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Reaching the sixth level of fear, Winter Olympic style

Lake Placid, NY -- We have been to the top of the luge track, we have seen the lugers flash by at 85 mph or so, we have been to the finish line to watch them skid to a stop, we have wired Woodinville’s Christian Niccum and his sled with a mini-cam and seen four high-speed, slider-eye views of a luge run, we have even ridden the luge and bobsled simulator at the bottom of the track complex. Now its on to the real thing...

That’s tomorrow, when photographer Ken Jones and I will get a chance to try the luge, bobsled and skeleton (that’s face-first, three inches off the ice, on a souped-up version of the flexi-flyer you used to ride as a kid) down the track at Lake placid, one of the best and fastest in the world of sliding sports. Never fear, they’ll be starting us well down the mountain at one of the lower starting ramps so we won’t be building up to the speeds the world class sliders hit.

It’s a “Media camp” put on by the local Olympic training center, a chance for us rookies to find out what it all feels like. And as they really don’t want journalists’ body parts strewn all over the track and a lot of nasty press generated from the event, they plan to take very good care of us. Chris Niccum is going to be one of our coaches on the hill and while he is willing at almost every moment to push his own limits and dare life to punish him, we’re reasonably certain he won’t be anxious to risk our brains and bums on the track. Can’t wait... I think.

Gotta go.

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