History

Street luge was born in Southern California as downhill skateboarders found they could reach faster speeds by lying down on their skateboards. This early form of the sport is now referred to as "classic style" or "butt boarding".

In 1975, the first professional race was held at Signal Hill, California and hosted by the U.S. Skateboard Association. The race winner was based on top speed. The boards used in this race varied from basic skateboards to complex skate cars in which the rider was completely enclosed by plastic or fibreglass.

The sport was not commonly referred to as street luge at this time but the term 'luge' was used to describe some participants riding position. By 1978, repeated injuries to both riders and spectators halted the races at Signal Hill.

Several riders from the Signal Hill races kept the sport alive by continuing to hold races in Southern California. Throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, both underground and professional races continued to be held in Southern California by such organisations as the Underground Racers Association (URA), Federation of International Gravity Racing (FIGR) and Road Racers Association for International Luge (RAIL). Race organisers in the 1980s and 1990s started implementing equipment, safety and race regulations.

Meanwhile, in the early 1990s some Austrian skateboarders started sitting down on their skateboards on the way back from teaching skiing in the Alps. This activity lead to a penultimate classic style street luge race in Austria. There is now a healthy street luge riding and racing presence in many European countries.

In the mid 1990s, ESPN's X Games showcased street luge to the world and the sport was originally sanctioned by RAIL, then by the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA). NBC followed ESPN's lead and created the Gravity Games in which the sport was sanctioned by Extreme Downhill International (EDI). Qualification criteria for these events varied and was controlled by each of the sanctioning bodies.

While no longer a sport in either the X Games or Gravity Games, street luge is a burgeoning sport in numerous countries with competitions in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and the U.K. It is estimated that there are more than 1,200 active street luge riders in the world.