Where do I start?

There are several ways to become involved in the sport of skeleton in Canada:

At the end of the day, anyone who wants to slide regularly, whether competively or recreationally, must successfully complete a sliding school.

Costs?

Costs for participating in the skeleton can vary, depending on your goals and involvement. Costs may include skeleton school fee, yearly equipment rental, run fees, ice house fees and race fees. A breakdown of possible fees can be found in the Fees + Payments section.

The cost for for a first-year, recreational slider may reach about $1000, including your school fee, equipment, training and race fees. This is very affordable compared to many sports and since your equipment, such as shoes, helmets and speedsuits, will last year to year, your costs will decrease in your second year.

Equipment

It is recommended that you purchase, at minimum, your own helmet and track spikes as soon as possible, if you wish to continue sliding. These are important pieces of equipment and should fit properly.

  • SLED
    During your first season you can rent a school-owned sled from ASA. If you plan to continue sliding, you will probably want to purchase your own sled, which you can likely get second hand.
  • HELMETS
    You can rent a helmet from ASA for a season, however it is recommended that you purchase your own helmet as soon as possible, if you wish to continue sliding. It is by far the most important piece of equipment and should fit properly. A downhill ski helmet, which can be found at most ski shops, with a chin guard and visor is the bare minimum, although skeleton-specific helmets can be found new or second hand.
  • BRUSH SPIKES
    Skeleton-specific shoes are now required in order to push a sled in both the ice house and on the track. They can be bought second hand, or ordered at the beginning of each season through ASA.
  • SPEEDSUITS
    You don't need a spandex racing suit right away - some old, close-fitting clothing will work just fine for your first season.

Take a look at our Marketplace, where you will be able to connect with other athletes who are selling equipment.

On-Ice Training

Once you have completed your skeleton school you are certified to slide as a skeleton pilot and participate in seasonal on-ice training and all ASA races. Each training run is $10 and local Skeleton races are $35.Our season runs October to February, with most training done in the evening and races on the weekend. The sliding schedule will be posted on our events page, as soon as it is released, usually in the first week of September.

On-ice training is weather dependent, and will be cancelled in the event of temperatures below minus thirty degrees (-25°C).

Off-Ice Training

Sprinting is the best way to get in shape for the push start; if you are fast on your feet then you can be fast on the ice. There are many local sprinting or track and field clubs you can join. You will learn dryland training to improve on your sprint. The cost is usually around $100 a month. Additionally there are several independent starts and strength coaches available for hire, who are working with both recreational and national team sliders to develop their pushing abilities.

During the summer ASA also offeres training sessions at the Ice House.

Skeleton Teams

Selection for the development and national teams are completed each October of each year before the regular season starts. Selection to the Provincial Development team follows in mid November after the first Skeleton Schools. Testing camps and talent ID camps are scheduled throughout the summer and posted on the events page.