A Basic Guide to Bobsledding (Olympic Guides) - Hardcover

Hans Kummer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0836831012 ISBN 13: 9780836831016

Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002

Synopsis

A Basic Guide to Bobsledding is for the young person who dreams of "challenging the ice." It also is for the athlete, coach, parent, and spectator who want a clear understanding of the many facets of bobsledding that have made it "The Champagne of Thrills" for more than 100 years. This volume provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the sport and describes the essential elements necessary to become a bobsledder.  Author Hans Kummer, a Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project team member and founding officer of the U.S. Bobsled & Skeleton Federation's Connecticut Chapter, offers first-hand knowledge of the technical dynamics and personal focus it takes to be an athlete on the fast track.

About this title

About the Author

Hans Kummer is a member of the United States Bobsled & Skeleton Federation (USBSF) based in Lake Placid, New York. The USBSF was formed to coordinate, advance, improve and promote the sports of bobsleigh and skeleton in the USA. As the U.S. governing body for these sports, it is officially recognized by the United States Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee, and the Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing. The USBSF also maintains a presence in Park City, Utah, site of several 2002 Winter Olympic competitions.

Hans is a member of the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project team formed in 1992 by legendary NASCAR driver Geoffrey Bodine. Despite a forty year European technological dominance in the sport, Bodine contracted Chassis Dynamics of Oxford, Connecticut to engineer the project and apply auto racing technology to the design & construction of competitive world class bobsleds for American athletes. With continual research and development, USA Bobsled's Bo-Dyn sleds have astounded the sport by perpetually breaking track records and winning World Cup & Olympic medals.

Mr. Kummer has served as Vice President of the USBSF's Connecticut Chapter, which began in 1993 as a volunteer effort to raise financial support and provide professional expertise for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project. The group continues to volunteer leadership and support within the bobsled & skeleton community.

Hans Kummer's company, Wild Child Entertainment, is producing "Racing For The Gold," a 3D large format (IMAX) film with related immersive educational tools. Using innovative cinematography and special effects never before seen on the giant screen, the film explores the passion, technology, physiology, and psychology of what it means to be a racer on the fast track. Using the Bo-Dyn project as a stepping-stone, the film examines the secrets and similarities associated with the sporting worlds of bobsleigh (the most popular European winter spectator sport) and auto racing (one of the most watched spectator sports worldwide). In their pursuit of speed and personal excellence, audiences will ride on the edge of their seats as they follow a unique group of men and women who are competitors on both asphalt and ice.

From the Back Cover

A Basic Guide To Bobsledding -
An Official United States Olympic Committee Sports Series

Strength, stamina, courage, concentration, preparation, and lightning-quick reflexes -- bobsledders need all these qualities and more. A Basic Guide to Bobsledding offers a clear, concise introduction to one of the most challenging and technically advanced of all Olympic events.

Author Hans Kummer, a leading Bobsledding expert and a member of the United States Bobsled & Skeleton Federation's Bo-Dyn Project team, presents a unique behind-the-scenes look at this thrilling sport.

Special features include:

• The revolutionary Bo-Dyn bobsled
• U.S. men's and women's Bobsledding teams in action
• Rules of international competition
• How to become a successful bobsledder
• Skeleton -- the world's first sliding sport

From the Inside Flap

An Athlete's Creed

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.

These famous words, commonly referred to as the Olympic Creed, were once spoken by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games. Whatever their origins, they aptly describe the theme behind each and every Olympic competition.

Edition details

• Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0836831012
• ISBN 13: 9780836831016
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 148
• Editor: U.S. Olympic Committee