Faq
We’ve gathered some commonly asked questions to give you more information about luge, as well as Brady and Ian’s journey.
Have a burning question we didn’t cover? Shoot us a message and we’ll get back to you!
In September 2021, we saw a social media post advertising a local Slider Search, USA Luge’s primary recruitment event for kids ages 10 – 13. Participants learn the basics of controlling a luge sled from team members and coaches, and then take several runs down a paved course on wheel-equipped sleds. It seemed like a fun way to spend a Saturday morning, and everyone gets a free t-shirt!
Based on their performance at Slider Search, Brady and Ian were invited to attend an on-ice screening camp in Lake Placid, New York in February 2022. Though they did not make the team that year, an unexpected invitation to another screening camp came the following winter. They attended a second screening camp in February 2023 and were named to the junior development team in May 2023.
Brady and Ian were both named to the junior candidate team in May 2024, now known as the Youth National Team (A Class). The candidate team demands a serious commitment: a significant increase in training time, as well as the challenge of international competition.
Brady and Ian train with their team at Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, NY and Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah (home of the 2034 Olympics). In the winter, they participate in 1 – 2 sliding sessions per day on the combined bobsled, skeleton, and luge track, completing 4 – 5 runs per session. During the summer, they switch to wheeled sleds and practice on the biathlon course.
The USA Luge headquarters in Lake Placid is where they work out and perfect the explosive starts that are essential in the sport. A refrigerated start facility with two 230-foot ice ramps with four different angles allow them to practice under a variety of conditions. During Lake Placid training camps, the athletes eat/sleep/play at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center.
USA Luge provides the athletes with a luge sled sized to fit them. We have borrowed or purchased other necessary equipment, such as the required Uvex helmets, speed suits, spiked gloves, booties, and weight vests. A highlight of each season is receiving their new team coats from Karbon!
Brady and Ian slide from start three at Mount Van Hoevenberg and typically reach speeds of about 70-ish mph. Olympic luge athletes can approach speeds of 90mph.
We’re a homeschooling family, which is a perfect fit for the unique demands of their training schedule. During training camps, daily study halls are scheduled to ensure the athletes can keep up with their schoolwork. Brady and Ian typically use this time to work on their online classes, including dual enrollment university courses.
Ready to give luge a try? The United States is home to four luge tracks, two artificial (in Lake Placid, NY and Park City, UT) and two natural (Muskegon, MI and Marquette, MI). Sliding sessions open to the public are hosted by the Adirondack Luge Club in Lake Placid, the Wasatch Luge Club in Park City, UT, Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park in Muskegon, MI, and the Upper Peninsula Luge Club in Marquette, MI. You can also check out the USA Luge headquarters in Lake Placid and get to slide down one of the ramps by signing up for one of their Friday tours.