid I aspire to one day compete in the Olympics for the United States. (my home country). This summer I will be attending an athletic combine where they will test my physical abilities and then either place me on the Olympic development team, or the club team. The reason I am telling you all this, is because the 9th is one of the best communities I've ever been apart of and you all are very supportive and kind. Plus, I'm not sure about our history but if I can achieve my goal, I'll be the first 9th Fleet Olympian! Anyway, thanks for reading this and I hope I can make all of you proud in the years to come!
Also, be sure to watch!
