The Measuring and Characteristics of Force on the Kufe in Luge Training

In the sports of luge, it is considered that one's overall time is greatly influenced by performance at the start of the run. At the start, athletes build up momentum by moving themselves backwards and forwards, and then begin their descent down the course with one final push of the sled. Simultaneously, they push the kufe (front end of the sled) by their feet. During the sliding, they maneuver the sled down the winding course, shifting their body position and pushing the kufe to steer. So it is important to measure the force on the kufe. However, there have been no papers on this force. We have developed an apparatus that can measure the force on the kufe and have confirmed its effectiveness. As the result, the differences in patterns of force on the kufe among individuals were found to be greater than those of forces on the start bars.