DexterStreet Luge - An Introduction
April 10th 2008 02:10
Downhill Street racing
Preparing for ludicrous speed
Taking the traditional winter sport luge onto the roads, street luge is an extension of downhill skating. In it riders launch themselves from the top of steep curving roads, gradually gaining velocity they lie down on long boards and hoot along at speeds in excess of 100 km/h.
Powered by gravity the sport was first developed in California in the 1970’. Top speed is the name of the game but of course handling the corners and actually surviving the run is the first step to victory.
The extreme need for speed
The first races were staged on the now famous Signal Hill in the US but early on excessive injuries saw the sport disappear for a time. Only the brave or foolish refused to surrender to the element of danger and persisted in competing. As the popularity grew out of the underground movement the necessary safety equipment and customised boards were developed.
Gaining momentum in the 1990’s and finally spreading beyond the sunny state in the U.S, it surfaced in the Alps of Europe and further breakthroughs continued. The X Games and Gravity Games showcased the sport for a while but its high profile existence was short lived once stadiums and arenas became deriguer for professional Extreme Sports.
Today only the die hard practitioners continue to keep street Luge alive and there are several low key competitions that still exist.
From Wikipedia, here is information on the two main governing bodies that still host competitions:
-GSI (Gravity Sports International) is based in Berlin New Hampshire and is the sanctioning body for the Gravity Sports Race Series (GSRS) for Streetluge, Gravity Bike, Dowhill Skateboarding, Inline (a.k.a Dirtsurfer) in the U.S. They feature several novel racing classes such as Rookie, Junior, Amateur and Professional.
-IGSA (International Gravity Sports Association) is based in Southern California and sanctions events all around the world. The IGSA was the ruling body for street luge during the 1997-2001 X Games
Please visit streetluge.com and lugeaustralia.com for more information
A slick X Games clip of riders in action
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