photo: group in sled modeled after a pink convertible

Skiing Sans Skis

You're never too old to sled. Indeed, the "sport" of amateur sledding is constantly evolving, and grown-ups around the country are finding new alternatives to the wood and plastic vehicles of their youth. Some are high tech, while others are just downright quirky.

Novel mountain-descending vehicles can be found in your living room.

At the Annual Cardboard Derby on March 12 at Gore Mountain in North Creek, NY, teams of two or four people will attempt to navigate the Arena, the mountain's half pipe, in a cardboard sled held together only by glue or tape. At similar events in other parts of the country, people are known to get pretty creative when building these makeshift sleds. Whether you choose to build a giant slug, a cardboard tractor, or a Batmobile, be sure to combine form and function, as prizes will be given for distance traveled and most original construction.

If you see yourself as more of a plastics type, try the Airboard, an inflatable sled made of polyurethane with a rubber-treaded underside. Riders lie chest down, shifting their weight and using handgrips to maneuver the runners. At only 6 pounds and small enough to fit in a backpack when deflated, the Airboard is perfect for all-terrain sledding. Head over to Sugar Bowl Ski Resort in Norden, CA, for the chance to Airboard at night.

Why stop with cardboard or plastic? Just look for a novel mountain-descending vehicle in your own living room, and then you'll be ready to head to next month's Neillsville, WI, furniture race. There, you can join the flock of sledding enthusiasts who are planning to attach skis to chairs, beds, and couches in order to ride downhill in style. Or you could forgo the skis altogether and just slide down a mountain on a mattress, which is exactly what a gaggle of locals are planning to do in March in Brainerd, MN.

We recommend removing the sheets first.

Posted on February 20, 2006