Is it fun to slide down an icy track at 80 kilometers per hour on a sled with no brakes? Welcome to the luge world. Luge is a winter sport named after the French word meaning "sled." Luge competitors sit on their sleds to start a race, then hit the ice with spiked gloves to accelerate down the slide. Sleds have been used to slide down hills for over 1,000 years. Traveling by sled was the only option to get around in many regions where there was a lot of snow. Loggers working in the Swiss Alps in the 19th century would sometimes race each other home on snowy logging routes on sleds or toboggans. The first official luge competition was held in Switzerland in 1883 and the sport became an Olympic event for the first time at the 1964 Winter Olympics.
Join us and keep an eye on the world's major sporting events over the next two weeks! Here is the Chiko&Roko Olympic Schedule:
Feb. 10 — Luge
Feb. 11 — Skeleton
Feb. 12 — Figure Skating
Feb. 13 — Bobsleigh
Feb. 14 — Ski Jumping
Feb. 15 — Snowboard
Feb. 16 — Short Track Speed Skating
Feb. 17 — Nordic Combined
Feb. 18 — Ice Hockey
Feb. 19 — Speed Skating
Feb. 20 — Closing Ceremony
