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Sliding to Gold
Journey to the top...
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As we near the Fourth of July, everyone at the grocery store checkout counter seems to have carts filled with American flag T-shirts and d�cor, BBQ sauce, bags of ice and cans of soda as they prepare for their celebratory cookouts. We scavenge through our closets for our best red, white and blue outfit to show off our American pride, and hope for clear skies so we can rejoice on Independence Day with family and friends by "oohing" and "ahhing" under a burst of colorful fireworks.
We look forward to the time off from work and plan for how we'll celebrate Independence Day weeks in advance. We'll burst with pride and feel a strong sense of camaraderie as "Born in the USA" and "America the Beautiful" play not only from our own car speakers, but also from the car next to ours at the stoplight. We are Americans, and yes, we are proud.
Imagine then how much pride our athletes will feel on February 7, 2014 as they enter the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia robed in red, white and blue. Imagine the swell of emotion they will experience as they march together beneath the American flag with not just fireworks welcoming them, but an Olympic flame. The Fourth of July offers us just a glimpse into why our athletes train day in and out for the opportunity to represent our country on the world's stage. It's the euphoria. The camaraderie. The pride.
Olympic bobsled champion Curt Tomasesevicz once talked about the biggest difference between his football and bobsled careers during a fundraiser in Colorado Springs, Colo. In football, he had his name scrawled on the back of his jersey. In bobsled, he has USA on his back. "One of the greatest honors of being able to be a bobsledder is not just the thrill or adrenaline rush of going down the track, but it's the fact that we get to wear USA on our back," he said. "We get to represent our country, and that's pretty awesome."
As you celebrate this great nation on the Fourth of July, proudly wear your stars and stripes. We get it. We'll be waving the flag right beside you, and our athletes are working extra hard to bring home some gold to add to the red, white and blue in February.
Amanda Bird
Marketing and Communications Director
USA Bobsled & Skeleton
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Track Workers
Learn more about the team behind the team in Lake Placid, N.Y. that maintains the sliding venue.
BY Tommy Barone
 The experience of competing or taking a passenger ride on an Olympic sliding track is only possible because of the 'round-the-clock team working behind the scenes to make it all possible. Meet Lake Placid, N.Y.'s track crew - a team of workers that divide up shifts 24/7 to make this track as fast and safe as possible. I spoke with Bryan Berghorn, an experienced bobsledder with developmental team experience and senior member of the Mt. Van Hoevenberg track crew, to discuss the details of how a typical day goes for a worker, and how the track system works throughout the year.
To the most causal observer, all tracks seems relatively simple in design and easy to maintain. Like the similar misconception of actual competition, the process is much more detailed, complicated, and requires precise training. The crew itself consists of between 10 and 15 workers per shift, with three 8-hr shifts per day. During high profile events such as World Cup, Berghorn says that shifts can double in length and they require all hands on deck staffing. Each curve is staffed by track workers at these competitions to keep the ice in pristine shape, and sleds are constantly being transported between the finish and start ramps and to the garages. In the summer, the workforce is cut more than half, with most tasks consisting of up-keep with the entire facility infrastructure, painting, mowing down anything that grows around either track, and patching expansion joints on the 1980 track to keep the summer sleds on a safe, controllable surface.
Berghorn describes the track during the winter as "pretty basic; the ice lays on a concrete foundation, with steel uprights, and the ammonia pipes work with re-bar to form the shape of the track. Concrete is poured and shaped for the curves and straightaways, while wood lips are put up along the tops of the curves to keep the sled within the track. A steel tunnel system with tarps over the top was put up to help keep snow, rain and sun from destroying the track, and to keep an even playing field."
So what kind of unique tools does the crew use to maintain it? "Our typical equipment includes a broom, shovel, an over sized face razor called a roller chisel, and power brooms to assist with frost removal. In special circumstances, we even roll out a tractor with a planer attached for straightaways and small curves."
 Generally, the technician in the ammonia plant monitors the weather and controls the ammonia system to avoid frost buildup on the track based on the atmospheric conditions. This can lead to softer ice as the ice particles retain air bubbles as they refreeze. Since ammonia and track temperatures do not change instantly, constant weather monitoring is imperative. For immediate ice shaping or cleaning, the roller chisels are used from start to finish, less than a foot at a time down the mile long track. Trailing the chisel is the person who has to shovel the shavings out of the bottom of the track. Both jobs are physically draining: imagine shoveling over 1,700 reps worth of snow during your entire overnight shift! Berghorn adds that "water can also run down the track and build too much ice in the bottom of the curves and the straightaways. If there is too much ice at the bottom of a curve, it makes the transition on and off the curve very abrupt. If there is too much ice in a straightaway, it can be quite bumpy. Looking at the scar marks the runners leave behind, an experienced worker would be able to read the ice and lines to see the smallest, most unnoticeable bumps."
For some track employees, there's another side to the job that makes all of the hard work worth it - they get to slide! Typically a track crew member that begins sliding will start as a brakeman. "In order to become a 'Licensed Brakeman' you must endure the 'Champagne' trip which is stopping a full sled of crew members perfectly even when the instructor sitting in front of you is doing everything in his power to not let that happen," Berghorn said. Drivers endure a much longer and difficult training process and by the end, they must complete 150 successful runs without crashing.
These specially trained track works are the crew who give passenger rides during the summer and winter, making a daring thrill seeker a bobsled fan for life. Athletes around the world wouldn't be able to race if it weren't for these dedicated women and men that maintain these venues year round.
The USBSF will be following the life of a track worker on the official USBSF website throughout the 2013-2014 season, so be sure to check the site often for updates as the competitive season kicks off.
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Fan Zone: Meet Christopher Dorland
I'm hooked....
It's already July and in about four months the season of bobsled (or as the rest of the world refers to it as "bobsleigh") and skeleton is upon us here in the USA and abroad. Being a bobsled fan since 2001 has had its ups and downs, with some years having little time or energy to being a devoted fan. But in 2009 the landscape forever changed me while watching Steve Holcomb and The Night Train crew arrive at the finish line ending a 50-year medal drought for the USA in the World Championship arena. Their victory on home soil was a once in a
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Team USA Bobsled Champions from Universal Sports
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lifetime opportunity to see this live, and it took some time to sink in what I had just witnessed and photographed. There I was, several feet away, as they were sliding to a grinding halt, fists pumping and high fives all around! I was at the right place at the right time as they say. History was made before my eyes. I didn't plan it that way and it's a sweet reminder that surprises are always around the corner in this sport.
Only in the past few years have I really understood the athleticism, perseverance and outright dedication required to compete at this level whether it be bobsled or skeleton, not to mention the razor thin budgets teams have to work with. No one's in it for the money, that's for certain. With the exception of one month after the season ends, training is virtually non-stop from what I gather from Twitter, Blogs, and Facebook feeds I subscribe to, including the wonderful year round coverage Amanda Bird provides on the USBSF website! So unlike other years where I was, for lack of a better term, a seasonal fan, this year and going forward I owe it to our USA teams to be a faithful year-round fan, fully appreciating and supporting all they do to be their best for our country.
Becoming a Fan...
In a recent correspondence with one of the crew from the Canadian Bobsleigh team I was asked how I got interested in the sport. My first thought was I just kind of fell into it I guess. But really, it's in my DNA! Digging further I realized I always had a passion for most winter sports. You see, being from Rochester, N.Y. (my hometown) there are basically two seasons - winter and road construction - and that certainly has a lot to do with it! Way back -yeah I'm a little older than the record Holcomb broke a few years back- when I was a kid winter sports were covered with great enthusiasm in the weekly sports show- ABC's Wide World of Sports with Jim McKay - who hosted a few winter sports events to say the least. My buddies and I watched this show nearly every week, especially when luge and bobsled was the event. When we are not throwing snowballs at the city buses, we played hockey on ice, skated tirelessly at the city rink for 50 cents a session, and tobogganed or went sledding on many of the steep hills located close by in the county and city parks - even the 'no sledding zones' to our parents dismay. It was not unusual for me to tackle the steepest hill I could find and race alongside my friends. My sleds, I actually had several of them at one point, were always in some state of repair and I was always finding ways to go faster - soap or wax on the runners, sandpaper the runners till they're as smooth as we could get them - sound familiar? So my passion for the sliding sports is deep rooted in the past, and I now consider myself a certifiable, bona fide, born and raised in the USA fan!
Now fast forward to the year 2000. My wife and two sons vacationed in the ADK Mountains (Lake Placid area) in the summer and when I learned about the new track they built initially for the 2000 Goodwill Games, I said, 'Hmm, maybe I'll come up with my oldest son this 2001 winter to see some World Cup action." At that time the spectator conveniences were sparse as I recall - no stairs or platforms other than for the race teams. Our first experience at the track was interesting. We arrived at the finish line and with camera in hand I caught a mishap at the finish line. Apparently a 2-man international team sled crashed in the last section of the track.
So I ran through several feet of new snow to within 25 feet from the team that just slid past the finish line on their side! Boy they were pretty upset - in fact they were very passionate in displaying their displeasure. So I took a few pictures of the event and my son was a little surprised how daring I was. Bad idea, note to self, never do that again, but that was my first live experience at the track all within a few minutes of arriving for my first time. I was hooked! We made it a yearly father & son trip for a number of years. It's only the past year that I have had the opportunity to talk to a few of the athletes in person and between Facebook, email and the Internet (FIBT)- all those help me to keep in touch throughout the season. Each athlete has a unique story to tell and all seemed to just happen to be at the right place at the right time to enter the sport.
Growing my Bobsled family...
 Over the past 4-5 years I have had four of five of my adult children and one grandson (2 years old) endure an all expense paid trip to Lake Placid to share my passion of bobsled and skeleton competition at the World Cup level. All found it exciting and came away with a better appreciation of why Dad is such a diehard fan. I even got my wife to go to the World Champs in February 2012 where she made numerous friends with family members of the athletes from the USA, and Canada to name a few. She understands, I think, why I watch bobsled competition on YouTube live feeds from Europe at 3 or 4 am in the morning. And our family now understands what fuels my passion for the sport and I hope it rubs off on the grandkids in the future.
 All this excitement nearly came to an end for me in August 2011 due to a heart attack, totally out of the blue with no warning signs at all. I'm glad to say I'm fully recovered with four stents keeping me company for the rest of my days. During 12 weeks of rehab one of my biggest concerns was being able to navigate the up and down Mt. Van Hoevenberg where the track is located in Lake Placid to see my teams compete. A large part of my motivation was
remembering the unwavering dedication and hardships bobsled and skeleton athletes put themselves through. This was the inspiration I needed while on that treadmill, stationary bike or whatever was put in front of me for 36 rehab sessions. I needed to believe in myself that I too could overcome this setback and now gladly say without hesitation - I did overcome it! I almost gave up, but I pushed myself, and at session 22 something changed and I was recovering quickly after that point. "World Champs 2012 here I come!" I said to myself. I recall seeing something Holcomb cited in an article or post of his that read, "Tough times don't last, tough people do!" How true that is. So after seven months post heart attack or the "event" as my family calls it, I found myself managing the hike up and down Mt. Van Hoevenberg to watch USA-1 come away with World Champ status in 2- and 4-man bobsled competition in 2012. Top that off
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American Katie Uhlaender becomes World Champ - from Universal Sports
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with the outstanding gold medal performance Katie Uhlaender put forth at the 2012 World Champs. Wow! Up to that point I was not much of a skeleton fan, but that has forever changed - thanks Katie! That was a great season on many different levels for me.
Going forward, I sincerely hope with the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics this sport renews its fan base it once had in the USA. We have an incredible team of athletes, world class equipment, experienced coaches, a solid USBSF organization, and World titles to prove it. Get the word out, support and donate to a team, show up if you can to a live event and bring a friend or family member, ring that cowbell while watching an event at home! I can't be in Sochi this year for the Olympics, but you can bet I'll be in Lake Placid as the World Cup and North American Cup swings through this December. See you there!
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| Athlete Highlight: Chris Fogt
Chris Fogt was a track and field athlete at Utah Valley University when he was discovered by a U.S. bobsled coach. He was intrigued by the idea, so he participated in a combine test event in 2007 and was selected to race with the national team.
Fogt already participated in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps throughout high school, and was commissioned into the Army as a 2nd Lt in the Military Intelligence Branch. He was later accepted into the Army's World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) shortly after joining the bobsled team. "WCAP is the best sponsor you could ever have," Fogt said.
He never imagined he would be a Soldier-athlete, but always dreamed of being a Soldier. He was deployed to Iraq for one year, just weeks after competing in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Fogt says the Soldiers he met while deployed congratulated him on his Olympic success and asked him to tell them stories of his adventures racing down iced hills around the world. Although his fellow Soldiers revere him for his athletic endeavors, Fogt said they are the ones to look up to. "Those guys provide me with extra motivation and inspiration due to the sacrifices they make every day to keep our country safe."
Fun Facts:
- Fogt asked his longtime girlfriend to marry him in May, and she said yes!
- He holds a degree in Business Management from Utah Valley University.
- Fogt was team captain of the Utah Valley University track and field team for two years. He set the indoor school record in the 10-meter sprint (10.53), and in the 60-meter dash (6.92).
Competition Highlights:
- BRONZE in the Lake Placid, NY four-man bobsled World Cup event with pilot Nick Cunningham (Nov. 2012)
- 2010 Olympian with pilot John Napier
- BRONZE in Koenigssee, Germany four-man bobsled World Cup event with pilot Todd Hays (Jan. 2010)
- SILVER in Lake Placid, NY four-man bobsled World Cup event with pilot Todd Hays (Nov. 2009)
 | | Fogt helps push Cunningham to his first medal finish - Universal Sports |
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Questions? Comments?
Do you have a question or comment for a USA Bobsled & Skeleton athlete, coach, board or staff member? If so, send an email to [email protected] and find the answer to your question in the next newsletter! |
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Visit our YouTube Page by clicking below for more video clips of what USBSF athletes are doing whether gliding down the icy tracks around the world at the speed of lightening, training in the weight room, contributing to the community or just pranking each other.
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