Speeding Down With Streetluge - Extreme Sports

Streetluge

Streetluge is an gravity powered activity that involves riding a streetluge board (sometimes referred to as a sled) down a road. Streetluge is often done for sport and recreation. Words out on the street that theres a new sport a lot like skateboarding, with one major difference: its done lying down. ready to roll? here's your street luge 101!
Photo credit auldovertheroad.com

Gravity Plays

The core of street luge is gravity. Athletes grab their luge boards (similiar to skateboards, only bigger) and slide down a paved road or course. In a face-up, feet first position, they whizz downhill, reaching speeds of 64-157 km/h. That's pretty and forious!
Street luge was created by skateboarders in southern California who cleverly discovered that they could slide down faster by lying down on their skateboards. In those days, the sport was nickname 'butt-boarding'. Street luge even became part of X-games and Gravity Games (both competitions of extreme Games) and even had its own annual Street Luge World Cup.

Look, Ma, No Brakes!

The modern board is made of alumunium or fiberglass and can vary in length depending on the size of the rider. The board has no braking system, so riders must wear special shoes to be able to slow down and stop the board.
For lovers of this sport, street luging is the ultimate adrenaline rush. As you ride, your body rests mere centimetres above the ground, allowing you to feel every bump and twist on the road. Simple steering can cause the elbows or shoulders. If a rider loses control around a curve, collides with another rider during a race, or encounters obstacles on the road and falls off a street luge at high speed, he/she should be prepared for serious injury, which may include broken bones or even head and neck injuries.

Streetluge Picture