Luge, as a modern sport, was not “invented” by a single person; it evolved from sled‑racing traditions in the Swiss Alps in the late 19th century.

Where luge came from

  • The roots lie in wooden sleds used for transport and play on snowy Alpine roads and logging trails.
  • In the mid‑to‑late 1800s , hoteliers and tourists in St. Moritz and Davos, Switzerland turned these sled runs into organized toboggan and sled‑racing events, which later crystallized into the sport we now call luge.

Key early figures and milestones

  • Swiss hotel entrepreneur Caspar Badrutt helped popularize winter tourism in St. Moritz, encouraging guests to race sleds down icy lanes.
  • The first international luge‑style race is generally traced to Davos in 1883 , when formal sled‑racing competitions began drawing tourists and locals.

From pastime to Olympic sport

  • Over time, sleds became more specialized, tracks more engineered, and rules more standardized, leading to the creation of the International Luge Federation (FIL) in 1957.
  • Luge debuted as an Olympic sport at the 1964 Winter Games in Innsbruck , cementing its status as one of the fastest sliding sports on ice.

So while no one person “invented” luge , the sport grew out of Swiss‑Alpine sled culture and was shaped by hoteliers, tourists, and early racers in the 19th‑century Alps.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.