# How do you start skeleton **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 16, 2018, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911 "2018-02-16T03:27:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/1 "2018-02-16T03:27:10Z")
Start playing skeleton? Start performing skeleton? Start doing skeleton? I don’t know the proper phrasing. I understand it’s difficult to do luge, skeleton and bobsled because there are only tracks in a limited number of places. I’m interested in how you start, specifically skeleton and luge. I can see how you can practice the push off without the full track. Is the first time you go down the track on the 100mph death track? Do they have slow beginner tracks? Do they have equipment that allows you to practice at a slower speed? Let’s say a 12 year old sees the olympics today and is inspired, how does he start his career? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/2 "2018-02-16T05:59:36Z")
Luge is easier in some ways. There is a street version and a couple things I saw in a fast Google seems to indicate some people have jumped over. But for skeleton it looks almost like you have to move to Lake Placid or somewhere like that. In other words there is no real version of a rollercoaster “mountain coaster” that relates to skeleton. [http://blog.theclymb.com/passions/snow-sports-passions/want-try-skeleton-6-tips-beginners/](http://blog.theclymb.com/passions/snow-sports-passions/want-try-skeleton-6-tips-beginners/) Now luge on the other hand -------- > **[How Luge Works](https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/snow-sports/luge5.htm)** > > Luge is one of the fastest — and most dangerous — sports in the Winter Olympics. The athletes race down the icy, high-banked tracks at up to 90 miles per hour (140 kilometers per hour). How do they do it safely? Not totally on point but I found the above fascinating. There is also a PDF out there for parents of kids interested. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/3 "2018-02-16T08:50:35Z")
If you look at the track, there are additional starting ramps that merge with the track on the way down. They’re blocked off, but you can spot them if you’re looking. I always figured those were for people just starting out, or junior events, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/4 "2018-02-16T09:21:04Z")
There’s always the local water slide. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/5 "2018-02-16T12:11:44Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Start playing skeleton? Start performing skeleton? Start doing skeleton? I don’t know the proper phrasing. I understand it’s difficult to do luge, skeleton and bobsled because there are only tracks in a limited number of places. I’m interested in how you start, specifically skeleton and luge. I can see how you can practice the push off without the full track. Is the first time you go down the track on the 100mph death track? Do they have slow beginner tracks? Do they have equipment that allows you to practice at a slower speed? Let’s say a 12 year old sees the olympics today and is inspired, how does he start his career? I suspect drinking heavily is involved in some fashion. My mental picture of the first skeleton rider includes the words, “Hey y’all! Watch this!!!” ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/6 "2018-02-16T13:37:41Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > I suspect drinking heavily is involved in some fashion. My mental picture of the first skeleton rider includes the words, “Hey y’all! Watch this!!!” Yeah, it’s pretty much a “Hold my beer!” sport. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/7 "2018-02-16T14:16:54Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > There’s always the local water slide. I’ve been wondering: If skeleton, luge, etc. are Olympic sports, why isn’t Going Down A Water Slide an Olympic sport? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/8 "2018-02-16T14:52:52Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’ve been wondering: If skeleton, luge, etc. are Olympic sports, why isn’t Going Down A Water Slide an Olympic sport? Like with snowboarding and a lot of other things --------- just give it time. There may just be a future summer games that includes it if enough different people figure a way to turn it into some kind of competition. That really seems to be the only thing it lacks as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/9 "2018-02-16T15:42:02Z")
There’s a luge track near me (the Muskegon Luge Track), and a dude I know went down it with his 12-year-old a couple years ago. He said the first run down was fine, and second time down he got some scrapes and burns. He tried talking me into it, but I just don’t think it sounds like something I should be doing at this point in my life. It’s like in bowling, if you have an off frame, you get a gutter or knock down only one pin. In golf, if you’re not paying attention to what you’re doing, you might shank a ball into the woods or miss a putt. In luge, you die. Or if you’re lucky, you end up with the skin tore off 2/3 of your backside. It just seems like something I’ll watch every four years on the TV and go “Holy shit, those guys are CRAZY!” And then I’ll watch skeleton and go “Holy shit, those guys are batshit INSANE!!” ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/10 "2018-02-16T15:48:35Z")
For the 2-man luge, I think you can start with an ad on Craigslist. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/11 "2018-02-16T16:05:35Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > If you look at the track, there are additional starting ramps that merge with the track on the way down. They’re blocked off, but you can spot them if you’re looking. I always figured those were for people just starting out, or junior events, or something like that. That makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/12 "2018-02-16T17:48:50Z")
This sounds like one of those weird viral Internet questions, like “How is babby formed?” ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/13 "2018-02-16T18:11:19Z")
I will admit that when I read the thread title my first thought was, “Did Loach get hacked?” ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/14 "2018-02-16T18:12:30Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > I suspect drinking heavily is involved in some fashion. My mental picture of the first skeleton rider includes the words, “Hey y’all! Watch this!!!” > [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Yeah, it’s pretty much a “Hold my beer!” sport. 😛 I think that’s how luge started. But 3 cases of beer later… “Dude, I can beat that. I’ll go head first!” And skeleton was born.😃 Now, how the hell did they name it? ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/15 "2018-02-16T18:29:08Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > This sounds like one of those weird viral Internet questions, like “How is babby formed?” I came in to say almost the exact same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/16 "2018-02-16T20:04:16Z")
> [@BobBitchin](#): > > Now, how the hell did they name it? I believe that the skeleton was named after what tends to accumulate at the bottom of the run when people perform the activity. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/17 "2018-02-16T22:29:19Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > I believe that the skeleton was named after what tends to accumulate at the bottom of the run when people perform the activity. :D:D I set em up, you knock em down.:D:cool: ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/18 "2018-02-16T23:26:27Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > I came in to say almost the exact same thing. Should I have said skeletoning? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/19 "2018-02-16T23:37:36Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > There’s always the local water slide. Not for the vast majority of slides that make you go down on a pad. I think they push pads on people for two reasons: 1, they don’t have to maintain as smooth a bottom surface, and 2, everyone goes at relatively the same speed so they can get more throughput since they don’t have to worry about the very slow or very fast people. But for those slides where you can still go down on your back, it does indeed feel similar to luge and those other winter sports. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-start-skeleton/808911/20 "2018-02-16T23:41:11Z")
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