Naturbahn from “A” to “Z”

Naturbahn is a non-Olympic sport, which can be characterized as downhill skiing on natural tracks, i.e. on slopes flooded with ice. The name comes from the German “die Naturbahn”, which is rendered in English as “natural trail”. As in the bobsleigh tracks, i.e., artificial tracks, athletes compete in the Naturbahn in single and double sleds for men and in single sleds for women. What is this sport about? Let us take a closer look at this discipline.

General information

Naturbahn became a separate discipline in 1964. The European Naturbahn Championships have been held since 1970 (currently for even years), and the World Championships since 1979 (for odd years). Since 1992 there is also an annual six-stage World Cup. In the 2000s, the International Luge Federation (FIL) applied for inclusion of the luge in the Winter Olympics program, but it was rejected due to the low popularity of the discipline outside Europe.

Equipment and ammunition

Naturbahn sleds are special and unique. The maximum permissible weight of a single sled is 14 kg, for a double sled it can be no more than 20 kg. The sled consists of several elements:

• A pair of skids, made of metal and plastic. The slats are attached to them to act as protection against shocks on bends, and on the sides, bumpers are fixed at a distance of about five centimeters from the sharp skids. The bumpers are responsible for protecting the fingers that could accidentally get under the skid.
• A bowl, also referred to as the “hammock”-shaped seat, is the place where the rider sits and drives the sled.
• Steering rope, which is a kind of bridle, is attached to the front skids. It helps the participant to change the trajectory of his movement.
• Two guide rails with sharp bars should have no divisions in the cross section.
• There are also two inseparable racks.

All athletes wear protective helmets, tracksuits and special gloves with steel spikes located inside and outside the fingers. In accordance with the safety requirements, all elements of clothing must fit tightly to the body. In addition to the helmet, an under-helmet may be worn.

In naturbahn, athletes start from a sitting position: he or she pushes off the handrail on the starting ramp and then accelerates by means of strong paddling strokes with the hands. The pilot controls the sled with the help of his legs and arms, as well as tilting torso by shifting the center of gravity of the body. It is possible to correct the motion of the sled by pushing with the feet on the bend of the skid and using the control rope, which is attached to the edges of the skids. The sled can reach speeds of up to 90 km/h during a run.

The track

According to the FIL rules, the length of the course for naturbahn competitions must be between 700 and 1200 meters and have a width of at least three meters. There are also shortened tracks from 400 meters, on which it is possible to hold international competitions by special permission of FIL.

Since usually competitions are held on natural mountainous terrain, all dangerous sections of the route (steep precipices, rocks, trees, etc.) are fenced with vertical wooden boards, installed overlapping in the course of the participants. The height of shields should be at least one meter, and their thickness varies in the range of about 40 millimeters.

As for the ice surface, its thickness must be at least 10 centimeters. Parameters of the track itself should meet the required standards, namely 800-1500 meters in length (except for the shortened toboggan tracks of 400 meters in length), two and a half meters in width with a turning radius of not less than 7 meters. For safe stopping, the brake pads should be as flat as possible and the finish line should be horizontal.

If the tournament is held in the evening, certain lighting should be installed on the course with a minimum of 120 lux that will not obscure or dazzle parts of the course. Toilets must also be located at the start and finish.

Natural toboggan trails should have an average slope of no more than 13%. In some sections, the gradient may be as high as 25%. The track should include a number of elements: left and right turns, a sharp bend, a combination of curves, and a straight section. The radius of the turn should be at least seven meters.

The largest number of professional tracks for naturbahn is located in Italy and Austria. There are also such tracks in Germany, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Finland and Canada.

Competitions

The duration of each competition must be at least three days. In general, naturbahn competitions are divided into several varieties:

• With individual scoring (results are assigned to a specific athlete or two-man crew);
• With team scoring (results are given based on the combined results of the participants of a particular team)
• Personal-team scoring (results are counted for the whole group as well as for each individual athlete).

The winner of the competition is determined by the sum of 2 or 3 races. The time shown by the athlete in each attempt is summed up and thus, the result is derived. Whoever showed the smallest time on the sum of all the heats, becomes the winner.

The age of competitors is determined solely by the year of their birth, without regard to the exact date of birth. Depending on this criterion, athletes are allocated to their respective age groups. There are five age groups:

• 12 years and younger;
• 13 to 14 years;
• 15 to 17 years old;
• 18 to 20 years old;
• 21 years and older.

However, there are cases where riders belonging to the younger divisions are allowed to compete in the next oldest division. This requires the permission of the team coach and doctor, which confirm the readiness of the athlete for the increased load.

Federation

The Federation Internationale de Luge de Course, or International Luge Federation, has been the world’s leading federation of competitive luge since its founding in 1957. Although it was founded in the Swiss city of Davos, its official headquarters are located in the German municipality of Berchtesgaden. The honorary members of the FIL are the 53 national luge associations. The Federation has its own Hall of Fame, active since 2004.

Nowadays the sport is officially promoted in 25 countries. Until recently, among the fans of the sport were only Europeans and Americans, and now the discipline is also popular in Asia, for example, in Kazakhstan and even in Australia. It turns out that naturbahn is becoming popular on four continents, so there is hope that one day it might be included into the Olympics.