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The History Of Bobsledding
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Published: September 15, 2006
In the cold Inuit regions that stretched from as far west as the Canadian tundra to Scandinavia, ancient hunters fashioned vehicles made of animal skins and smoothed wood planks. These devices were pulled by large wild dogs, as the passenger hunted for food with whatever devices available in that day.
These vehicles were the earliest versions of sleds.
Today, a similar - though obviously more sophisticated design - is used in bobsledding. But, much like that ancient sled, the bobsled (or toboggan) and bobsledding have an intriguing narrative past. The history of bobsledding begins around the early 1890's. Americans and Englishmen vacationing in Switzerland sought something a little wilder than fireside cocktails. They decided to make crude sleds and hit the slopes for a little speed and adventure.
Subsequently, on January 5, 1898, at St. Moritz, Switzerland, bobsledding zipped its way into sports glory. This was the first organized bobsledding competition. It was a cold, blustery day, and hundreds of people lined up to see the teams careen toward the bottoms of snowy embankments. The careless abandon and adventurous spirit of the competitors left the crowd breathless. It was the most exciting thing to hit the slopes since skis.
After St. Moritz, bobsledding spread through all the mountainous, snowy regions of southern and eastern Europe. People came from near and far to risk life and limb on the slopes.
And speed was the name of the game. The objective in bobsledding is to race, and anyone entered in a competition did whatever necessary to gain speed. People took liberties with their toboggans, adding aerodynamic features (fins, streamers, holes, flags, etc.) or stripping them away.
In its early phase, bobsledding underwent a series of transformations. It started with a five-person team that included two women. Many teams were short of women; so, they replaced the women with men. By the 1924 Winter Olympics, only four-person bobsled teams were allowed, under the newly established Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et Tobogganing, but the 1928 games admitted five-person teams. In 1932, the four-man teams returned for good. The 1932 games in Lake Placid, NY formally ushered bobsledding as a professional sport in the United States. Here, two-man teams were added, and from this point till the mid-1950's, the United States dominated bobsledding.
It may not be baseball or football or even ping pong, but bobsledding is still a revered winter sport and has an exciting past. It formed right around the time our American favorites (baseball, football, and basketball) formed; therefore, it is not coincidental that bobsledding still provides thrill-seeking athletes with that much needed rush, a century later.
FYI: the term "bobsledding" derives from the first competitors' technique of "bobbing" back and forth to gain speed. They later realized this didn't work, but the name remained.
Hickoksports.com. Hick Ok Sports. 9 Aug. 2006. <http://www.hickoksports.com>
STlallsports.com. STL All Sports. 9 Aug 2006. <http://www.stlallsports.com>
Related Articles
Today, a similar - though obviously more sophisticated design - is used in bobsledding. But, much like that ancient sled, the bobsled (or toboggan) and bobsledding have an intriguing narrative past. The history of bobsledding begins around the early 1890's. Americans and Englishmen vacationing in Switzerland sought something a little wilder than fireside cocktails. They decided to make crude sleds and hit the slopes for a little speed and adventure.
Subsequently, on January 5, 1898, at St. Moritz, Switzerland, bobsledding zipped its way into sports glory. This was the first organized bobsledding competition. It was a cold, blustery day, and hundreds of people lined up to see the teams careen toward the bottoms of snowy embankments. The careless abandon and adventurous spirit of the competitors left the crowd breathless. It was the most exciting thing to hit the slopes since skis.
After St. Moritz, bobsledding spread through all the mountainous, snowy regions of southern and eastern Europe. People came from near and far to risk life and limb on the slopes.
And speed was the name of the game. The objective in bobsledding is to race, and anyone entered in a competition did whatever necessary to gain speed. People took liberties with their toboggans, adding aerodynamic features (fins, streamers, holes, flags, etc.) or stripping them away.
In its early phase, bobsledding underwent a series of transformations. It started with a five-person team that included two women. Many teams were short of women; so, they replaced the women with men. By the 1924 Winter Olympics, only four-person bobsled teams were allowed, under the newly established Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et Tobogganing, but the 1928 games admitted five-person teams. In 1932, the four-man teams returned for good. The 1932 games in Lake Placid, NY formally ushered bobsledding as a professional sport in the United States. Here, two-man teams were added, and from this point till the mid-1950's, the United States dominated bobsledding.
It may not be baseball or football or even ping pong, but bobsledding is still a revered winter sport and has an exciting past. It formed right around the time our American favorites (baseball, football, and basketball) formed; therefore, it is not coincidental that bobsledding still provides thrill-seeking athletes with that much needed rush, a century later.
FYI: the term "bobsledding" derives from the first competitors' technique of "bobbing" back and forth to gain speed. They later realized this didn't work, but the name remained.
Hickoksports.com. Hick Ok Sports. 9 Aug. 2006. <http://www.hickoksports.com>
STlallsports.com. STL All Sports. 9 Aug 2006. <http://www.stlallsports.com>
