I'm so excited!
On Jan. 31, I'm going to experience the biggest thrill available in this town -- I'm going to ride in a bobsled (translation for Canadian readers: bobsleigh) down the 1988 Winter Olympics track!!
Here's how this works: pay $175 (or $150 each if you can get two of your friends to join you) and make a reservation for a time to do the bobsled run, show up half an hour in advance to pick up the helmet and get a bit of safety advice from the professional bobsled driver/brakeman who will be riding in the front, then get in the sled and feel the Gs! The information sent to me after I reserved has these tantalizing quotes:
"Experience the thrill of this sliding sport as you wind through 14 twists and turns on the 1.4 km Olympic track in just 60 seconds of pure adrenaline rush!"
"You should be physically prepared to experience negative G-forces that will approach 4.5 times body weight."
"...hit a maximum speed of 120 km/h on a course that develops Olympic champions."
The original plan was to do this in a four-man sled with Andrew and one of my co-workers, Chris, but then Andrew read an article in one of the local papers about what this ride felt like to a journalist who did a run and wussed out. Chris was still in, but the Sundays he was free to do it were no longer available for reservations when I called. So, it's just me going in for the most exciting 60 seconds in Calgary. At the end, I'm told, I'll get an "Adrenaline Certificate of Achievement," a photo and a t-shirt.
Here's how this works: pay $175 (or $150 each if you can get two of your friends to join you) and make a reservation for a time to do the bobsled run, show up half an hour in advance to pick up the helmet and get a bit of safety advice from the professional bobsled driver/brakeman who will be riding in the front, then get in the sled and feel the Gs! The information sent to me after I reserved has these tantalizing quotes:
"Experience the thrill of this sliding sport as you wind through 14 twists and turns on the 1.4 km Olympic track in just 60 seconds of pure adrenaline rush!"
"You should be physically prepared to experience negative G-forces that will approach 4.5 times body weight."
"...hit a maximum speed of 120 km/h on a course that develops Olympic champions."
The original plan was to do this in a four-man sled with Andrew and one of my co-workers, Chris, but then Andrew read an article in one of the local papers about what this ride felt like to a journalist who did a run and wussed out. Chris was still in, but the Sundays he was free to do it were no longer available for reservations when I called. So, it's just me going in for the most exciting 60 seconds in Calgary. At the end, I'm told, I'll get an "Adrenaline Certificate of Achievement," a photo and a t-shirt.