Sledding

Early designs included hand-pulled sizes as well as larger dog, horse, or ox drawn versions.

[1] The Toboggan sled is also a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada and the people of Ancient Egypt are thought to have used sledges (on the desert sand and on ramps) extensively for construction.

First, back country sleds are made of strong plastic material, with the snow-side surface possessing various grooves and chines for directional control.

Second, the plastic construction, with a large amount of snow-side surface area keeps the sled afloat in deeper snow conditions (the same principle behind wider powder skis or snowboards).

Finally, back country sleds have foam pads glued for the sledder to kneel on for shock absorption.

Back country sleds, with the binding system and padding, may also be used for freestyle moves such as spins and flips off jumps and rail slides.

From a technical perspective, the lack of a metal edge and the lower center of gravity make it more difficult to control a back country sled on icy or packed snow surfaces.

From an access perspective, alpine resorts do not allow sledding on the actual mountain, except for the occasional small tubing hill.

This invisible layer of fluid reduces friction, causing the sled's speed to greatly exceed that of its flat bottomed relatives.

An Australian student named George Robertson won what is reputed to be the world’s first international sled race.

He outraced 19 other competitors from England, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States on a four kilometre stretch of road from St. Wolfgang to the town of Klosters.

By mid-decade, Kulm Hotel owner Caspar Badrutt had the first run or course purpose built for the fledgling sport.