Video Of The Week — Roger Hickey Sets New Street Luge Record In Quebec

If you think winter luge, where athletes lying on tiny sleds hurtle down slippery icy tracks is dangerous, you probably have never seen the “summer” version of the sport. Street luge is similar to its winter counterpart, except for one thing – competitors do not have the safety of a chute. Instead, they lay on their sleds and zip down paved streets to what seems like certain death!

But don’t tell that to Roger Hickey. The extreme athlete, who has 20 street luge and 18 skateboarding world titles under his belt, loves the sport so much that he recently emerged from retirement to participate in the Top Speed World Championship held in Quebec, Canada on September 10, 2016.

The 58-year-old said that he had many doubts and fears during his first three runs where he barely surpassed 80 mph. However, Hickey managed to find his “younger, confident self” during the final run, when he zipped down the Quebec highway at a mind-boggling speed of 100.279 mph. Not only did the athlete win the championship handily, but he also beat the previous record of 97.81 mph established in 2008, by Canada’s Cédric Touchette. Thanks to footage captured by Hickey’s GoPro camera, we can all experience the amazing record-breaking ride firsthand.

Resources: dailymail.co.uk, extremecanadian.com