Bobsled Mystery

August 9, 2006 9:24 AM

Who Made The Bobsleds For The 1932 U.S. Olympic Team?

I'm trying to find out who made the Bobsleds for the U.S. Bobsled Team at the 1932 Winter Olympics. The Winter Olympics were held that year in Lake Placid, NY and the sleds were run on the bobsled course at Mt. Van Hovenburgh. I have a hunch that was a local lumber company, A. Mason and Sons, located in Peru, NY, about 40 miles from the course. The lumber company no longer exists and I have no way to verify my hunch. How can I figure this out? Help Mefi!

posted by philmas to sports, hobbies, & recreation (9 comments total)

Lake Placid has a big Olympic history center. Maybe they'd know?
posted by k8t at 9:32 AM on August 9, 2006

Four man or two man?
posted by Floydd at 10:10 AM on August 9, 2006

During my days at the USOC I used to hang out with these folks:

United States Olympic Committee. Information Resources Center
1 Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909-9771
TEL: [phone] FAX: [phone]

maybe they can help...or maybe they'll just kill me for suggesting you call them.
posted by m@ at 10:11 AM on August 9, 2006

Try looking through newspaper archives in Peru... there may have been a mention if the local business landed that contract.
posted by stefnet at 10:44 AM on August 9, 2006

The Official Report (PDF) of the games has a ton of information about the bobsled competition (see pages 241-249), including drawings of the sleds themselves, but I don't think the manufacturer is mentioned. It's still an interesting document, though.
posted by arco at 10:50 AM on August 9, 2006

Thanks arco for finding the offical rposrt of the '32 Olympics. I have seen it and it doesn't really answer the question. I was hoping those drawings would offer some insight, but no. Also Flloyd, I don't really think there would have been a distinction between 2 and 4 man sleds as far as the maker goes. No wind tunnel tests and carbon fiber monoques, back in the day. Newspaper archives may be a good source stefnet, I'll check it out.
Phil
posted by philmas at 5:20 PM on August 9, 2006

Town historical society or library, for local newspaper search, is definitely the way to go. There's bound to be an article, probably with photos, if the sleds were made locally. Here's the Clinton County Historian who may be able to point you toward someone in Peru itself who can help. (If Peru had its own paper. Maybe it's too small? In which case, the Clinton historian could point you to the next logical news source.)

Looking at the guys who won the event, several were Ivy Leaguers... probably pretty well-off. Would they have bankrolled the construction of the sleds out of their own pockets, or would USOC have paid? If the athletes would have been involved in either the design or funding of the sleds, then biographies of them might have something. Also, how early would the sleds have been finished, so the guys could practice with them? (This will help narrow down the time frame for your newspaper search.)

Also, there's an online reference that mentions "Bob and Bill Linney" as innovative sled designers in the late 1930s. If the more direct approaches don't work, you might seek info on them, since they might have been involved in building sleds a few years earlier too. (And there may be bios/more info available on them that would lead to the builders they worked with.)
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:26 PM on August 9, 2006

Of course, the coolest thing would be if the sleds are still around (in Olympic museum somewhere?), and have a builder's mark in them.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:29 PM on August 9, 2006

I think there is a sled or two still around LobsterMitten and a kind relative is going to go have a look for some type of mark on the sled. This may be the best source of info. Thanks everyone for your feedback.
posted by philmas at 3:00 PM on August 13, 2006