LANCASTER, Pa. — Listen closely and you may hear the sound of a "slider" going down the asphalt or maybe an icy path.
That is because brothers Hayes and Holt Carlson love to go fast. The Lancaster Country siblings love the sport of luge and their young careers are off to solid a push.
"It's definitely fun doing a sport that nobody does especially around here," says 11-year-old Holt.
For Hayes luge is kind of just like sledding. Kind of.
"I tell my friends it is advanced sledding down an icy track, going into your local hill with your friends but on a thin icy track."
Hayes, who is 13, is in his second year with Team USA Luge Junior D Team.
"We have a lot of fun doing luge but of course, it is [a] very dangerous sport and you are very exposed," Hayes said.
At the start is where Hayes feeds off of his excited energy. He owns three of the four fastest start times for his age in the U.S. this year and finished in second place at Nationals back in March.
"Adrenaline keeps you going and you forget about all the fear you had before the run and you keep yourself alive as you go down the track," Hayes says with a straight face.
Holt loves the speed of Luge as well, "Right before I start, I feel I don’t want to do it, but I know it is fun. In the end, going down it is nice and relaxing."
The brothers continue to make strides. After a June training camp in Lake Placid, New York, both Holt and Hayes made the 2023-24 USA Luge National D Team.
Holt is pumped to be on the team with big brother Hayes. "It's nice to have an older brother to tell me the tricks that he has learned over that one more year he has done it than me ."
Hayes knows his role in the family is one of guidance.
"This is only his first year doing this so I definitely push him to be better," he told FOX43.
Dad Les Carlson enjoys watching his boys have fun in a very unique sport.
"You know, they have joked around the office about being doubles partners down the road and how neat that would be," he said.
The boys picked up the sport on vacation of all places and it has been a joy to watch them since day one.
“Their hard work and watching their advancement over time has been so fun and enjoyable and exciting," recalled Les.
The competition is fun, but family time is even better for Dad. “We’ve got funny stories. To see them grow in the sport [and] see them grow as human beings has been so enjoyable."
It’s a unique sport no doubt, as the boys pull, push, paddle and keep a line to go at speeds that can reach 90 miles per hour (at the highest levels).
“[It's] like a water slide where you can go on the walls," smiled Holt. "You are going down a sled on ice.“
"I’ve definitely crashed before, " recalled Hayes. "And it hurt but if you do well and do what your coaches tell you you will make it down the track.”
Their careers are off to a great start with no finish line in sight.