Luge

Luge is a sledding sport where athletes ride a small sled—designed for one or two people—lying on their backs and going feet-first. The sled itself is also called a luge. Racers start seated, pushing off from handles on the start ramp, then steer by flexing their calf muscles to bend the sled’s runners or by applying shoulder pressure against the pod. Singles sleds weigh between 21 and 25 kilograms, while doubles sleds range from 25 to 30 kilograms. The sport is an Olympic event.

The word “luge” first appeared in 1905, coming from a Savoy or Swiss dialect version of the French word for a small coasting sled. The sport itself began in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in the mid-to-late 1800s, thanks to hotel owner Caspar Badrutt, who encouraged winter tourism. His English guests started using delivery boys’ sleds for fun, leading to crashes with pedestrians on village streets. The first organized luge meeting was in Switzerland in 1883. The International Sled Sports Federation formed in Dresden, Germany, in 1913, and later merged into the bobsleigh federation in 1935. After luge replaced skeleton in the Olympics, the first World Championships were held in Oslo, Norway, in 1955. The International Luge Federation (FIL) was founded in 1957, and luge debuted at the Winter Olympics in 1964.

Luge is the fastest of the three sliding sports—bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge—with racers often exceeding 140 km/h. Austrian luger Manuel Pfister hit 154 km/h on a track in Whistler, Canada, before the 2010 Winter Olympics. Timing is precise to one millisecond on artificial tracks. Unlike skeleton, where athletes go head-first and face-down with a running start, luge is feet-first and face-up. Skeleton and bobsleigh share one international federation, while luge is governed separately by the FIL.

Americans were slow to take up luge. The first North American luge run was built at Lolo Hot Springs, Montana, in 1965. The United States competed in every Olympic luge event from 1964 to 1976, but the U.S. Luge Association wasn’t founded until 1979. That same year, the first artificial American track was completed in Lake Placid, New York, for the 1980 Winter Olympics. A second artificial track was built near Park City, Utah, for the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. In 2019, Canadians Caitlin Nash and Natalie Corless became the first all-female team to race in a Senior World Cup doubles luge event.

Artificial luge tracks feature banked curves and walled-in straights, often refrigerated (though some, like in St. Moritz, are not). The surface is very smooth. Athletes lie flat and aerodynamic, keeping their heads low to reduce air resistance. Steering is mainly done with the calves—right calf to turn left, left calf to turn right—along with shifting body weight and rolling shoulders. Handles allow minor adjustments. A perfect “line” down the track yields the fastest times; even brushing a wall costs time. Softer ice slows racers, while harder ice speeds them up. Speeds average 120–145 km/h around high banked curves, with centripetal acceleration up to 5g. Men’s singles start near the bobsleigh and skeleton start points; doubles and women’s singles start farther down the track. Artificial track luge is the fastest and most agile sledding sport.

Natural tracks are adapted from existing mountain roads and paths, with no artificially banked curves. The surface is horizontal and naturally iced. Tracks can become rough from braking and steering. Athletes use a steering rein, extend their hands, and use their legs to navigate tight corners. Braking, done with spikes on the soles of shoes, is often needed before curves. The slope is no more than 15%. Most natural tracks are in Austria and Italy, with others in Germany, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Croatia, Liechtenstein, France, Turkey, Sweden, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. The Upper Peninsula Luge Club in Negaunee, Michigan, is one such facility.