I had a lot going on during the months of June and July, so forgive me for getting behind on my posts. But I’m in catch-up mode now, so watch for a few more updates in the coming weeks!
The first I want to talk about is my experience with speed … and no, I don’t mean drugs. I mean physical speed. Downhill. With twists and turns. It happened on June 20th, and leading up to that day, I admit to being just a wee bit nervous.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
First things first: I’m not an exhilaration junkie. No extreme sports, no crazy stunts, no way. I don’t jump out of helicopters to ski in avalanche territory (don’t expect any posts on that in the coming year, either!) … and I sure as hell don’t relish the opportunity to speed around a track where there might be crash-and-burn potential. So when my company organized a team event at Canada Olympic Park – offering a choice of either mini golf or a ride down the Skyline Luge – I was all set to play mini golf. It’s safe, social, and good for a laugh (especially if you’re as poor a golfer as I am).
Then my boss told me that the luge really was nothing to worry about. Sure, no problem. The track is only 1.8 km long and drops only 328 feet from top to bottom. Nothing to worry about indeed! Yet before I knew it, I’d agreed to give it a try. After all, I am trying to live outside of my box. And in the words of my mother, how hard can it be? Of course, I agreed before I’d read about it online. I’m not sure whether doing my research post-commitment helped or hindered my ability to face this particular experience with confidence, but it did at least give me a better idea of what I was about to do.
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| A portion of the track. |
For anyone who isn’t familiar with the Skyline Luge, here’s a brief history: The first one was built in Rotorua, New Zealand in 1985. Since then, more facilities have been built in Mount Tremblant, Quebec; Queenstown, New Zealand; and Sentosa, Singapore. The Calgary Skyline Luge opened in June 2013, and boasts the longest single track with the steepest drop.
Excuse me while I barf.
Heights are not an issue for me. What is an issue is the idea of falling from a great height and breaking my neck. Or careening down a mountain and breaking my neck. Or taking a turn at high speed, tipping over, and breaking my neck. You get the idea. I really do not want to break my neck.
That research I mentioned? I admit that it did cause me a brief moment of panic. The track is so high! So far downhill! So many twists and turns! Yikes! But I was already committed. No turning back! In any case, the pictures on the website showed kids luging down the track. Little kids! And this “evidence” of the track’s apparent safety did give me some peace of mind. After all, if little kids could do it, surely I could do it, too. Right? Riiiiiiggggghhhhht?
The day of the event, I teamed up with three friends in the hope that they’d stick by my side and give me a little moral support.
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| Do I look nervous? |
First up: basic “training”. This is where you learn how to go, how to turn, and how to stop. It takes exactly 10 seconds. My confidence soared!
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| Just before our "training" ... |
Next up: FREEDOM! Yep, that’s it! They set us loose and … one of my friends zoomed away, quickly disappearing around a turn. All I heard was her gleeful “wheeeeee!” as she zipped down the track. Not long after, another friend vanished. Then a third took the lead in front of me, though she at least remained within my line of sight. I wasn’t completely abandoned!
Have I mentioned that I’m not a speed demon? Right. So imagine, if you can, a three-wheeled car inching its way downhill, barely moving around the curves, while it’s driver repeats at every turn, “I really don’t like this. I’m not liking this!” To be fair to myself, it really did feel like I was going to tip over, especially when I found myself on the high side of the wall during a turn (which happened more than once). BUT (oh yes, there is always a BUT) … I did finally reach the bottom. And in one piece, too! Phew!
When I rejoined my friends at the base of the track, the first words off my lips were … you guessed it! … Let’s do it again!
Nothing to worry about! I knew the track now, you see, so I felt safer. I knew I could control the car. And my confidence rose as our chair lift took us higher. The second time when I seated myself in that three-wheeled “vehicle”, I was eager to get moving. A quick start/turn/stop refresher, and I was off! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
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| No nerves now! |
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| I feel the need for speed! |
Yep, you heard it from my lips first (or fingertips, in this case). I actually went fast. Fast enough to pass people and take the lead of my little group. I zipped down that mountain, whooshing around the twists and turns, and had a grand time (though I admit I still exclaimed, “I don’t like this!” on the sharper turns).
I highly recommend the Skyline Luge to anyone who has a chance to do it – whether in Calgary, or in one of the other locations around the world. It offers great views (I’m guessing this is the case no matter which location you visit), great fun, and plenty of laughter. I guarantee you’ll want to do it more than once. I fully intend to go back! And maybe next time, I won’t slow down at the turns (well, maybe I’ll slow down a little).
No great lesson learned here, except that sometimes new experiences are just about having fun. And speed? Speed can be fun, too! In moderation, of course. You still won’t catch me racing my automobile or leaping from a chopper to ski in avalanche territory. But, hey … baby steps.
Yay, you did it!! Twice! And you passed people on the way down! And you looked at the beautiful views even! Wow, Michelle, you are really coming along!! Loved you enthusiastic and funny description!
WOW! Sounds sooooo good! I may want to try that too now...