Photo: Calgary, 2005 World
Championships (from David
Mayer)
What is skeleton?
Skeleton is a winter sport where participants--"sliders"--sprint
roughly 30 meters while pushing a sled, before hopping on headfirst
and sliding down an ice track at top speeds of roughly 80 mph or 130
kph
(and peak forces of 5 G's) for approximately a minute. There
are no
brakes, and steering is done with subtle movements of the body. In
2002, skeleton became an official Olympic sport, joining its cousin
sports luge and bobsled.
About This Site
Hi, I'm a skeleton slider who launched NewSliders.com to provide a
general overview of this obscure sport. See the FAQ for more info
including how
you can try it
at one of the 16 tracks in the
world, if you're adventurous enough
(basically anyone can). Also, check out my popular helmetcam
video to get a firsthand view of sliding.
This site was previously mentioned in a Wall Street Journal feature story on skeleton.