I research all sorts of things... but one area I do not do enough research in is fun - especially winter fun.
With the resent 5" (or theres about) of snow in Eugene I thought I would pull a memory or two out of my past and take a look online to see if I could find any pictures. I am particularly interested in sledding. This is sorta new. Let me explain. Growing up I learned to ski. It was an individualistic sport and did not require cooperation. In contrast to the atmosphere around skiing (at least my exposure to it), sledding is much more of a social enterprise. In database terms, in stead of a one-to-one relationship (skier to skies) it is a many-to-one relationship (people to sled). Give this past I think it might be time to revisit the sled in context of the social element and re-evaluate "sledding".
Last night some students in Becky's program and I got out to a local hill and went sledding. It was a blast. Even though I am the guy in the red jacket. (permissions on video no-longer work)
Meadowbrook Sectional Toboggan
It reminded me of a sled my dad had when I was in the third grade. It was an orange. Recent internet sluthing has shown that it was likely a Meadowbrook Sectional Toboggan. There is a patent for it in google. The only picture I could find on the Internet for the make/model is below.
Long Toboggan
Foldable in three sections.
In extended position
We only used it once on this hill in Donaueschingen (see map).
I remember that it was my dad and three bothers and we all fit.
Plastic Runner Sled
That same winter I went sledding in with my classmates behind our school. Lots of fun.
Plastic Disc
Then a few seasons later I tried the disc sled and it rotated me backward. I slammed my back against a hidden gully bank and had the wind knocked out of me and was sore for hours... I believe that I have back issues to this day from that accident. So, I have since been leery of sledding opportunities involving discs.
Wood and Metal Red Flyer
When I was in third grade I remember having a red flyer kind of sled. The problem with the snow in that part of the world at that time was that it was never icy enough to allow for runs. The runners were just too narrow. I have since seen some amazing sleds which hold promise.
I think I would like to try this wooden runner sled. But even with this sled in the film notice that it is not just a person and their sled there is social interaction on the slop. Not the same as with a toboggan but still interesting...
http://youtu.be/XYxLuELSEWc
Hammerhead Sled
Another sled I would like to try is the Hammerhead Pro X Sled. I first saw these in New York in 2007. I was intrigued, and thought: Who would pay $200 for a sled? But looking at the construction and the durability of the sled it might be worth it. I mean skis are more, and one can take a sled more easily to a hill and not pay for the lift pass needed for skiing. - Also in my experience is that plastic sleds get brittle and crack with any sort of bounce in the hill.
http://youtu.be/XHOpCXDf-2Q
Other interesting sleds:
I have some two person plastic sleds, but they break with too much weight. The black boggie is much like the red ones at my mom's house. Though I see that they have been sold on occasion in the second-hand market. bigalsauction.com, and picclick.com.
Wham-o Snowboggie Skeleton
from : http://www.brandsonsale.com/sf-002271.html
Race Sleds
Sleds at Moms house. Wham-o snowboggie from 2007 (though I have seen this model for sale with a date of 2002 and I have seen them called "Skeleton" on various websites.)
Maybe the right idea is to build one: https://www.instructables.com/A-Better-Ski-Sled/