BOBSLEDDING
Bobsledding, also called bobsleighing, is the sport of sliding down an ice-covered natural or artificial incline on a four-runner sled, called a bobsled, bobsleigh, or bob, that carries either two or four persons.
Bobsledding developed in the 1880s both in the lumbering towns of upstate New York and at the ski resorts of the Swiss Alps. The first organized competition (among teams consisting of three men and two women) was held in 1898 on the Cresta Run at Saint Moritz, Switzerland. The sport earned its name after competitors adopted the technique of bobbing back and forth to increase the speed of the sled. The bob run used in international competition is between 1,200 and 1,600 meters (1,312 and 1,750 yards) long, with an average slope of between 8 and 15 percent. There are generally from 15 to 20 turns per course, ranging in size up to huge hairpins of more than 180°.
Racing bobsleds have a streamlined cowling in front of the driver to reduce wind resistance. Two types are used: two-person boblets, as they often are called in Europe, and four-person bobsleighs. Rules limit combined team and sled weights to 860 pounds and 1,389 pounds, respectively. The maximum team-and-sled weight for the two-woman competition is 770 pounds.
The theme for the 2014 Cold Cache Series involves WINTER SPORTS of various types, both Olympic and not. These caches will only be available from January 1st through March 31st. Get 'em while they're ho--err--COLD!