# The 2-man luge---what were they thinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462 "2005-11-23T19:43:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/41 "2006-02-21T01:44:14Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > [Picture](http://www.maziarz.com/maziarz/uop/bob01-1003.jpg) The guy in back is thinkin’ “I wonder what shampoo he uses?” Teh guy in front is thinkin’ “we’re gonna die! we’re gonna die! we’re gonna die!” ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/42 "2006-02-21T01:50:25Z")
> [@drm](#): > > Honest question. What does the second person even do? Are they there just for weight or a little extra umph at the beginning? Somebody’s got to yell “wheeeeeee…” ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/43 "2006-02-21T01:59:39Z")
\ I’m a… Luger I’m a lu-u-u-ger And I’ve luged someone who’s dear to me \ Or should that be “I’ve _lubed_ someone who’s dear to me”… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/44 "2006-02-21T03:32:09Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > I’m bumpin’ this thread, 'cause it’s relevant, what with the the Winter Olympics going on right now. > > Besides, I **still want to know who thought up the idea of adding a second guy to the luge**. It’s a silly enough sport to begin with–but why 2 at a time? It’s another chance for countries that are good at luge to win a medal. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/45 "2006-02-21T04:18:15Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > Seriously, the reason there is no two _women_ luge is that the woman on top would just slide off without a lynchpin to hold her in place. > > Seriously. Single men’s luge = 1 man Single women’s luge = 1 woman Doubles luge = 2 people, regardless of gender It happens that no doubles team at the Olympics has a female on it, but this has nothing to do with any regulation. Take a look at the start, which is so tremendously important. Upper body gorilla strength is what it takes. Males tend to have greater upper body strength than females. One male will tend to exert more force than one female, and two males will tend to exert more force than one male. Take a look at running down the course, where inertia helps defeat irregularities in the course surface, and where weight on the runners turns turns ice into water for sliding. With both of these, weight helps. One male will tend to weigh more force than one female, and two males will tend to weigh more than one male. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/46 "2006-02-21T05:45:22Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Seriously, why a 2-man luge? > > What’s next? 2-man ski jump [Ski Jump Pairs.](http://images-jp.amazon.com/images/P/B0000CGAO8.09.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) Cover image from the official DVD. Ok, so it’s all CG. It’s still actually pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/47 "2006-02-21T08:39:26Z")
> [@bup](#): > > :rolleyes: > Biathlon is not pointless, but it is pretty crazy when you step back. I know it evolved from military stuff at the beginning of last century, but then you step back and _it’s skiing a shooting a gun_. …which is still a major part of military training in the snowy bits of Europe. Not surprisingly, those are the countries that are good at it. For those of us who love the sport, its appeal is unique. The stamina and strategy of cross-country skiing, combined with an element of uncertainty since one bad shot can completely rearrange the standings. Plus, hey, guys in tight spandex. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/48 "2006-02-21T09:15:07Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Would it be better if it was a man & a woman, like ice dancing, only with helmets? What, you would bar the uncircumsized? ---
**Author:** ![FlippyFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FlippyFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlippyFly)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/49 "2006-02-21T09:24:57Z")
You have to wonder - what makes someone say “I want to become a world class luger” in the first place… who dreams of this when they are young and sets off on this path? And then, who says “Screw the glory - I’ll be lonely if it’s just me. I’ll go for the doubles!” ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/50 "2006-02-21T13:00:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Imagine an Olympic sport where you swim 400 meters with a waterproof bag, then you have to jump out of the pool, open the bag, pull out and assemble a gun, then fire at a target. Not pointless, but hella weird. That would be a pretty good mirror of actual skills navy SEALs use, which means it does have a point, which would put it way above the vast majority of most sports. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/51 "2006-02-21T14:14:12Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > …which is still a major part of military training in the snowy bits of Europe. Not surprisingly, those are the countries that are good at it. > > For those of us who love the sport, its appeal is unique. The stamina and strategy of cross-country skiing, combined with an element of uncertainty since one bad shot can completely rearrange the standings. Plus, hey, guys in tight spandex. Don’t get me wrong - I love biathlon - I was there in Salt Lake City going hoarse yelling for Bjorndalen (sp)? But on the face of it, it’s a strange, strange juxtaposition of…skiing and shooting guns. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/52 "2006-02-21T15:21:14Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > That would be a pretty good mirror of actual skills navy SEALs use, which means it does have a point, which would put it way above the vast majority of most sports. One of the central features of a SPORT is that it doesn’t have a point except for the sake of playing the sport itself. Biathlon has a military origin, but at the Olympic level it’s so specialized and individual that it’s become its own thing entirely. The guys doing the 15k today were not actually fighting a war in winter conditions. Personally, I like biathlon. It’s not any stranger than a lot of sports, and the extreme cardiovascular exertion adds an element of tremendous difficulty to the marksmanship aspect. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462/53 "2006-02-21T23:20:32Z")
> [@FlippyFly](#): > > You have to wonder - what makes someone say “I want to become a world class luger” in the first place… who dreams of this when they are young and sets off on this path? Pretty much any kid with a sled. > [@](#): > > And then, who says “Screw the glory - I’ll be lonely if it’s just me. I’ll go for the doubles!” Doubles? Amateurs. Try fourteen on one very large sled on ski hill. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2-man-luge-what-were-they-thinking/332462.md?page=2)