Sliding with the New Zealand Bobsled Team, day 1

The thought of bobsledding seems like a lot of fun until you tell someone you're going to bobsled. "Didn't a guy die doing that?" asked one well-meaning friend. Another pointed out that I'd be going 80 miles an hour without a seat belt. I like seat belts. One once saved me in a wreck when I was going about 65. The car had a roof, too. And soft seats. Wrecking in a bobsled, it turns out, can melt your underwear to your body

The bobsled looks really good on the outside. It's a sleek missile that makes this awesome/daunting rocket noise as it glides around the turns of the track. On the inside, however, it's a bit like a modified port-a-john with the cushioned amenities of a coral reef. The captain of the team, an athletic horse named Martin, asked if I was sure I could fit into the bobsled. I told him yes, as I couldn't imagine that I wouldn't. Also, in my head I still see myself as I was when I was 19.

Coming up: The story behind name.com and the New Zealand Bobsled team, Daniel Negari of .XYZ makes a bet...and then it goes downhill fast.*

*It should be noted that Whistler's bobsled track is the fastest in the world.

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