Hubert Stevens had ideas about how an improved sled could enliven the sport, but had no idea how to implement them.

Forty miles north of Hubert Stevens' home lived Robert J. Linney, a man with the knowledge, the materials and the equipment that Hubert Stevens was searching for. Only 27 years old, Mr. Linney was superintendent at the Chateaugay Ore and Iron Companies in his hometown of Lyon Mountain. He had been employed there since his graduation in 1929 from Yale University as a mining engineer. He later served as a foreman before becoming mine superintendent.

When he met Hubert Stevens, Mr. Linney had never seen a bobsled, much less driven one. But his ignorance seemingly proved to be an advantage, and he took to the task of redesigning the sled with zeal and dedication. By the time Mr. Linney and his brother William finished competing in bobsledding more than a decade later, their design changes had revolutionized the sport and their sleds had set record times at Mt. Van Hoevenberg.

Named "Iron Shoes", Mr. Linney's was the first all-metal bobsled. It was made with materials mined solely at Lyon Mountain and cost about $1,000 to $1,500 more than the standard four-man bobsled of the day.

Mr. Linney had little difficulty obtaining the men and materials from Chateaugay Ore and Iron Companies to produce the bobsled. It could help America's bobsled team -and it certainly did- and thus the venture was considered patriotic. Besides, it also was good publicity for the company.

Conceived by Hubert Stevens' ambition and Bob Linney's engineering expertise, "Iron Shoes" made its debut at Mt. Van Hoevenberg on Jan 11,1936. It measured 11 feet seven inches in length and was two feet, 10 inches in width. Its front runners were just slightly longer than three feet, 11 inches and its rear runners measured about 4 1/2 feet.

With Bob at the controls, "Iron Shoes" made its first decent run. Long, silvery and sleek, it attracted a good amount of attention during its inaugural run, but not nearly as much as it did one week later.

Mr. Linney returned the next weekend with his team, the Lyon Mountain Miners, and won the North American Junior Bobsled Championship. In a sport where winners often are determined by hundredths of a second, the miners' time was eight seconds faster than their closest challenger.

Later a second all iron sled was put into competition. This was named the "Iron Clipper". With the "Iron Clipper" the Lyon Mountain Miners won the North American Club Championship in 1946 and the National Amateur Athletic Union Title in 1948. This was the last time either of the Linney brothers won in bobsledding competition. Both returned to their full-time occupations of mining. William Joseph Linney died on September 23, 1956 at Port Henry, N.Y. at the age of 44.

THE LYON MOUNTAIN MINERS BOBSLED TEAM OF MINEVILLE, NY (IRON SHOES)

THE MINERS AND A MINOR (IRON SHOES)

THE MINERS ABOARD IRON CLIPPER

KATE SMITH "PILOTING" IRON CLIPPER

KATE SMITH AT THE BOBRUN

THE SARATOGA BOBSLED TEAM

THE PLATTSBURG BOBSLED TEAM

He was an accomplished sportsman, well-known on the Cresta run at St Moritz and for many years the unbeaten champion. He led the bobsleigh team for the USA in the Winter Olympics of 1928 at St Moritz, and at the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid. At this event, he carried the flag for the Americans at the opening ceremonies, presided over by Governor Franklin D Roosevelt of New York. He was invited, but declined to lead the bobsleigh team in the 1936 Winter Olympics.

The Billy Fiske trophy is named for him, the youngest Gold Medal winner, at the age of 16, in the sport.

BILLY FISKE AND CREW
In this photo Luftwaffe Captain, Werner Zahn, is presenting the world championship trophy to U.S. driver, Billy Fiske, during Feb. 15 ceremonies at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. At left, Paul Stevens,of second-place U.S. team, holds microphone. Other gold medalists on Fiske sled are (left to right): Edward Eagan, Clifford Gray and Jay O'Brien. German driver Hans Kilian is behind Gray; at far right is Swiss driver Reto Capadrutt.

Joe McKillip was next on the starting line and, after some convincing, decided not to make his run. Bob McGonegal, "The Voice of The Bobrun" announced that the run was now closed and everyone put away their sleds and left in a daze. Most went off to get drunk.

Sergio had recently moved to Canada from Italy, where he and Eugenio Monte had ruled bobsledding. After the move to Canada, Zardini would often come to Saranac Lake to stop at Chuck's Bar to visit his old buddy, Chuck Pandolph. He never forgot his old bobsledding friends and they never forgot him.

Mike Young, Sergio's number three man and twenty two years old at that time, needed extensive reconstruction on his face after the accident but returned to bobsledding for a couple of seasons. Mike had been introduced to bobsledding by his cousin, Vic Emery, a top notch driver and good friend of both Zardini and Monte. Mike and Vic were inducted into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame several years ago. Last I heard, Mike was living in Dallas, Texas and working as a business consultant. He has no memory of the crash itself and that may be a blessing.

SERGIO ZARDINI'S "81"

ZARDINI AND MIKE YOUNG ON THE ICE

ZARDINI LOSES BRAKEMAN IN 1961