Winter Olympics 2010: Homestyle

You'd think I would have learned from this experience that sledding in the Schwiiz is a little ... different.

When I think (thought?) sledding, I think of curling up criss-cross-apple-sauce on our bright orange saucer-sled, and the 10 foot long stretch of slanted ground behind our house. Two minutes to run up; four running strides for a running start, and one spin-filled minute down. That was sledding. It was fun.

Apparently it was also childs' play.

Last weekend found us at La Tzoumaz, famous for its 10 kilometer sledding run. Seven m-i-l-e-s. Complete with gondola to take you to the starting point ... at 2354m (7723ft). So much for one minute down, two minutes up. When helmets, goggles and back protection are required, you know that you're in trouble.

First there was the minor issue to learning how to steer, AKA avoid our friends the skiers on the run, as well as fellow lugers and, above all else the dreaded, pain inducing, three-foot (I kid you not) "potholes". (See R's highly accurate interpretation below)

Then there was the slightly more major issue of mastering the art of speed control--a highly valuable, yet underrated skill on a seven mile run that covers a 2782 foot altitude drop. Case in point?

It's day two. The A-team thinks she's mastered the skill of Swiss luge. She's in the final stretch, down the luge "tunnel", with 50 foot mesh netting protecting from any potential over-cliff spillage over the snow wall on the right, and happily populated ski run over the snow wall on the left. We're going 20 miles an hour and ... suddenly you realize you've mastered neither the art of speed control, nor steerage.

Visions of Nodar Kumaritashvili suddenly flash through my head as we're missing the hard turn right ...

heading straight up and over the left-hand tunnel wall ...

catching air ...

arms flailing, legs yanking back down by the sled leashed to my leg ...

and catching a quick glimpse at the look of panic on the unsuspecting skier's face across the way as I crash land in a heap of ridiculous holy-*&^!-I'm-alive laughter.

On the ski piste.

On the other side of the luge track.

Why watch the Games on TV when you can "play" them yourself?? Reason no. 1: Occupying the sofa with a cold drink in hand is a lot less painful.



















PS For those that missed reading this in the first 12 hours it was up ... sorry you missed out on the sound. The copyright police caught up with us for borrowing a little too much inspiration from "Born to be wild" ...

PPS Thanks again for the pics and the video, Morales!