illustration: luge

The sport of luge involves one or two people laying on their backs on a sled. Mechanics of steering the sled is done by the rider’s leg flexing against the blade. There are two other sled racing sports in the olympics – the bobsled and skeleton. Luge is the fastest of the three races with speeds at 90 mph.

illustration: figure skating

Why does the Olympics captivate us so much? Personally, I think its because of the drama. Athletes from all over the world spend their entire lives practicing a sport that could make or break their chance for a medal, and the deciding factor can come down to a momentary lapse in concentration. This is especially true in the extraordinary skill of figure skating. Will he/she land the triple toe loop or the lutz jump? All in all the pros make it look effortless. Quite inspirational.

This is my little cartoon drawing of a figure skater who is edging in an arabesque spiral.

The XXII Olympic Winter Games begins on Friday February 7. Which sport are you looking forward to?

illustration: goliath grouper

Groupers are solitary fish that can swallow their prey whole by inhaling through their powerful mouths and gills. Due to their stout shape, groupers cannot swim fast or far. Instead, they hover near the bottom, virtually disappearing with complex camouflage skin patterns against the rocks or coral reef.

If the Goliath Grouper wasn’t threatened by over-fishing pressure, they could live as long as 50 years. Its slow growth and low reproductive rate doesn’t help its population either.

The largest recorded capture of a Goliath Grouper in Florida weighed over 650 pounds.