Igls World Cup part II

Every season, there is at least one team race. Team races are awesome since you are actually functionally able to be on the same team as bobsledders!

• The first run is a men's skeleton athlete, starting order determined by a race draw.
• The second run is a women's bobsled team, with the starting order determined by how the men's skellys did (reverse order by their time).
• Third run is a women's skeleton athlete, with our starting order determined by the cululative time of the men's skelly / women's bobsled (reverse order again, so you have to be ready to go at any time).
• Fourth run is a men's two-man bobsled team, starting order based on cumulative total time of the first three runs. It's mayhem but awesome!

The final result is based upon the cumulative total of all four runs. Very cool. It's the only time we get to really compete as a team.

The team race was in Igls this half of the season, and the USA put together one team.

The truck was packed on the way up.


The warm-up area was crowded. Bobsled teams of both genders, and skeleton teams of both, very cool.


Every year, the team races seem to get a little more popular. We finished solidly with a 5th place, and I hope the team races pick up momentum because it's just such a fun event.

Random Igls pictures

The hotel is awesome, but old and added onto many times. To get to my room, you took an elevator to the second floor (third floor in American counting), then turn left down this hallway:


Then left again down this hallway:


Then right down this hallway, and down 4-5 stairs:


Then another right at the end and down 3 stairs; our room is on the left in that little cubby:


The parking garage, where we worked out, had a very low ceiling, so we couldn't do any sort of jumping moves.


Our drive to the track:


The road to the top of the track follows the ancient bobsled run; these stone walls were curves:


Usually buried under snow, we enjoyed the mossy scenery.


I also drove down to Innsbruck for an afternoon, by myself, to do a little shopping. Managed to find the area I was looking for, AND managed to not speak a word of English while shopping! It was a great day...

The old town shopping area.


The parking garage was under this building.


The day was lovely.


I love Innsbruck, and am starting to like the Igls track, but it was time to move on...