World Cup Bobsleighing

Whistler and all of Vancouver is getting ready for this time next year. They have to prepare for everything: managing all the vehicles that will drive up to Whistler, security checks, set-up for the press's cameras, the width of snow stairs leading to the top of the Whistler Sliding Center, and more. So, in order to help them prepare and get the kinks out of things, they are hosting many of the World Cup 2009 events.

We went to the World Cup Bobsleighing (the correct term for bobsledding up here in Canada) event this Saturday. After driving up to Whistler, we almost didn't get to go because all the tickets were sold out, but then we got connected with someone who'd bought some for friends that were no longer going to attend. Woo-hoo! Thank you sir!

After a LONG hike up to the top of the bobsleighing track, the fun began. It is incredible to see these big men take a heavy bobsleigh, push it on ice, and get in the sleigh, all in a matter of seconds. Take a look:



I won't bore you with the details of all that we learned and witnessed, but I will say that those men fly. Once they get up to full speed, when the sled goes by it just looks a light is suddenly moving on the ice and then it's gone. After they pass the finish line, the track goes UPHILL quite a ways in order to help them stop, and they still have to press that brake down so forcefully that ice goes flying. They go over 95 miles per hour!