Saint Moritz Bobsleigh Club

When the Saint Moritz Bobsleigh Club was founded in 1897, the English had long discovered the area as a holiday destination and brought the competition on sleds with them. Not only on the bobsled track, but earlier on the Cresta Run. With a small metal frame – akin to a tin tray – they would shoot down a slope lying down and headfirst. It was this simplicity and the thrill during the wild ride that created the lasting appeal. Of course, the danger of a fall also contributed to the fascination. The bobsled run was built ten years after the legendary Cresta Run. The two tracks are not far apart and run parallel for a short distance. There are also two different clubs: the Saint Moritz Bobsleigh Club, which this edition will focus on, and the St Moritz Tobogganing Club, founded in 1887 for the Cresta riders. The Cresta rider is a lone wolf, while bobsledders are team players. They race in pairs or fours and must harmonize to be successful. The difference is very evident in the temperament and attitude of the athletes. Bobsledding developed into an Olympic discipline, not least from St. Moritz. Elevated by royal figures such as Kaiser Wilhelm II, Tsar Nicholas II, and the Shah of Persia, St. Moritz has long become a coveted destination for the international jet set. Many of its members were and are members of the Saint Moritz Bobsleigh Club.