What Is the Winter Sport of Skeleton?
Remember screaming down snow- and ice-covered hills on a toboggan run when you were a kid? The winter sport of skeleton is similar to tobogganing. Today, it's an Olympic sport for both men and women.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
Skeleton was first enjoyed in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in the late 19th century. Skeleton was an event in the Winter Olympic Games in 1928, 1948 and 2002. Initially, only men participated in the sport of skeleton, but during the 2002 Olympics, a women's skeleton event was held.
Equipment
-
Participants ride a sled with steel runners down an icy track, similar to the luge or bobsled. Helmets are required.
-
How Fast They Go
-
Sliders--that's what skeleton participants are called--can reach speeds up to 80 mph. It looks dangerous, but except for a few bumps and bruises sliders are rarely hurt badly.
How It's Done
-
Sliders push the sled about 30 yards before hopping on. They ride belly-down, face-first and use body-shifting to steer the sled.
Where You Can Do It
-
There are only 14 certified skeleton tracks in the world. In the U.S., there are official tracks in Park City, Utah, and Lake Placid, N.Y.
-
References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Kevin Dooley
