No Snow? No Problem! Just Go Streetluging
December 4th, 2008

Picture this: You're laying on your back on an extra long skateboard, traveling feet first at speeds between 60 and 70 miles per hour (depending on the grade) down a winding mountain road with no brakes. If that mental image gives you a thrill and a desire to try it for yourself, you might be ready for streetluging. You might be . . . but read on.

You have probably seen the luge event at the winter Olympics and that's pretty much what streetluging is all about, minus, and of course, the snow and ice. Minus the snow and ice, however, is more than just an afterthought, it is the catch. If you 'wipe out' (go out of control and get thrown off your luge) on snow and ice, you can at least look forward to a fairly frictionless slide to 'oblivion'. Streetlugers, on the other hand, have cement, asphalt or worse to deal with in the event of a wipeout -- lots of friction there.

The street version of the luge, called a "rail" or a "sled" by the lugers, is a new generation of the skateboard that is approximately eight-feet long and is equipped with tiny wheels that put you just about two-inches off the ground. The wheels, however, are designed to withstand the high speeds experienced in streetluging . . . at least most of the time. Streetluge wheels have been known to melt and/or catch on fire.

Leaning left or right to the point (on a sharp turn) accomplishes turning, where the luger's shoulder or elbow might contact the ground (remember, they are laying on their back and just two-inches off the ground). Most rails have "foot pegs" to help keep your feet on the board, but braking is accomplished in true Fred Flintstone fashion, by putting your feet on the ground and burning rubber (quite literally).

Before attempting this sport or even seriously considering it, search for a streetluging competition somewhere in your area. Go there and watch the action. If you are still interested at that point, talk to some of the lugers or the organizers and try to find a local streetluging club or organization. Also, attempt to find out if there is any way a person can try streetluging before making the financial investment in equipment. Some clubs have special days when people can come in and rent all the equipment and spend the day learning and practicing on private roads with wide shoulders (and big bales of hay to soften your impact if you go out of control).

Speaking of going out of control, if you haven't guessed it by now, streetluging is a very dangerous sport. Participants, as you'll see if you go to a competition, regularly get scrapes, bruises and breaks, if they are lucky. The unlucky ones get a long stay in a hospital or a permanent stay somewhere else.

Obviously, what you wear while streetluging is of vital importance. Normally streetlugers wear full body thick leather garments, top-quality helmets and shoes with thick enough soles for breaking.

Still interested? If so, make sure your instructor is a very experienced streetluger and make careful note of everything he or she tells you so that when you are on your back on that winding mountain road doing 70 miles per hour, you can mentally review his or her every word. If you do that and keep your cool, you'll be OK!

To help you on your way to being accepted as a streetluger, following is some of the terminology of the streetluger:

amped: Overcome by the adrenaline rush that comes with streetluge racing.

bacon: A very rough or otherwise hazardous stretch of road.

banana: The guy who always seems to wind up wiped out.

buttboard: A short version of the streetluge with no foot pegs. (The buttboard is also called a "classic luge").

flame: When the streetluge's wheels catch on fire.

junkyard: The luges that are left in the track after a multi-luge collision.

melt: Streetluge wheels when they get soft from the heat of a run.

nerf bar: a bumper strategically placed on the streetluge to minimize damage in the case of a collision.

puke a wheel: Loosing a wheel from a "melt" or a "flame."

road rash: Scrapes and skin burns from streetluging.

scrambled eggs: A bad road, but not as bad as "bacon."

skeleton: A face-first run down a road, just for fun

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