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If you’re an Olympics fan you may just be wowed by the Luge because it is such a test of bravery, skill and speed. And in the doubles contest it also demands trust and teamwork.

Luge is the French word for sled. In the sport of Luge, an individual or a pair of racers, slide feet first down a twisty ice track on their sled. The fastest time wins! The first Luge sleds were created by the Vikings who were already racing in 800 AD. Their sleds were crafted of wood and while they were built heavy and strong for speed, they weren’t designed with the knowledge of aerodynamics we have today.

Modern Luges are made of fiberglass and cannot weigh more than 50 pounds. This small and lightweight version of a sled rests on two steel runners. Flexible levers are attached to the runners and these levers respond to the pressure from the rider’s leg movements. Everything the racers wear is designed for speed. Their suits are sleek to reduce friction and their boots are pointed to help increase the aerodynamics. Lugers actually wear spiked gloves so that they can use their hands like paddles on the ice to get a fast start.

With the crack of the Olympic starting-gun, the Luge team or individual racer pushes off with their spiked gloves. The track for Luge is really a narrow chute carved out of the winter ice. Only one Luge sled can travel the spiral chute at a time. Racers whoosh down a course on their sleds, at speeds up to 90 miles per hour! There are plenty of curves and the challenge is to take the curves fast without crashing into the ice wall or turning over.

Besides the standard curves there are also labyrinths to navigate. In the case of a Luge race, a labyrinth is a series of small zigzag curves that keep alternating the direction of the sled. It takes great skill to gauge the speed for each size curve and physical strength and coordination to control the sled levers with their legs. The Lugers barely have a split second to make speed and course corrections! It is a super huge achievement to come out of a curve at such breakneck speed and be right side up and headed in the right direction!

Each sled is timed and the fastest time wins. In 1998, the American Luge doubles team of Gordy Sheer and Chris Thorpe won the silver medal. They were the first American team to place for a Luge medal in the 34 years that Luge has been an Olympic sport!