The Luge Event

Last weekend was the 113th annual winter carnival in Rossland. This is the weekend in the winter for Rossland, perhaps the event in Rossland for the year. Everything happens this weekend, from freeski compitions, the blizzard music festival, the king of the mountain (the best skier, snowboarder and teleier), and various other events including a luge course set up for an official race on the Sunday of the weekend.

Thanks to the photographers (including my mom) standing at the end of the course for the awesome action shots! 

On the Saturday though, anyone could show up and borrow a sled and try their hand at the luge. This is an interesting proposition, not much new snow on the mountain so why not give luge a try! And try I did. Now, in the olympics, the luge is on a very ice narrow course with banked corners, out here it is on a groomed track with not much to bank on in the corners.

The only way to the top of the course is a 20 minute hike up with the sled on your shoulders. But it is well worth it for about a minute of fast, bumpy, wild action.

Rick Mercer even showed up to give it a try, reports were that a small injury on the luge course delayed him from other events he wanted to film over the weekend for his show. Not tough enough I guess...

But I can see why, I ended with a giant bruise on my hip, luckily I wore a helmet as one crash had the sled landing on my head, and various other little bruises and sores from the day, it is a tough sport for sure!

It ended up being like riding a bronco, just hold on, try to steer 'er a bit and see what happens. Well there is a lot of technical aspects of it, but sometimes you just got to let it ride!

But smiles all around for another awesome day!

p.s. in case your wondering, two posts in one day? After a month of inactivity... I am nursing a cold on the day off.... A wierd feeling after doing something every day for the last little while so thought I'd catch up on here.