The Israeli Skeleton Team's triumph at Lake Placid has earned the attention of the Israeli consulate in New York!
www.isrealli.org, a project of the Israeli consulate, is the official blog of the State of Israel. Isrealli features articles on some of Israel's best-kept cultural secrets and what's new and happening in Israeli society.
Official News Releases from the IBSF and the Israeli National Bobsled and Skeleton Teams.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
BREAKING - Israel Wins First Ever Medal in Skeleton
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With a 5th place finish in today's America's Cup race in Lake Placid, NY, skeleton athlete Bradley Chalupski has earned Israel her first ever medal in Skeleton.
"It's an incredible honor to win a medal for an entire nation. I feel thankful, proud and amazing," said Chalupski.
David Greaves, the Secretary-General of the Israeli Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, had this to say: "As a former athlete member of the IBSF, my role now as volunteer is to help in any way that I can and to assist young Jewish athletes hoping to represent Israel in the sports of Bobsled and Skeleton. If these great young athletes can take away even half the of what I got out of my experience as an athlete, then all our work with be well worth it. News of Bradley’s first medal and our Federation’s first ever skeleton Medal will now sit alongside our bobsled medals and will help blaze a trail for other young athletes. Bradley and Israel and all Jewish sports enthusiasts should be proud, as I am. Mazal tov Brad."
The IBSF extends its undying gratitude to the generous supporters who have brought us to this point in our history. And to Bradley, a hearty MAZEL TOV!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Schedule Announced For FIBT Skeleton World Championships
The Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT) has announced the schedule for the World Championships of bobsled and skeleton, to be held in Lake Placid, NY from February 13-26, 2012. Skeleton athlete Brad Chalupski is slated to compete in the men's skeleton championships, to take place on Friday and Saturday, February 24 and 25, 2012.
The FIBT (www.fibt.com) conducts competitions in five disciplines: 2-man bobsleigh, 4-man bobsleigh, women’s bobsleigh, men’s skeleton and women’s skeleton. In addition to the Olympic Winter games and World Championships, the FIBT conducts World Cup, Intercontinental Cup and America's Cup events.
The FIBT (www.fibt.com) conducts competitions in five disciplines: 2-man bobsleigh, 4-man bobsleigh, women’s bobsleigh, men’s skeleton and women’s skeleton. In addition to the Olympic Winter games and World Championships, the FIBT conducts World Cup, Intercontinental Cup and America's Cup events.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Skeleton Team to Appear at Event in Boston December 16
Skeleton athlete Brad Chalupski will speak at a Shabbat dinner at the Vilna Shul in Boston, Massachusetts on 16 December 2011. The event is co-hosted by Havurah on the Hill and Boston-Haifa Connection.
Event details can be found at http://www.jewishboston.com/events/11447-shabbat-w-boston-haifa-bradley-chalupski-world-cup-skeleton-athlete.
The IBSF (www.israelibobsled.com) is a US-based not-for-profit corporation, based in Lake Placid, NY, with the mission of supporting Israel's national teams in the Olympic sliding sports of Bobsled and Skeleton.
Event details can be found at http://www.jewishboston.com/events/11447-shabbat-w-boston-haifa-bradley-chalupski-world-cup-skeleton-athlete.
The IBSF (www.israelibobsled.com) is a US-based not-for-profit corporation, based in Lake Placid, NY, with the mission of supporting Israel's national teams in the Olympic sliding sports of Bobsled and Skeleton.
Havurah on the Hill (www.vilnashul.org) is a program of the Vilna Shul in Boston, MA, and a volunteer-run organization engaging young Jewish adults through dynamic learning opportunities and a welcoming community. One Friday evening each month, HOH invites participants to celebrate Shabbat, Jewish culture, learning and community at the historic Vilna Shul in Beacon Hill, Boston.
Boston-Haifa Connection (www.cjp.org) is a program of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston. Boston-Haifa Connection has been changing lives and opening hearts since 1989, building “living bridges” between the sister cities and strengthening the social fabric of both societies.
Friday, November 18, 2011
IBSF Announces New Partnership For 2011-2012 Season
The Israeli Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation is proud to announce Mondetta Clothing as a partner for the 2011-2012 competitive season.
The IBSF (www.israelibobsled.com) is a US-based not-for-profit corporation, based in Lake Placid, NY, with the mission of supporting Israel's national teams in the Olympic sliding sports of Bobsled and Skeleton.
Mondetta (www.mondetta.com), deriving its name from French and Latin for "small world", is an apparel company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1986 after fleeing from dictator Idi Amin, the company is guided by its slogan "A Spirit of Unification."
The IBSF (www.israelibobsled.com) is a US-based not-for-profit corporation, based in Lake Placid, NY, with the mission of supporting Israel's national teams in the Olympic sliding sports of Bobsled and Skeleton.
Mondetta (www.mondetta.com), deriving its name from French and Latin for "small world", is an apparel company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1986 after fleeing from dictator Idi Amin, the company is guided by its slogan "A Spirit of Unification."
Monday, November 14, 2011
Expressing Zionism Through Sports: The Israeli Bobsled and Skeleton Team
By Samantha Vinokor - Retrieved from http://vizionsofzionism.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/expressing-zionism-through-sports-the-israeli-bobsled-and-skeleton-team/
More than half of the geography of the State of Israel is comprised of the Negev desert. Israel is a country that prays for rain, and has become an innovator in the field of irrigation and water technology due to deficits of that most coveted resource in the Middle East. Thus, it may come as a shock to many that Israel, a country full of desert sands, is also home to its own Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
Bobsled and Skeleton, for those unaware, is a winter sport involving racing downhill on tracks of ice and packed snow. Israel doesn’t have a track, but does have a team, headed by Skeleton racer Bradley Chalupski. Bradley, a New Jersey native, got involved with sliding while attending law school at Seton Hall University. He saw the sport being played at the 2006 Olympics, and decided to try it for himself. After participating in training camp with the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation and competing in regional events with the American team, he narrowly missed making the US National Team.
It was around that time that Chalupski was approached by the Israeli Federation. At first he was hesitant to compete for Israel. “I didn’t want to be an opportunist. I have a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, so I was raised very secular; I hadn’t been to Israel before and didn’t really feel a connection with it.” After soul-searching and talking with friends, family, and members of the Jewish community, Bradley began to change his mind. A connection with Judaism and the Jewish people began to emerge as various friends all had the same reaction to his query: You’re Jewish; of course you can represent Israel. Bradley, a Birthright Israel alum, was captivated by the natural beauty of the Negev desert during his inaugural trip to Israel, and began to develop a personal connection with the country.
Bradley credits his girlfriend with giving him the push that he needed to play for Israel when she said, “You have to do this. You’re Jewish and it’s Israel. Israel is a part of every Jew, and you have an obligation to do this, to try and qualify the country for the Olympic games.” Thus, the unaffiliated University of Maryland alum began to connect with Israel and his personal Zionism through bobsled and skeleton.
Now, Bradley appreciates and relishes in the opportunity to bring awareness about Israel and Jewish people to the world through sports. He takes pride in the opportunity to represent Israel, noting that “Sport is always a prism for national pride. You don’t have to look any further than the Munich Olympics. When people look to attack a country, athletes are up on the list, because they have a place in the national psyche.” He views his own connection to Israel, as forged through the sport, as a success of the Zionist movement, being that it brought him to Israel and back to his Jewish heritage. He hopes that people will view it as inspiring that Jews can do this. As he said, it means something to people when they are able to say that “Jews can be crazy too!” Jewish and Israeli participation in sports is a vehicle by which people can view Israel as a country just like any other, a participant in the world of global sports, and hopefully, one day, a champion at the Winter Olympics.
For more information about the Israeli Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, contact Tamar Simon. Tamar.Simon@gmail.com and check out the IBSF Twitter @TeamIsraelSkele
More than half of the geography of the State of Israel is comprised of the Negev desert. Israel is a country that prays for rain, and has become an innovator in the field of irrigation and water technology due to deficits of that most coveted resource in the Middle East. Thus, it may come as a shock to many that Israel, a country full of desert sands, is also home to its own Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
Bobsled and Skeleton, for those unaware, is a winter sport involving racing downhill on tracks of ice and packed snow. Israel doesn’t have a track, but does have a team, headed by Skeleton racer Bradley Chalupski. Bradley, a New Jersey native, got involved with sliding while attending law school at Seton Hall University. He saw the sport being played at the 2006 Olympics, and decided to try it for himself. After participating in training camp with the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation and competing in regional events with the American team, he narrowly missed making the US National Team.
It was around that time that Chalupski was approached by the Israeli Federation. At first he was hesitant to compete for Israel. “I didn’t want to be an opportunist. I have a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, so I was raised very secular; I hadn’t been to Israel before and didn’t really feel a connection with it.” After soul-searching and talking with friends, family, and members of the Jewish community, Bradley began to change his mind. A connection with Judaism and the Jewish people began to emerge as various friends all had the same reaction to his query: You’re Jewish; of course you can represent Israel. Bradley, a Birthright Israel alum, was captivated by the natural beauty of the Negev desert during his inaugural trip to Israel, and began to develop a personal connection with the country.
Bradley credits his girlfriend with giving him the push that he needed to play for Israel when she said, “You have to do this. You’re Jewish and it’s Israel. Israel is a part of every Jew, and you have an obligation to do this, to try and qualify the country for the Olympic games.” Thus, the unaffiliated University of Maryland alum began to connect with Israel and his personal Zionism through bobsled and skeleton.
Now, Bradley appreciates and relishes in the opportunity to bring awareness about Israel and Jewish people to the world through sports. He takes pride in the opportunity to represent Israel, noting that “Sport is always a prism for national pride. You don’t have to look any further than the Munich Olympics. When people look to attack a country, athletes are up on the list, because they have a place in the national psyche.” He views his own connection to Israel, as forged through the sport, as a success of the Zionist movement, being that it brought him to Israel and back to his Jewish heritage. He hopes that people will view it as inspiring that Jews can do this. As he said, it means something to people when they are able to say that “Jews can be crazy too!” Jewish and Israeli participation in sports is a vehicle by which people can view Israel as a country just like any other, a participant in the world of global sports, and hopefully, one day, a champion at the Winter Olympics.
For more information about the Israeli Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, contact Tamar Simon. Tamar.Simon@gmail.com and check out the IBSF Twitter @TeamIsraelSkele
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Skeleton Team Featured in Birthright NEXT
Skeleton athlete Bradley Chalupski was profiled by Birthright NEXT on their website, "Alef: The NEXT Conversation". Full text of the article can be found here:
http://alefnext.com/jews-and-sports/an-israeli-winter-olympic-team-to-warm-the-jewish-soul/
The IBSF (www.israelibobsled.com) is a US-based not-for-profit corporation, based in Lake Placid, NY, with the mission of supporting Israel's national teams in the Olympic sliding sports of Bobsled and Skeleton.
http://alefnext.com/jews-and-sports/an-israeli-winter-olympic-team-to-warm-the-jewish-soul/
The IBSF (www.israelibobsled.com) is a US-based not-for-profit corporation, based in Lake Placid, NY, with the mission of supporting Israel's national teams in the Olympic sliding sports of Bobsled and Skeleton.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Skeleton Team Featured in News Transcript (Central NJ)
Skeleton athlete Bradley Chalupski was profiled by the News Transcript (of Central NJ). Full text of the article can be found here:
http://nt.gmnews.com/news/2011-02-23/Sports/Marlboro_grad_represents_Israel_in_skeleton_event.html
The IBSF (www.israelibobsled.com) is a US-based not-for-profit corporation, based in Lake Placid, NY, with the mission of supporting Israel's national teams in the Olympic sliding sports of Bobsled and Skeleton.
http://nt.gmnews.com/news/2011-02-23/Sports/Marlboro_grad_represents_Israel_in_skeleton_event.html
The IBSF (www.israelibobsled.com) is a US-based not-for-profit corporation, based in Lake Placid, NY, with the mission of supporting Israel's national teams in the Olympic sliding sports of Bobsled and Skeleton.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Pirates Eye On...Bradley Chalupski, J.D. '10
By Robert Mayers - Retrieved from http://www.shu.edu/news/article/329000
Bradley Chalupski, J.D. ’10 is going to be the first Israeli born athlete to compete at the Skeleton World Championships. The Pirate Press sat down with Bradley to ask him about the unique sport of Skeleton and how he prepares for competition. We also spoke to him about what it means to represent his country on such a grand scale.
PP: How did you become involved with skeleton?
BC: Honestly? I saw it on the television and thought it looked like fun. No joke. I was sitting in my dorm room my senior year of college watching the 2006 Olympics in Torino and saw this ridiculously awesome looking sport. I said to myself, "That looks like a ton of fun and I bet I could be good at that."
PP: For those who are unfamiliar, what exactly is Skeleton and what does a competition involve?
BC: Skeleton is most easily described as head-first luge. I go head-first down an ice chute at speeds up to 78mph. It is contested on the same track as luge and bobsled. The sled stands about half a foot tall on its blades (known as "runners") and has some pieces of steel welded onto it to keep me in the center (known as the "saddle") as I go down the track. I refer to it as my “flying cookie-sheet." I bend over, grab onto one side of the saddle, and literally push the sled by running with one hand on and the other hand off, which I use for balance and to generate momentum. I run in this way about 40 meters before I leap on top of the sled, and lie down. Unlike luge or bobsled the sled that I use does not have a steering mechanism proper, and so once I am lying down on the sled I instead rely on subtle movements of my head, shoulders, knees, and toes to drive the sled where I want it to go.
As for a competition, the basic format is two runs down the track and the best combined time wins. There are certain protocols on race day (runner temperature, weight requirements, etc.) which are to be taken into consideration as well. All tracks, with few exceptions, are about a mile long so you are basically racing on two miles of ice. It is not uncommon to have the difference between first and third be less than a tenth of a second. A recent World Cup race was won by literally one-one-thousandth of a second. I myself just missed Israel's first medal in an FIBT Skeleton competition by 0.2 seconds over two miles of ice. It's tough, but it's the nature of the sport and you know it when you sign up for it.
PP: What are the dangers involved and do you take any extra safety precautions during practice and events?
BC: There are dangers involved in this sport? Really? But in all seriousness, Skeleton is definitely an intense, extreme sport. Really all that I wear when I go down the mountain is a helmet, a long-track ice skating speed suit, and my spikes (which allow me to run on ice). The thing that most people are amazed to learn about Skeleton is that it is actually the safest of the three sliding sports (luge, bobsled, skeleton). It sounds so crazy because we go head-first, but that is actually the safest way to do it.
I have come off of my sled two times in my life, and both times I simply went sliding down the track on my butt until I stopped. I didn't have a scratch on me. Moreover, I actually took another run that day after coming entirely off my sled. That would never happen in Luge.
PP: You are going to become the first Israeli athlete to participate in the Skeleton World Championships. How does it feel to represent your country?
BC: It goes without saying that it is a huge honor. Israel is such a unique country in the history of the world that it really is more than just a country that I am representing; it is in fact an entire people. Every day I remind myself of what I am representing. It is not every person that gets to be the representative of their country or people. Whenever we do anything, we always remember that it is not we who are acting, but Israel and do our best to live up to being worthy representatives.
PP: Are you more nervous or excited for the World Championship stage?
BC: It is a huge honor to be representing Israel at this year's World Championships. I wouldn't say that I am nervous, since I am not expected to win anything and ultimately I am just there to compete. I think it is the type of thing that I will not truly grasp the magnitude of until I am there. However, my goal is to do my thing and represent myself and Israel with dignity and pride. Bobsledding is huge in Germany, and I am told that more than 10,000 spectators are expected to show up for the event.
Bradley Chalupski, J.D. ’10 is going to be the first Israeli born athlete to compete at the Skeleton World Championships. The Pirate Press sat down with Bradley to ask him about the unique sport of Skeleton and how he prepares for competition. We also spoke to him about what it means to represent his country on such a grand scale.PP: How did you become involved with skeleton?
BC: Honestly? I saw it on the television and thought it looked like fun. No joke. I was sitting in my dorm room my senior year of college watching the 2006 Olympics in Torino and saw this ridiculously awesome looking sport. I said to myself, "That looks like a ton of fun and I bet I could be good at that."
PP: For those who are unfamiliar, what exactly is Skeleton and what does a competition involve?
BC: Skeleton is most easily described as head-first luge. I go head-first down an ice chute at speeds up to 78mph. It is contested on the same track as luge and bobsled. The sled stands about half a foot tall on its blades (known as "runners") and has some pieces of steel welded onto it to keep me in the center (known as the "saddle") as I go down the track. I refer to it as my “flying cookie-sheet." I bend over, grab onto one side of the saddle, and literally push the sled by running with one hand on and the other hand off, which I use for balance and to generate momentum. I run in this way about 40 meters before I leap on top of the sled, and lie down. Unlike luge or bobsled the sled that I use does not have a steering mechanism proper, and so once I am lying down on the sled I instead rely on subtle movements of my head, shoulders, knees, and toes to drive the sled where I want it to go.
As for a competition, the basic format is two runs down the track and the best combined time wins. There are certain protocols on race day (runner temperature, weight requirements, etc.) which are to be taken into consideration as well. All tracks, with few exceptions, are about a mile long so you are basically racing on two miles of ice. It is not uncommon to have the difference between first and third be less than a tenth of a second. A recent World Cup race was won by literally one-one-thousandth of a second. I myself just missed Israel's first medal in an FIBT Skeleton competition by 0.2 seconds over two miles of ice. It's tough, but it's the nature of the sport and you know it when you sign up for it.
PP: What are the dangers involved and do you take any extra safety precautions during practice and events?
BC: There are dangers involved in this sport? Really? But in all seriousness, Skeleton is definitely an intense, extreme sport. Really all that I wear when I go down the mountain is a helmet, a long-track ice skating speed suit, and my spikes (which allow me to run on ice). The thing that most people are amazed to learn about Skeleton is that it is actually the safest of the three sliding sports (luge, bobsled, skeleton). It sounds so crazy because we go head-first, but that is actually the safest way to do it.
I have come off of my sled two times in my life, and both times I simply went sliding down the track on my butt until I stopped. I didn't have a scratch on me. Moreover, I actually took another run that day after coming entirely off my sled. That would never happen in Luge.
PP: You are going to become the first Israeli athlete to participate in the Skeleton World Championships. How does it feel to represent your country?
BC: It goes without saying that it is a huge honor. Israel is such a unique country in the history of the world that it really is more than just a country that I am representing; it is in fact an entire people. Every day I remind myself of what I am representing. It is not every person that gets to be the representative of their country or people. Whenever we do anything, we always remember that it is not we who are acting, but Israel and do our best to live up to being worthy representatives.
PP: Are you more nervous or excited for the World Championship stage?
BC: It is a huge honor to be representing Israel at this year's World Championships. I wouldn't say that I am nervous, since I am not expected to win anything and ultimately I am just there to compete. I think it is the type of thing that I will not truly grasp the magnitude of until I am there. However, my goal is to do my thing and represent myself and Israel with dignity and pride. Bobsledding is huge in Germany, and I am told that more than 10,000 spectators are expected to show up for the event.
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