How to: Luge, Brew Ginger Beer, Start a Record Label

* Illustration: Jason Lee * How to … Luge

first rule of luging: There are no “lugers.” “It sounds like losers,’ and we’ve heard that joke before,” says Erin Hamlin, a “slider” on the US National Luge Team and a contender at February’s World Cup Finale in Latvia. Second rule of luging: Be fearless. Sliders must don head-to-toe spandex. Oh, and then speed down a mile-long frozen waterslide at 90 mph sans brakes. Here’s Hamlin’s advice on how to make it to the bottom alive. — Miyoko Ohtake

1) Pick your ride A commercial fiberglass sled can run you about $1,600. Add $200 for a tube of diamond paste to sand the steel blades. But don’t even think about heating your blades; prerace, the judges will compare the metal’s temperature to that of the outside air.

2) Start out right You win or lose at the top of the hill. To go from 0 to 60 in less than 20 seconds, sit up straight on the sled and grab the handles on either side of the track. Rock the luge forward, slide it back with your hips, then pull hard with your arms to explode out of the gate. Paddle against the ice three or four times, then lean back flat with your head as low as possible and your toes pointed down the track.

3) Check your head As you whip through banked turns, forces can reach 5 gs, which means your brain (now hanging just inches above the ice) will feel four times heavier than normal. Imagine a 40-pound weight strapped to your noggin. Resist its pull.

4) Try not to steer Guide the sled by rolling your head, shifting your shoulders, or squeezing the upturned edges of the runners between your calves. But steering creates speed-killing friction, so do it sparingly. If you stay perfectly balanced, the sled will steer itself.

5) No peeking Lifting your face an inch can cost time. Remember: The difference between gold and silver at the 2006 Olympics was 11 hundredths of a second. So hold still (shut your peepers if you want to) and let gravity do its thing.

Illustration: Jason Lee… Brew Ginger Beer

Who said fermentation was just for booze? Yeast can make virgin drinks, too. In four steps, you can employ these microorganisms to brew some serious soda. * — Eric Smillie*

Prep Combine 1/2 cup finely grated ginger, 1 cup sugar, and 4 tablespoons each lemon and lime juice with 1-1/2 quarts water and bring to a gentle boil. Meanwhile, mix 1/4teaspoon baker’s yeast with 3/4 cup warm water and set aside.

Steep After 30 minutes, remove the ginger solution from heat. Add 3 tablespoons dried hibiscus and 1 tablespoon dried rose flower (available at Botanical.com and some specialty groceries), stir, and let sit for 10 minutes. Add 2 1/2 quarts cold water and strain into a second pot. Stir in the yeasty water.