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Whistler Sliding Centre

A Need for Speed at The Whistler Sliding Centre

Photo of bobsleigh courtesy Tourism British Columbia

By Sheri Radford

If you’ve ever dreamed of hurtling along an icy track at 135 km/hr (85 mi/hr), here’s your chance. The Whistler Sliding Centre offers two-hour bobsleigh rides and skeleton slides for adrenaline junkies. After gearing up, you rocket down the track like a pro, experiencing what it must have felt like to compete in the 2010 Winter Games here. Although there’s no need to be an Olympic athlete to embark on these heart-pounding adventures, they’re not for the faint of heart, either. If you’d rather leave the speed to the professionals, check out the FIL Luge World Cup (www.fil-luge.org) on Dec. 9 or the FIBT Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Cup (www.fibt.com) on Feb. 2.

More information:

WHISTLER SLIDING CENTRE 4910 Glacier Lane. 604-964-0040. whistlerslidingcentre.com

Hot Entertainment: Sliding Star

Whistler Sliding Centre photo by Leanna Rathkelly courtesy Tourism Whistler

Take a self-guided tour of the Whistler Sliding Centre, on Blackcomb Mountain overlooking the Fitzsimmons Valley. The site, former host to the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions during the 2010 Winter Games, now hosts world-class tournaments on its 1,450-m (4,757-ft) track.—Kristina Urquhart

Sport of the Day: Skeleton

Olympic mascots Miga and Quatchi. Photo copyright VANOC/COVAN

THE WHISTLER SLIDING CENTRE

This sport appeared at the Winter Games in 1928 and 1948 but didn’t permanently join the roster until 2002. In skeleton (named after the small sled that resembles a human skeleton), the competitor grasps the sled, runs for about 50 m (164 ft), then dives on headfirst and hurtles down the icy track. Times are measured to the one-hundredth of a second.—Sheri Radford

Sport of the Day: Luge

Olympic mascots Quatchi and Miga. Photo copyright VANOC/COVAN

THE WHISTLER SLIDING CENTRE

This sport made its Winter Games debut in 1964. In luge (French for “sled”), a slider sits on a sled, pushes off, lies back and races down the icy track, feet first. Speeds often top 140 km/h (87 mi/h) and the gravitational force can exceed 5G. Times are measured to the one-thousandth of a second. Events include singles and doubles.—Sheri Radford