Street Luge

Street luge is a form of recreation as well as an extremely popular adventure sport in which the participants roll down the sloping roads of the mountains riding a street luge board . Mainly the street luge races use the paved roads for the downhill street luge rides at a speed of more than 70 miles per hour. These boards are usually made of the combination of a number of materials like aluminum, carbon fibre, steel and wood. However, with no strict rule binding the shape of the board, they can be of varied designs and patterns. Though the boards are expected to have both the front and the rear padding, yet the use of the mechanical brakes in the street luge boards are prohibited. The racers are always advised to protect themselves with a helmet having chin strap and face shield . The use of goggles to protect the eyes is also common. Two to six racers can compete at a time in the races held along courses whose lengths range from 0.5 to 3 miles.

The sport of Street luge originated in Southern California when the skateboarders , while rolling downhill, found that lying down on their skateboards facilitated their movement. This was known as classic style or butt boarding. The first professional competition of Street luge dates back to 1975 when the U.S. Skateboard Association hosted the race at Signal Hill, California . The winner was decided on the speed reached by them.

The sport of street luge is mainly governed by the GSI or the Gravity Sports International and the IGSA or the International Gravity Sports Association . The sport has already become extremely popular across the globe and is attracting new enthusiasts with every passing day.