Tecnical support: Element: Gravity Support: Tar Accessibility: Easy but... Risk: Very high Feeling: Funny over 55 mp/h Spot: Very steep mountain road Speed max: 70 mp/h Goal: High speed	Video: All my rides from Europe until Hawaii.

During competition or training on open road, security is the first thing.

When people see us going down the roads, most of them think we are crazy or mad. Not at all. Riders know them self that if they are crazy, they won't stay alive 5 years. And some of them understand, after a short "trip in emergency" that streetluging is a serious sport where you need lot of concentration, training and technique. Streetluging is the Formula 1 of the gravity. The fastest gravity engine on road. The average speed is 60mp/h but you can easily reach 70mp/h, it depends on the road. This sport is born in the 80s in USA. It moved in Europe and now in France, more and more people are luging. There is a federation and many competitions in Europe and France.

Paper streetluge ... What?!	I started streetluging in 2001 after a bad downhill skate accident. Leg and foot broken. The verdict was: no ski, skate, and walk for 3 months. So I decided to build my first streetluge. Like you see on the picture, my first luge was "a paper luge"!!! yes. I wanted to make sure the luge will foam my body. After that, I bought some aluminium, cut it, bend it, fix it, and test it. The first feeling wasn't very good because of bad adjustment. After few modification on the streetluge, every thing was alright. 6 months later I was racing with others riders, and now I am building my streetluge for me or others riders.
Paper from aluminium. First test.	2006: I'm proud of the luge I sell.	Downhill in Maui (Hawaii) long trip.

My new "jet", with a helmet support behind to avoid the air bubble.	Where can you get your own luge? You can by it on line (www.sc8.fr) or you can build it your self. There are almost no rules for a streetluge during competitions. Luges mustn't be dangerous for others riders, that's it. Most of the riders are using 3 trucks with 6 wheels. 4 wheels in front for a better adherence and avoiding to burn your wheels. They are many kinds of wheels, but all the riders are using the same size, between 80 and 85 millimetres. You can get hard or soft wheels too, it depend on the tar. You turn because of the trucks under the luges. We all use floating axes. What does it mean? You already have 2 bearings per wheels turning on an axe, and now, this axe is supported with 2 others bearing for less frictions. 8 bearings instead of 4. 2005 was the year of the aerodynamic streetluge. You can win 2 or 3mp/h over 50mp/h but the goal is to avoid making a big air bubble behind you. Because of this shape, concurrent cannot catch your sleep stream. I'm building everything. My trucks, luges, aerodynamics luges and even my helmet.
Home made trucks.	Sometime wheels are melting!	My wedge helmet, home made too.

You really have to lean and stick your shoulders on the road. Sit down for more power when you want to stop.	Alright! So how does it work? Easy. You lay on your back with the feet forward. You grab the handle along your hip for a better control of the engine. How to stop or slow down? Easy too! With your feet. You have to sit on your luge first and after, you will put your shoes flat on the road and you push. But don't forget to stick tires under your shoes. Otherwise, it will take 1 minutes before you "kill" them. In the corner or hairpin, never stand up when you want to turn. It's the beginner mistake. Your shoulders are moving to the left and right to make your luge turn. In the hairpin or very short turn, you have to put your outside hand on the back of the luge. Why? Because your body will lean inside the corner, and the back of the luge outside. So, you will use your hand to keep the back wheels in contact on the road. Otherwise, the back will slide. The bad thing where you luge is the wobble: When you are too fast, your luge is going to move from the left to the right very quickly. You need a good technique to stop the wobble before you flip over.
Outside hand is grabing the back of the luge to keep contact witk back wheels.	129 km/h is 81 miles. That's mean it's pretty...sorry, fucking fast.	You always have to "stick "the inside the turn to get the shortest trajectory.

One by one for the qualications. Strong arms to push at the start.	The rules? There is a downhill French Federation for gravity sports. There is a French Cup with 5 or 6 events everywhere in France during the summer. We also have an international circuit: IGSA (International Gravity Sports Association) with lot of contest in USA, Brazil, Sweden, South Africa and Europe. This is the official competitions. There are also lot of non official competition too. If you want to regist, you have to pay an enter fee and you must have a leather jacket, helmet and back protection for racing. You need a licence for the official events. It takes 2 days to make an event. Trainings and qualifications the first day, and the boarders the second day. During the qualifications, they keep your best time. If you are in the top 32, you are going to fight, otherwise; No!!! After that, they make 8 heats with 4 riders each time. The starter is giving the start:" riders ready? In the 5 seconds (he has 5 seconds to say go)...GO!!! Sited on your luge, you push with your hands to take some speed. The 2 first riders of each heat are qualified for the next round until the final. I say fighting when you race, but they are rules. You cannot change your trajectory to cross others riders way, and you cannot make "crazy attack". Judge and usually riders check out the rules them self.
Now we fight. 4 riders together. The best time choose his line.	2006 French Cup in Izoard pass. I grab the 3 step.	World Cup in San Diego and after that I made a gravity movie in Los Angeles.