What does it take to become a luger? I mean, there's certainly some skill involved... you need to run really fast, and stay stiff and straight and know when to adjust the steering and brakes, but how long does it really take to get good at it? To qualify for the olympics? And for that matter, what about a member of a bobsled team? Especially the guys who just run then jump in the middle and sit there, heads down?

I'm sure there's something involved, but if I had a bit of savings and could pay for a trainer and take a year or so off work to hang out in Park City, for example, could I become a bobsledder? How many contenders for the US olympic bobsled/luge/skeleton teams are there? I may have to investigate this....