What is Bobsledding?
Bobsledding is one of three Olympic sliding sports, and the only sliding sport that has a 2-Man and 4-Man format. Bobsledding combines some of the worlds most explosive athletes with steel, and fiberglass hurling them down an iced track at speeds up to 95mph with turn pressures ranging three to five times the earths gravity!
The Olympic Sport of Bobsledding consists of two distinct formats, the 2-Man race and the 4-Man race. In the 2-Man race perfect timing and coordination is required between between a Driver and a Push Athlete (women also race the 2-man format), while in the 4-man race (only men race the 4-Man format) that same coordination is achieved between a Driver and three Push Athletes. In both formats the goal is to accelerate the bobsled the fastest within that 40-50 meters at the start of the race, smoothly loading into the sled while sprinting full speed, and successfully piloting the sled down the track resulting in the fastest finish/down time at the completion of the race.
How did Bobsledding begin?
The sport of bobsledding began in Switzerland when the Swiss decided to place a steering mechanism on a wooden toboggan. In 1897 the first bobsled club was formed in Switzerland. The sport gained popularity throughout European resorts, where races were held on natural ice tracks over the weekend. The sport earned its name from the way crews would "Bob" back and forth in race tracks straight away attempting to make the sled go faster.
It was not until 1923 that the Federation Internationale et de tobogganing (FIBT the world governing for bobsledding) was formed and in 1924 the first ever 4-Man Bobsled race was held in Chmanoix, France. However it was not until the 1932 Winter Olympics held in Lake Placid, New York that the 2-Man format was introduced.
In th1950's the importance of having the fastest start was recognized and the sport began to recruit athletes from other disciplines. Track athletes, football players, and others strong explosive athletes were courted to obtain the fastest starts possible. As the athletes evolved so did the technology driving the sport of bobsled. Bobsleds were no longer made out of wood or steel and controlled by a car steering wheel. They had become well constructed metal frames wrapped in a fiberglass body, controlled by a more responsive pulley system of bungee cords and d-rings.
The introduction of the World Cup tour in the mid 1980's greatly added to the competitiveness of the sport. Teams were now able to achieve success on a yearly racing circuit and not only in the Olympics or World Championships. The World Cup format also created greater fan fair around the world as countries were now able to follow their teams year round as they raced. All of these changes and advances have added up to the sport we know and love today.
What kind of equipment do bobsledders use?
Bobsleds:
Bobsleds are aerodynamically designed to produce the least amount of wind resistance that is legally possible within the rules of the sport. They have a steel endoskeleton and a sturdy fiberglass exoskeleton, all of which helps to protects bobsledders in the event of a crash. The maximum weight for a 2-man sled plus the crew is 860 pounds, the maximum weight of a 4-man sled plus the crew is 1,386 pounds. The cowling/front nose of a bobsled is separated from the rear body of the sled. This separation allows for a slight articulation to occur enabling a bobsled to maneuver on and off the turns of a bobsled track. In order to achieve those fast starts bobsleds are equipped with push handles for the driver and the breakmen. On both the 2-man and 4-man sleds the driver push bar is retractable and located on the left hand side adjacent to the driver seat. On the 2-man sled the breakmen's handles are permanently attached and are located at the back of the bobsled. On the 4-man sled the drivers push bar is located on the left-hand side.
Runners:
In bobsled runners come in sets of four, they are the interchangeable rounded steel skates that are attached at the bottom of a bobsled and run along the ice. Runners are made from standardized materials as issued by the FIBT. The FIBT provides a range of required dimensions for thickness, length, and shape that runners need to be within to be considered legal. These range of dimensions allows for countries to slightly manipulate the thickness, shape, and rock (rock describes the contact points of the runner to the ice) of a set of runners. The manipulation of runners determines which runners work best in extremely cold, mildly cold, or fairly cold weather and which ones run better on different tracks.
Speed Suits:
Speed suits are the aerodynamically designed spandex like suits that bobsledders where during a race. Under Armour has designed special full body suits for bobsled use and are the official supplier of speed suits for the United States Bobsled Team.
Helmets:
Helmets that bobsledders use are your typical full-faced motorcycle helmets. KBC Provides the helmets for the United States Bobsled Team.
Gloves:The gloves worn by bobsledders tend to be padded or non-padded leather gloves similar to those worn by professional football and baseball players.
Shoes:
The shoes worn by bobsledders are called "Brushed Spikes" which are unique to the sport bobsled and skeleton. The front toe pad is similar to those shoes worn in track except that Bob Spikes have about 250 1/8 of an inch stainless steel spikes attached to them that are ideal for traction on ice.
Where do bobsled races take place?
There are 15 bobsled tracks around the world that have been approved to race on by the FIBT. There are four tracks located in North America and 11 tracks in throughout Europe and Asia as listed below:
North America
- Lake Placid, New York
- Park City, Utah
- Calgary, Canada
Europe
- Altenberg, Germany
- Cesana Pariol, Italy
- Cortina d' Ampezzo, Italy
- Konigssee, Germany
- La Plagen, France
- Lilehammer, Norway
- Sigulda, Latvia
- St.Moritz, Switzerland
- Winterberg, Germany
Asia
- Nagano, Japan