Comments on: Comments on 12691

Post number 12691

machaus — Wed, 28 Nov 2001 13:16:58 -0800

The US Bobsled Team has a very good chance to win an Olympic medal in 2002 for the first time since 1956, thanks to a strong group of people, and a bobsled designed by an unlikely person: NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine. Yeehawwww!!! (quicktime)

By: machaus

machaus — Wed, 28 Nov 2001 13:18:49 -0800

Two other notes: 1.Next year's winter olympics mark the debut of Woman's bobsledding. 2.I stashed a copy of the quicktime video here in case the salt lake 2002 website continues to be slow.

By: neuroshred

neuroshred — Wed, 28 Nov 2001 13:29:39 -0800

If you ever have a chance to take a real (non-quicktime) bobsled ride, do it. It's great. Just watch out for the whiplash around those turns...

By: msacheson

msacheson — Wed, 28 Nov 2001 13:31:12 -0800

I've got a thing for fast women.

By: m@

m@ — Wed, 28 Nov 2001 13:49:34 -0800

No pro football players pushing the sled this year (darn drug testing) makes for a good chance as well. Bo - Dyn (the company, not the person, hence the spelling difference) has been involved with USA Bobsled for years. I think '94 was the first Bo-Dyn sled to go to the Olympics. Not the only "celebrity" to be involved in Olympic sport either. Dolf Lundgren ('96 Modern Pentathlon Team Leader), Gina Davis (serious but unsuccessful competitor in the 2000 Olympic Archery Team Trials).

By: HTuttle

HTuttle — Wed, 28 Nov 2001 14:57:38 -0800

neuroshred, I took the bobsled run at Lake Placid and got bashed and banged the whole way down. I wouldn't want to do it regularly. By contrast the luge ride was a blast. You have some control and don't feel like a tortured bean in a can.

By: owillis

owillis — Wed, 28 Nov 2001 15:20:05 -0800

There's only one bobsled team, baby! :)

By: neuroshred

neuroshred — Wed, 28 Nov 2001 15:43:33 -0800

HTuttle - I heard some people talking about getting seriously banged up and bruised on the LP luge ride. That's why I chose the bobsled. I'm still interested in trying the luge, though I'm not so interested in making a huge pilgrimage to SLC or LP to do it.

By: ferris

ferris — Wed, 28 Nov 2001 17:27:53 -0800

Another new event is "skeleton, which involves sledding down an icy track head first at speeds approaching 80 miles (130 kilometers) per hour on a two-runner sled known as a skelton." This year you'll see more extreme sports, less figure skating and pre-packaged sentimental stories. Not happy with the Sydney ratings, NBC has hired an ad agency for the first time, and they've come up with youth-oriented ads - "one depicts a luge athlete on an icy track with the words: 'So, like, does that make your butt hurt?'"

By: HTuttle

HTuttle — Thu, 29 Nov 2001 02:56:02 -0800

neuroshed - I suppose if you CRASH! the luge leaves you worse off. But I felt more in control and attached to the device than on the bobsled. Haven't tried skeleton yet...I don't think they have a visitor ride for that, you'd need to sign up for the training program. (My ex-gf does that now, along with the luge.)

By: ParisParamus

ParisParamus — Thu, 29 Nov 2001 06:21:19 -0800

Prediction: predictions of victory are greatly exagerated. They say the same thing every four years about the technology. Its feel-good PR. Besides, throw those little snowy countries a bone.