April 13, 2009 

Ok, I admit It...I hate the cold.  So why did I submerge myself in 35 degree water for a few measly photos and bragging rights?  Ha!   Well, I suppose it was because I wanted to have a few measly photos and bragging rights!   I went waterskiing yesterday while there was still ice on the lake.  It was as cold as you could ever imagine (even with the dry suit on!) and my hands and feet are still thawing...but I had to do it.   My friend Shane and I have always tried to be the first guys to water ski on White Bear Lake each season and this year we got it fair and square!

I'm on a plane now heading for Lake Placid.  I'll be there for a few weeks doing steel (runner) testing which is a crucial component to doing well next season.  Even thought the temperatures are in the 50's during the day, the track is actually refrigerated so the ice can be maintained through the end of the month.   Next fall there won't be as much time to decide what the best runners are so I am very happy to have enough track time and ice to do some of that work now.

Luge runners are a crazy thing.   Not only do you need to find the fastest ones but you also need to find ones that fit your driving ‘style', which differs tremendously from athlete to athlete.  Some athletes like a lot of control (but you can't make as many driving mistakes) and other athletes like a sled that is less steerable (but will give you the freedom of being less precise).   Because our runners are all essentially ‘hand made', the only way to tell which ones are the best is by trying them out and comparing them to past runners that have worked.  The whole process can be a bit frustrating (and a lot of work!) so I am looking on to this trip with bitter-sweet eyes.

Luge is all about friction...or lack there of.    Our equipment and sleds are designed to have the least amount of friction (air or ice) possible to maximize speed.   Runners that are sharp give you lots of ‘control' but dig into the ice a lot.   Dull runners are faster (less friction) but are more difficult to steer and tend to skid at high speeds (bad!)   To make matters more complicated, the runners cannot be too parallel or they won't steer either!   So somewhere in the middle lies the common ground where speed and stability/control meet.   It may seem very simple but finding that perfect edge is not only difficult but sometimes dangerous since there is an occasional runner that is too dull or parallel to steer.  

So at the end of the day, you have to trust your sled.  Trust that the sled is fast, predictable and safe.  Sometimes, just sometimes you are lucky enough to find that ‘perfect' steel that has all of those components...components that give you that extra boost of confidence on race day.  I'm hoping that I find that steel in the next few weeks.   I'm also crossing my fingers for cold weather.  

I just can't seem to get away from that darn cold weather! :)