2 dead & 6 injured as teens take after hours sled ride down Winsport bobsleigh track

[burn_this_city]

I don't get how they didn't think this would end terribly. Don't the bobsleds exceed 100kmh easily? It would be easy to be ejected from the course on a turn. I don't think its Winsports responsibility to have security to prevent this. Hell if someone is determined enough they'll get in anyhow.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

Unless things have changed, there isn't a lot of sneaking required. You used to be able to walk right onto the ski jumps, no sneaking required. I can't imagine the massive track is much different.

COP might be responsible for some of this.

I view this as a tragedy, and as someone well acquainted with the venue it hits me hard, but at the same time I honestly do not believe that other people should be held accountable for this.

I dont believe this is COP's fault for anything.

I think we have to be reasonable in terms of security, if it was locked up and the security guards were following protocol and were not in any way deliberately negligent or complicit then its not like the place should have to be battened down like a military installation every night on the off chance that someone might consider this kind of thing.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I don't get how they didn't think this would end terribly. Don't the bobsleds exceed 100kmh easily? It would be easy to be ejected from the course on a turn. I don't think its Winsports responsibility to have security to prevent this. Hell if someone is determined enough they'll get in anyhow.

even if the gate wasn't there I can't imagine this ending well

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

Unless things have changed, there isn't a lot of sneaking required. You used to be able to walk right onto the ski jumps, no sneaking required. I can't imagine the massive track is much different.

COP might be responsible for some of this.

The young men were trespassing when this happened.

I'm sorry this tragedy happened, but I don't know if this is COPs fault.

[dino7c]

being a local story emotions run high

Still being young and the fact that its a tragedy doesn't excuse accountability...they took a sled down a bobsleigh track in the middle of the night, nobody else is to blame

sad, hopefully this make some kid think twice next time...the era of the internet and jackass type stunts has kids all over the world trying to one up eachother

[RougeUnderoos]

Call me naive or stupid (and no doubt some of the more smug posters in this thread will) but if I think of someone going down a bobsled track on a sled, I don't think it's a given that it's going to end in catastrophe, like some people apparently do. It's not like "Russian Roulette", for one thing.

What happens if the gate isn't there? They end up at the bottom? They fall off and slide down the track and get some road (ice) rash?

This must have been done before. Years ago, a guy that worked at COP on the maintenance crew told me they went down that thing sitting on snow shovels.

[CedarMeter]

Originally Posted by Locke

Oh man, I could tell you pretty much every twist in that track.



I dont know the details of what these kids did but that track is fast, without the proper equipment...I cant even imagine.

Do you remember the Nodar Kumaritashvili footage? Horrific.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Call me naive or stupid (and no doubt some of the more smug posters in this thread will) but if I think of someone going down a bobsled track on a sled, I don't think it's a given that it's going to end in catastrophe, like some people apparently do. It's not like "Russian Roulette", for one thing.

What happens if the gate isn't there? They end up at the bottom? They fall off and slide down the track and get some road (ice) rash?

This must have been done before. Years ago, a guy that worked at COP on the maintenance crew told me they went down that thing sitting on snow shovels.

I could be wrong, but isn't the gate always closed one way or another? Either across the bobsleigh section or the luge section? If that's the case, it's 50/50 that you're going to hit it, if you haven't checked for it (meaning russian roulette actually gives you better odds).

[CASe333]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Call me naive or stupid (and no doubt some of the more smug posters in this thread will) but if I think of someone going down a bobsled track on a sled, I don't think it's a given that it's going to end in catastrophe, like some people apparently do. It's not like "Russian Roulette", for one thing.

What happens if the gate isn't there? They end up at the bottom? They fall off and slide down the track and get some road (ice) rash?

This must have been done before. Years ago, a guy that worked at COP on the maintenance crew told me they went down that thing sitting on snow shovels.

If you are naive or stupid on this one at least you have company because I had a similar line of thinking. I immediately thought about Red Bulls crashed ice competitions where skaters race down ice tracks. I know the tracks are not the same as a bobsled track but ripping down a track surrounded by others sharp skates could end up in tragedy. I guess my point is that kids grow up watching extreme sports and my guess is to them the risk involved was probably at worse being knocked out or broken bones but not death. Making the assumption the track was clear was a big mistake as I doubt this would have ended up with such tragic consequences had the gate not been there. You can search you tube and there are quite a few examples of similar risk taking (ie. going down concrete bobsled track on skateboard) so its not like they were the first to do this sort of thing.

[AcGold]

I'm guessing drugs or alcohol helped lower some decision making abilities. I've known several young people in my life that died doing less than safe things and most of them were intoxicated. Hopefully that's not inappropriate just a guess.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by octothorp

I could be wrong, but isn't the gate always closed one way or another? Either across the bobsleigh section or the luge section? If that's the case, it's 50/50 that you're going to hit it, if you haven't checked for it (meaning russian roulette actually gives you better odds).

I don't know anything about the gate. Neither did they, I'd guess.

These were kids looking for fun and they made a mistake and it ended in tragedy.

They weren't pointing a gun at their heads and pulling the trigger, so odds or not, the Russian Roulette comparison is a little much.

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

How do eight people even fit on a plastic toboggan? Were there a couple toboggans?

I wondered if they had those long hay sled type things you see at UFA or other ag stores. I know that some of the big box hardware stores sell similar items. When we lived in the Arctic when I was a kid, we had long sled things we hauled stuff on, behind our skidoo. We could have fit a bunch of kids on those - whatever they used, they likely really packed themselves into it.

Very sad/awful. Sympathies/condolences to all involved here. Tragic.

[CliffFletcher]

I'm not sure modern jackass culture or go-pro videos have anything to do with it. I don't even think we can assume drugs or alcohol were involved. 30 years ago me and some buddies rappelled off the Glenmore dam late at night (well, one guy made it before security showed up and the rest of us split). Young men have always done stuff like this.

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Drunks who drive drunk have heard "don't drink and drive" literally thousands of times.

I don't think anyone has ever said to teens "don't go down a bobsled track on a sled"

They likely didn't realize the dangers.

As sad as this is, these kids were all 16-19. They we are all of age to drive a vehicle alone and some of them are of age to drink and do anything else they want as adults in our society. If they have to be told, at this point, that breaking and entering into a business and going down an Olympic/World Championship level bobsled/luge track on a tobbogan or slip and slide is terrible, terrible idea then we are going backwards as a society. That's absolutely no excuse to me.

Condolences to all the friends and families.

[Locke]

I just had a client ask me: arent there any safety measures?

Sure. Tons of them. When the place is open and staffed.

[Robo]

When i was reading i was expecting they lost control and crashed but reading about a gate being in the middle of the course that is insane i cant imagine how fast they were going when they hit that most people in a car would die hitting an object that fast. The fact that some of them survived is very lucky

[taco.vidal]

Staff Sgt. Paul Wyatt said police are continuing their efforts to identify all those involved. But it has been difficult due to the nature of the injuries, he said.

The scene sounds like a bad car wreck. Gotta feel bad for the first responders who had to work the scene.

[Dion]

No parent should ever have to bury their child.

This is so sad and tragic. Condolances to all the families.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Some of the reactions in this thread are really interesting... are people really not able to appreciate that an event can be shocking and heartbreaking, but nonetheless the result of abject stupidity? Two things can be true at the same time.

It sounds like some people have different assumptions than others about how obviously lethal going down a bobsled track at night on a toboggan (likely pretty wasted) is. Some seem to think it's dangerous but shouldn't be life threatening; my first reaction when I heard about this today was a total lack of surprise at the extent of the injuries and loss of life. I was told there were two fatalities and everyone else was in the hospital and my reaction was "of course they are." This seems well beyond "teenagers do dumb things sometimes", just from where I sit.

Not that it matters. Two people are dead. However it happened, it's awful.

[dirk diggler]

cant wait for the lawsuits now, winsport should have guards around the clock apparently. sad story though and you have to feel for the families and the kids that survive this will be traumatized for life....