Snow sledding is perhaps the first winter sport that most people are introduced to. In areas that get snow, sledding is as much a part of the winter months as the cold and snow themselves. If you have never been sledding before, I would recommend that you take the time this winter to give it a try.
Of course die-hard snow sledders know that snow sledding is not the easy sport most think it is. While any sled will go down just about any hill, your sled choices are very important to the sledding experience. Read on to learn a little about your snow sled options.
A good sled is an important part of snow sledding, but you have a wide variety of choices.
The most recognized choice is the steel runner sleds, more commonly known by the brand name Flexible Flyer. These are the wood and metal nostalgic sleds that you see in all the pictures. While these types of sleds have been around for decades, they are a bit on the tricky side to use and do not have the same speed potential as some of the more modern sleds.
Toboggans are another nostalgic type sled that many people recognize. Toboggans are generally made of wood and are built to slip easily and quickly over the snow. Toboggans are basically flat pieces of wood that have the front end curled up over the front of the sled. Toboggans are great for going fast but can be difficult for an inexperienced sledder to steer.
The saucer sled is the low end of modern sleds. Saucer sleds can normally be bought cheaply and provide a lot of fun on the sledding hills. Like most modern sleds, saucers are mostly made of plastic, though you can find them made of metal. Saucers can go quite fast down a hill but are nearly impossible to steer due to their round shape. A rider may find herself suddenly shooting down the hill backwards or a rider may find himself spinning round and round as he goes down a hill. Saucers can be lots of fun if you like barely controlled chaos.
Snow tubes are another fun sled option. These are inflatable round snow sleds that can be used for sledding down hill or for tying to the back of a snowmobile or ATV. When using these for downhill snow sledding, the results are very much like using a saucer sled.
A straight running sled is the basic modern sled. Most are made out of plastic and are both fast and easier to steer. Some of them even come with steering wheels or steering brakes. Some of the fancier straight running sleds use state of the art design to achieve aerodynamic wonders that are designed to take you from the top of the hill to the bottom at a breakneck speed.
So now that you know a little bit more about sleds, you can go choose one for yourself. If you aren’t feeling ready to buying a sled, there is always the classic sled standby, the flattened cardboard box.
For more about snow sledding, read our article about tips for snow sledding.