CALGARY -- Early Saturday morning, two teens were killed while tobogganing on a closed bobsled/luge track after hours. Here are five things to know about the track.
THE TRACK IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
The track is at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, which is run by WinSport, formerly known as the Calgary Olympic Development Association. WinSport has opened the track to the public and, during the day, people can pay to use it. It costs $35 to ride down the track solo in a luge, and $150 to ride down in a bobsled, which is piloted by a professional and can accommodate up to three passengers.
FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
The luge track is open to kids as young as eight years old. People riding the bobsleigh track, which is connected to the luge track, have to be at least 16 years old.
THE TRACK IS 1.5 KILOMETRES LONG
The luge track is the longest of its kind in the world, according to the International Luge Federation (FIL), though there are longer bobsled tracks. According to FIL, there are 20 other artificial luge tracks globally, all measuring under 1.48 kilometres. The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation lists 15 total bobsled tracks, which are as long as 1.9 kilometres.
IT'S FAST -- REALLY FAST
The WinSport website boasts speeds of up to 60 km/hour on the luge track, and faster than 100 km/hour on the bobsled track.
IT WAS BUILT FOR THE CALGARY OLYMPICS
The track was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada's first time hosting the games.
