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Cresta Run

Bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracksBuildings and structures in GraubündenOlympic skeleton venuesSport in St. MoritzSports venues in Switzerland
Venues of the 1928 Winter OlympicsVenues of the 1948 Winter Olympics
Image Start Cresta
Image Start Cresta

The Cresta Run is a natural ice skeleton racing toboggan track in eastern Switzerland. Located in the winter sports town of St. Moritz, the 1.2125 km (0.753 mi) run is one of the few in the world dedicated entirely to skeleton. It was built in 1884 near the hamlet of Cresta in the municipality of Celerina/Schlarigna by the Outdoor Amusement Committee of the Kulm Hotel and the people of St. Moritz. The committee members were Major William Henry Bulpett (founder of the St. Moritz Tobogganing Club (SMTC)), George Robertson, Charles Digby Jones (Robertson and Digby Jones planned the proposed course), C. Metcalfe, and J. Biddulph. It has continued as a partnership to this day between the SMTC, founded in 1887, and the people of St. Moritz. The sport of intramural sled racing originated in winter resort activities at the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz during the early 1870s. SMTC members still congregate for lunch in the 'Sunny Bar' at the Kulm. In the early days of competitive sledding, the predominant style was luge-style racing, lying on one's back, but the invention of the flexible runner sled (Flexible Flyer) in 1887, known colloquially as 'the America', led to Mr. Cornish using the head-first style in the 1887 Grand National. He finished fourteenth due to some erratic rides but established a trend, and by the 1890 Grand National all competitors were riding head-first. The head-first style for a time became known as 'Cresta' racing.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Cresta Run (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Cresta Run
Via Ruinatsch,

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 46.5025749 ° E 9.8450459 °
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Cresta Run Clubhouse

Via Ruinatsch 9
7500
Grisons, Switzerland
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Image Start Cresta
Image Start Cresta
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Lake St. Moritz
Lake St. Moritz

Lake St. Moritz (German: St. Moritzersee; Romansh: Lej da San Murezzan) is a lake at St. Moritz, Switzerland. With a surface of 0.78 km², it is smaller than the main lakes of the Upper Engadin valley (Lake Sils, Lake Silvaplana). Every January or early February, Polo matches are held on the lake. Compared to polo played in the summer, a slightly larger and lighter red ball is used that is easily visible in the snow. For three weekends every February, horse races are held on the frozen lake. These races called "White Turf" have been held since 1907 and brings the wealthy tourists to the lake for champagne and betting. This is also the location, where sports enthusiasts invented the sport of skijoring. In this type of race, thoroughbred horses compete without riders on their backs, but instead skiers in tow. While the sport is also played in other alpine countries, it still is mainly found in the region in which it as originated. The sport has evolved since the first race in 1906; the race as held on the road from St. Moritz to Champfer and as won by the President of Alpina Ski Club Philip Mark and his horse Blitz (German for lightning). Today, the race is run similar to other horse races, with all horses starting at the same time and running around the track. Steering is very difficult complicating the race significantly requiring great strength and skill on behalf of the athletes. The skier with the most points after the three races on consecutive Sundays is crowned the "King of the Engadin Valley". In addition to skijoring, traditional flat and trotting races over different distances are held. Until recently visitor parking was also located on the lake, but this practice has since been prohibited.The first cricket tournament on the frozen lake took place in 1988. English cricketer David Gower parked his rental car on the ice in January 1990; overnight it broke through the ice and sank.