St. Albert, Canada: The Sledding Capital of the World
With the Edmonton winter in full swing, we decided to take the opportunity to begin our sled training for the 2010 Winter Olympics, as well as for our upcoming tour of duty in Austria. We layered up, grabbed Christie's vintage GT Snowracer, and headed to the hill!
I like to augment my training with older, vintage sleds. This one, circa 1954, was the original sled of Pierre Leuders, a famous Canadian Bobsleigh champion. Those serious about the sport call it "Bobsleigh" - I just call it sledding.
She may be cute... but she's fast!
Christie grew up on the hills of Alberta, racing her brother Kyle down the steep slopes of the prairies on a variety of equipment. The fastest was the GT Snowracer, but they have been known to use a wooden sled, a plastic disc, and the ever popular inter-tube. She gave me a crash course in sled safety before clearing the course for my first attempt. It was an exhilarating experience - my cheeks will never be the same! And yes, there are steep slopes on the prairies.
Speed Demon!
If football doesn't work out... at least I have a plan B!
I hope to continue my training when I get to Austria with my new teammate Andi Proeller, a wide receiver who spent many years competing for the Austrian National Bobsled team. He gave me a few pointers when I was there on my recruiting trip, and as you can see, I have implemented some of them into my rigid form already (above). If I get good enough, hopefully I can qualify for the 2010 Olympics, which would mark the first time someone has competed in two completely different sports. (As you recall, I will also be competing in male pairs figure skating with Giuseppe Strano on the Strano/Johnson Team.)
~ J. Twice
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