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Revue Article Jeff Bauer Sept 2017

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Sledding for the Advanced

Skeleton

In Luxembourg, the sport of skeleton is still virtually unknown. But last week, for the first time, a Luxembourger plunged down the ice track at the World Championships.

A deep breath, a brief moment of inner reflection. Jeff Bauer wants—indeed, needs—to channel all the emotions surging through his body. The biggest race of his still-young career is about to begin: the World Championships at Königssee in Germany.

The light is still red. Only now does it really sink in: “I’m going to compete in a World Championship!”

Green.

An explosive start, a sprint of a few meters, and then he dives headfirst into the ice track. Just two centimeters separate his chin from the hard, icy surface. Sled and athlete become one. His instincts take control.

At speeds of up to 140 kilometers per hour, adrenaline is his constant companion. Every curve presents a risk. Fear rides along with him, but it cannot be allowed to take over.

The Königssee track is new to Jeff Bauer. A crucial curve lies ahead. His sled slips slightly, resulting in a significant loss of speed. He reaches the finish safely, with only one thought on his mind: his time.

Skeleton is still a largely unknown sport in Luxembourg. The discipline, which first became an Olympic sport in 1928, could nevertheless be on the verge of a breakthrough. A Luxembourger competing in a World Championship in a winter sport is a relatively rare occurrence.

The sport—in which the objective is to travel down an ice track on a sled as quickly as possible—has traditionally been dominated above all by one nation: the United States.

So it is perhaps no coincidence that the man bringing the sport to Luxembourg was born in the United States in 1974. Jeff Bauer, who as a young man had already played for Luxembourg’s national basketball team, now competes internationally as Luxembourg’s first skeleton racer.

Because his father and grandfather worked in Luxembourg for many years—and Jeff himself spent ten years of his youth in the country—a close bond developed that never disappeared, even after he returned to the United States.

While living in Utah several years ago, Jeff discovered a new athletic challenge almost by accident. For Jeff, skeleton was love at first run.

Shortly after venturing onto an ice track for the first time, he knew immediately that he wanted to devote himself completely to the sport.

Because of his positive experiences with Luxembourg’s national basketball team, the decision to represent Luxembourg in skeleton came easily to him. Before every race, he takes pride in being able to compete under the Luxembourg flag.

It is an honor he probably would never have experienced at a World Championship as part of the internationally dominant American team.

“Give it all or nothing.” — Jeff Bauer

Skeleton Was Love at First Run

For the committed 43-year-old athlete, however, this is about more than simply competing in a few races himself.

With the help of the FLSG (Fédération Luxembourgeoise des Sports de Glace), he was even able to put together a Luxembourg skeleton team.

To this day, the team is coached by former Austrian Olympian Markus Penz. Alongside Jeff, two motivated newcomers, Joe Schiltges and Tom Sliepen, are also waiting for their opportunity.

Jeff describes the process of putting the team together as relatively easy because it was straightforward to make contact with people already involved in the sport.

He repeatedly emphasizes the importance of the FLSG. The IBSF (International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation) also welcomed him with open arms and supported him in his undertaking.

In his view, the next “challenge” is to continue expanding the Luxembourg team.

Looking to the future, the ambitious sports enthusiast reveals his goal: to become one of the top 60 skeleton racers in the world.

Jeff Bauer is currently ranked 88th. If he can improve by the desired 28 places, he could even be eligible to compete for Luxembourg at the Olympic Games.

His recipe for success and his motivation are his love of the sport and, above all, the enjoyment he gets from training. Added to that is his motto:

“Give it all or nothing.”

The focused new Luxembourger, who has officially held citizenship since 2016, seems determined not to let anything divert him from his path.

However, in a sport such as skeleton, the risk of injury must never be underestimated. So far Jeff has avoided any serious injuries, even though abrasions and contact with the wall are part of the sport.

He admits that he has also been fortunate up to this point. Rare but possible head injuries are particularly feared in skeleton. For this reason, every athlete must undergo an extensive head and brain examination in preparation for a new season.

World Championships at Königssee

The World Championships at Königssee in Germany are clearly the highlight of his still-young career.

The competition took place over two days, with two runs each day. On the first day, Jeff was particularly pleased with his second run:

“The second run was much better. I only had to make corrections a few times, but I hit some very good lines.”

In his first run, however, a slight slide cost him valuable time.

After the first day of racing, Jeff also criticized his setup—the adjustments made to his sled to suit the particular track. He attributes the problem to his lack of experience.

He was in 41st place out of 44 competitors.

“I hope to make up a few places tomorrow because I know I can go faster.”

The cheerful and consistently optimistic athlete proved himself right: eight seconds faster.

Despite producing a run eight seconds faster, however, he was unable to improve his position and finished the World Championships in 41st place.

In the end, though, happiness, pride, and a desire for more prevailed:

“It is important to me to be a good ambassador for the country, and I take that role very seriously.”

Following the first appearance by a Luxembourger at a Skeleton World Championship, he wants to continue improving, strengthen the rest of Luxembourg’s skeleton team, and hopefully soon compete in the World Cup series.

Photo caption

Small but strong: The Luxembourg team with Jeff Bauer, Joe Schiltges, Markus Penz and Tom Sliepen. 09_SKELETON Revue 2017

 

Lux Wort Article about Jeff Bauer Jan 2017

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Thrown Onto the Track

How an American Founded a Luxembourg National Team

By Sarah München
Luxemburger Wort, January 14/15, 2017

Jeff Bauer almost missed his flight to Luxembourg. He almost would not have been able to tell his crazy story. When he arrives at the Luxemburger Wort editorial office, he is still out of breath. “My flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam was delayed. I had to run incredibly fast, otherwise I would have missed my connecting flight.”

Running fast—Bauer can do that. In fact, he has always enjoyed doing it, practically his entire life. The story that the American, who spent his youth in Luxembourg, tells during his visit to the newsroom is about exactly that. The reason for his visit is itself rather crazy: he is there to further develop Luxembourg’s national skeleton team and to meet with his two Luxembourg teammates. (Details about the sport are in the information box.)

A national skeleton team in Luxembourg? It sounds crazy, but it is real. Bauer came up with the idea three years ago. “I live right next to the winter sports facility in Salt Lake City, and at some point I felt like trying skeleton.” So, into the skin-tight suit, onto the sled, and headfirst down the ice track. “Every time I’m very nervous and my heart pounds very fast.”

“Sport is sport, and once you are an athlete, you are always an athlete.”

A few weeks and a lot of paperwork later, the crazy idea becomes reality. Luxembourg has a national skeleton team—with one member: Jeff Bauer. Although he does not have Luxembourg citizenship, “I’m allowed to compete for Luxembourg, except at the Olympic Games, and I’m trying to become a Luxembourger.”

The one-man team creates a website and receives mail. The senders: Tom Sliepen and Joe Schiltges. The two students at the University of Innsbruck have the same idea as Bauer and happen to discover his website on the Internet.

The one-man team becomes a three-man team, and the goal is to represent Luxembourg at competitions around the world in the years ahead. “I spent so many years in Luxembourg and feel very connected to the country. For me, it is a great honor to represent Luxembourg worldwide.”

While Bauer trains in Salt Lake City, the two students receive support from the Austrian team and Austrian coach Markus Penz. “We would be happy if we could continue to grow,” Bauer says.

This is not the first time he has started a Luxembourg national team. His father and even his grandfather worked for tire manufacturer Goodyear in Luxembourg. The now 43-year-old spent ten years on the field as a young player for Black Star Mersch and two years playing for Luxembourg’s national basketball team.

Basketball? “Yes, exactly.” And the longer he talks, the clearer it becomes: Jeff Bauer finds it anything but crazy. He changes sports almost as quickly and as often as he changes his socks.

Field hockey, basketball, occasionally a little American football at a university in Ohio, triathlon (six Ironman competitions), and finally skeleton—and, oh yes, a little golf as well. Nothing special, Bauer thinks. “Sport is sport, and once you are an athlete, you are always an athlete.”

The now 43-year-old wants to take things a little easier in the future and limit himself to racing down ice tracks around the world at more than 100 km/h. “I think I’ve found my sport. Skeleton simply combines so much. You need strength, you have to be fast, and you have to be mentally strong.”

Bruises, Little Free Time

Bauer trains almost every day on the ice track or in the weight room and accepts not only plenty of bruises, but also very little free time. The American works as a manager and engineer in Park City, Utah, at Triumph Gear Systems, a manufacturer of aircraft components.

Before work, during his lunch break, after work, and on days off—training, training, training.

And Bauer particularly likes one thing: “Sport is sport, and once you are an athlete, you are always an athlete.”

He has been doing this for two years now. At the end of 2016 came his first competitions. “I’m completely thrilled by the atmosphere. Of course there is competitive thinking, but the mood among the athletes is great and very fair.” And naturally, he is happy that there is finally a Luxembourg team.

To make all of this possible, the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT) provides assistance. The Luxembourg team is also a member of this federation and therefore can train free of charge on all tracks. “There are many countries that have a winter sports team but have no training facilities in their own country.”

Bauer believes in his project and wants to race down ice tracks around the world for many years to come. But after everything the 43-year-old has already experienced, training is not impossible: “Of course I would like to represent Luxembourg at the Olympic Games, but that will be very difficult. If I don’t make it, maybe someone else will,” he says.

Then Bauer walks to the bus—he will not be running today.

“When I’m in Luxembourg, I simply relax sometimes.”

Photo caption

Jeff Bauer, Joe Schiltges, Markus Penz (Austrian coach), and Tim Sliepen (from left to right)—this is Luxembourg’s national skeleton team.
Photo: Lynette Heiner

The large photo caption on the first page reads:

Into the skin-tight suit, onto the sled, and down the ice track. Jeff Bauer has already competed in three events for Luxembourg’s national skeleton team.
Photo: Gwen Haid

Skeleton

Speeds of up to 145 km/h, winding ice tracks, and danger reminiscent of a steel skeleton—that is skeleton.

The racer starts from a standing position, takes a short running start, and then jumps—skeleton-style—onto a sled weighing up to 43 kg.

Unlike bobsleigh, the athletes lie on their stomachs on the sled.

The sport is Olympic and has a long history. In 1884, a group of Britons built an ice track between St. Moritz and Celerina in Switzerland. One year later, the first Cresta race was held—the oldest winter sports competition that still exists today.

Since 1923, skeleton racers have been organized together with bobsleigh athletes in the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT).

Skeleton racers competed in the Olympics for the first and, for a long time, only occasion in 1928. The sport made a brief Olympic comeback in 1948 before finally being added permanently to the Olympic program 54 years later, in Salt Lake City in 2002, for both men and women.

More information about skeleton in Luxembourg was provided on the official website: letzskeleton.com.