Zen and the Art of Speedskating

In addition to Speedskaters, many different kinds of athletes can be spotted training at the Utah Olympic oval, For example, last month the US National XC ski team was there.

But this past Tuesday, there was a unique group I had never seen before. At first I thought they were just more University of Utah track & field sprinters. But they had a very different way of starting their running sprints, and they seem drastically more physically powerful than most runners. I noticed a team jacket on one of them, and realized, these are world-class bobsledders!

Speedskaters often complain about how small & specialized our sport is. Compared to bobsledding, we are HUGE. But looking at top athletes, watching them train, and talking to them about their lives, I felt in the presence of kindred spirits.

I shot some video, and was showing it to them, and they were critiquing their technique in slo-motion view the same way skaters evaluate what they do.

Although you can’t really hear it in these video clips, there was this “Scwhaap!” sound their running spikes made when they blasted off the start line that was truly amazing.

Erin, Darian, Juliane & Julie, keep on rocking!

Filed under: Audio/Video