The History of Bobsledding

Bobsledding first came on the scene in the 19th century. In Saint Moritz, Switzerland, someone suggested that racers put runners similar to a sleighs' onto the toboggans going down the famous Cresta Run to get more speed. The first racers thought they could go faster by bobbing, that is, leaning forward and backward with their bodies. While that strategy failed, the name stuck, and bobsleds were born.

  1. Development

    • Bobsledders soon discovered that the lightweight toboggan, in combination with the high speed, was dangerous. After serious accidents, and even a few deaths, sledders developed a much heavier version of the sled: an aluminum body on runners, brakes in the front, ballast to stay on course, in a sled large enough for five passengers. These sledders were too daring for the St. Moritz Toboggan Club, and soon formed the St. Mortiz Bobsleigh Club, with fewer rules and a lot more speed.

    First Steps

    • The Cresta Run hosted the first bobsled race on Jan. 5, 1898. The original races required two of the five sledders to be women, but they soon allowed smaller men to substitute because few women wanted to make the dangerous runs down the mountain. The racers soon began adding more features to increase their speed. As a result, the sleds soon became too fast for the Cresta Run. Consequently, St. Moritz built the first artificial run specifically engineered for speed and safety in 1904.

    Legitimizing

    • The Olympics requires every sport that wants recognition to have its own internal governing body. Established in 1923 by the bobsled clubs in various countries, the Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et Tobogganning (FIBT) still governs the sport. The FIBT held its first world championship at St. Moritz in 1927.

    North American Bobsledding

    • Canada built its first bobsled run in Montebello, Quebec, in 1911. An American team requested to represent the United States in bobsledding at the 1928 Winter Olympics. The committee granted the request, so the group allied with the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States which, in turn, joined with the FIBT. The Americans, piloted by Billy Fisk, won the competition. The United States developed the novel two-man bobsled from two small sleds and a pivot and built its first run at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, New York for the 1932 Winter Olympics, at the inception of the two-man bobsled. Due partly to technological innovations, U.S. bobsledders were the best in the world until the 1950s.

    Competition Today

    • In the modern competitions, including the Olympics, bobsled runs are at least 1,500 meters (1640 yards) long. The slope is between 8 and 15 percent, and the track usually has 15 to 20 turns. The concrete or stone runs are layered with wet snow, then soaked with water and frozen. Eighteen-inch-high ice walls keep the sleds from sliding off the track.