What’s in a name? More specifically, what’s in a sled’s name?
For a bobsleigh or skeleton athlete, there’s a whole lot to it.
After all, to an Olympian, a sled isn’t just some inhuman hunk of metal; it’s an integral part of their sporting success. And over time, sleds can even take on personalities of their own—heavily influenced by the personalities of their riders, of course.
Here’s a look at the names and backstories of some of the Canadian sleds we’ll be seeing in PyeongChang.
Matador 64 (Justin Kripps, bobsleigh)
Driver Justin Kripps and Alexander Kopacz of Canada take a practice run during training for the two-man bobsled at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Kripps has a pair of sleds in South Korea, and says there’s “no illustrious history” behind the name of his two-man sled. Quite simply, it’s named after his favourite shotgun from the classic PlayStation video game Destiny.
Fury (Justin Kripps, bobsleigh)
As for Kripps’ four-man sled, it’s also got a weaponized moniker, taking its name from the World War II film starring Brad Pitt.
This photo released by Sony Pictures Entertainment shows Brad Pitt as Wardaddy in Columbia Pictures’ “Fury.” (AP Photo/Sony Pictures Entertainment, Giles Keyte)
Bagheera (Alysia Rissling, bobsleigh)
Canada’s Alysia Rissling, of Calgary, Alta., and Melissa Lotholz, of Barrhead, Alta., compete in a women’s bobsled race in Whistler, B.C., on Saturday December 3, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
If you remember the wise black panther from The Jungle Book, then you’ve got a clear picture of how Rissling named her sled.
Jezebel (Kaillie Humphries, bobsleigh)
Canada’s Kaillie Humphries, front, of Calgary, Alta., and Melissa Lotholz, of Barrhead, Alta., celebrate after racing to a first-place finish during a women’s World Cup Bobsleigh race in Whistler, B.C., on Friday November 24, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
While that name carries a number of connotations, two-time Olympic champ Humphries says she simply borrowed the title from a durable tractor that, over time, became the most valuable piece of equipment a family owned. “I wanted to honour that family, so I’ve brought that name over.”
Zeus (Jane Channell, skeleton)
Canada’s Jane Channell starts her run at the IBSF World Cup stop in Whistler (Photo: Guy Fattal)
While her sled is named for the Greek god of thunder, her Olympic helmet design also carries meaning. Vancouver 2010 inspired her to compete, and its motto was “Glowing Hearts”; her helmet bears a human sternum with a maple leaf in place of a heart.
Team Canada’s skeleton athletes Jane Channell, Mirela Rahneva, Elisabeth Vathje, Kevin Boyer, Dave Greszczyszyn, and Barrett Martineau with their helmets ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Photo COC/David Jackson
Dan (Mirela Rahneva, skeleton)
Canada’s Mirela Rahneva starts during her first run in the women’s Skeleton World Cup race in Igls, near Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson)
Rahneva says the sport has provided her with a new family, so it’s fitting that when she sought a name for her sled (which she purchased through crowdfunding), the winning suggestion was Dan, the name of her old rugby coach’s late father.
Lola Bunny (Kevin Boyer, skeleton)
Team Canada Skeleton athlete Kevin Boyer races in qualifying heats at the Alpensia Sliding Centre during the Winter Olympic Games, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Thursday, February 15, 2018. Photo/David Jackson
Another dad-themed name comes from 24-year-old Boyer, the youngest member of the men’s skeleton team. In this case, his dad came up with Lola Bunny. Who could say no to that?
Sven (Elisabeth Vathje, skeleton)
Elisabeth Vathje from Team Canada competes during a training at the Women’s Skeleton World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)
Like Kripps, Vathje drew some cinematic inspiration (though from a very different kind of movie), naming her sled after the reindeer from Frozen. As for her helmet, the lumberjack, moose and maple leaf came about when she asked the designer to come up with the most Canadian design possible.
Team Canada’s skeleton athlete Elisabeth Vathje, shows her helmet to media ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games Photo COC/David Jackson
Candice (Barrett Martineau, skeleton)
Team Canada Skeleton athlete Barrett Matineau races in qualifying heats at the Alpensia Sliding Centre during the Winter Olympic Games, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Thursday, February 15, 2018. Photo/David Jackson
Who’s Candice? A family member? An old teacher or coach? Nope. Martineau, who was inspired to become an Olympian by Jon Montgomery’s famous beer chug at Vancouver 2010, named his sled after supermodel Candice Swanepoel.
