Ab c d e f g h i not easy to stop rules & competitions fast equipment present winners from top to bottom out of control many names roots in skateboarding safety first 1. street luge is an extreme sport that is exciting and dangerous. people also call it road luge or land luge. people do it as a serious sport and just for fun. 2. the sport comes from southern california, from some skateboarders looking for a more exciting way of riding. lying down on the board makes it go faster and gives the rider a much bigger thrill than skateboarding. 3. street luge riders lie down on their board at the top of a hill and they travel downhill. they pick up speed along the way thanks to the power of gravity. 4. riders can steer by moving their bodyweight left or right and backwards or forwards. there aren’t any brakes on the board and the rider has to wear special shoes and drag their feet along the road to slow down or stop quickly. 5. the board is like a big skateboard, but it is wider and longer. it is steel or aluminium and it can have up to eight wheels. the wheels are wide and thick to make the board stable. they make it safe and allow it to reach high speeds without turning over. street luge boards travel at speeds from 60-150 kmph. 6. as it is a dangerous sport, riders have to have special safety equipment. for example, they have to wear a helmet, a one or two-piece leather suit and special footwear. they can also wear special clothing such as a speedsuit on top of their leather suit if they want, as well as gloves. 7. the governing body of the sport is the igsa – the international gravity sports association. it makes sure people follow the rules and organizes national and international competitions, the championships and the rankings of the racers. 8. the current igsa world cup series champion is peter eliot from the uk. however, this year the top contender for the title is russell naude from south africa.