Kanesatake father builds backyard luge track for youngest daughters

As the world's best athletes in winter sports compete in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, afamily in KanesatakeMohawk Territory, about 66 kilometres west of Montreal, are having fun on a homemade luge track.

Luge is a winter sportwhere athletes slidedown an icy track on a sled with runners.Olympic athletes can reach speeds of up to 150 km/h,according to Luge Canada.

Jeffrey Nelson said he built his 60 metreicy luge track notfor world-class athletics but to keep his childrenentertained.

"I'm a big kid at heart, so I've been making ice rinks and tunnels and luges since I was a kid," said Nelson, 48.

WATCH |Jeffrey Nelson's kids try out the luge track:

Kanesatake father builds backyard luge track

3 years ago

Duration 0:59

Jeffrey Nelson built an icy sled run in his backyard in Kanesatake to give his daughters some outdoor fun.

Nelson has built a luge track fortheir backyard the last couple of winters, but since the COVID-19 pandemic he's made them more extreme.

"When Covid started, all my kids' sports came to an end and I was just looking for something they could do outside," said Nelson.

The girls are involved in ringette, volleyball, softball and lacrosse and Nelson has been a volunteer coach in his community for 32 years. He owns and operates a roofing and construction companyand with the help of his work friends they built the track in about 30 hours.

Nelson saidthey started the track from the top of his gazebo and used a ladder to make the drop at least 3.5 metres high.Then they made an icy path and shaped it to his daughters' circular sleds,making surethe track had plenty of twists and turns.

Nelson said he tried it first to make sure it was safe.

"It's always scary," said Nelson, with a laugh.

Nelson and his wife have five daughters. Three of them are adultsand they bring their children over for some winter fun. The two youngest daughters, Patience, 10,and Kaliayah, 12,are having plenty of fun on the track.

"It was really fun and fast," said Patience.

Nelson also makes skating rinks and snow castles in their backyard. He said it's rewarding enough hearing his kids laughing but it's a real treat when they invite their friends over to join in the winter play.

"It brings a big smile to my face just watching the kids enjoy themselves and not on their video games," said Nelson.

He said outdoor fun is a nice way to release some stress and he's already planning for next year's luge track, which he said will probably be even bigger.