Northern Michigan University senior McKenna Wnuk (wen-UHK) of Lapeer, Mich., will take advantage of a rare opportunity to compete in the Alpine Luge World Cup in Italy and Austria during the holiday break between semesters. She is the newest member of the U.S. team that trains at Negaunee's Lucy Hill, the only full-length natural luge track in the country.
Unlike the artificial tracks featured in the Winter Olympics, where athletes rocket down ice-glazed tubes at up to 90 miles per hour, Alpine luge—formerly natural luge—winds down packed snow and ice on the existing contours of the hillside, edged by boards and snow banks.
Athletes adjust their speed, which can top out at 50-60 miles per hour, Wnuk said, and steer corners using their feet, hands and bodies. The sled is similar to an old-fashioned wooden sled with metal runners designed to get the most speed out of the track. The sport will launch changes in tracks and sleds in the future to go along with the new name.
Wnuk is an outdoor recreation leadership and management major at NMU. She departs for the Alpine Luge World Cup Dec. 12 after final exams and returns in time for the start of the winter semester in January.
“I'm very excited and a little nervous,” she said. “This is something I never thought would happen to me. I'm very grateful for this opportunity. Everyone at Lucy Hill and my family and friends have been super supportive. I'm eager to make them proud and represent the U.S.”
Four of Wnuk's teammates are from Marquette and one is from Wisconsin. All are either in college or high school and belong to the U.P. Luge Club. She was first introduced to the sport by a friend two years ago.
“I hadn't heard of luge, but once he showed me what it was and a tried it, I was hooked,” she said. “It's so different from the other sports I played: basketball, volleyball and soccer. I found it challenging, but very exciting. It takes a lot of dedication to learn. I spent every weekend and some weekdays out at Lucy Hill training last winter. During the off-season, we do physical testing every month and generally prepare for competition by going to the gym, eating well and taking care of ourselves. The first time sliding this season will be when we go overseas.”
At the U.P. Luge Club at Lucy Hill, Wnuk serves as an athlete representative and historian. She invested many hours in a field work project for an NMU class researching the history of the track, club and the sport itself.
Wnuk said there is no national governing organization that supports the Alpine luge program financially, so the team is accepting sponsorships, online donations and contributions through a soon-to-be-established GoFundMe account.
“Even if I have to pay an amount out of pocket for this trip, it will be totally worth it to have this experience competing in Europe,” she added. “I'm really looking forward to it.”
When she graduates in May, Wnuk said she is hoping to pursue a career in wilderness medicine. Her previous training as a wilderness first responder/EMT through Northern's program paid off at Lucy Hill when two athletes suffered a broken foot and broken leg in separate incidents. Both situations turned out fine, she reported.
Learn more about the U.P. Luge Club at upluge.org, and the Alpine Luge World Cup events at fil-luge.org.