9 Sledding Facts That Might Totally Surprise You...I Had No Idea About Most Of These
by N/A, 9 years ago |
2 min read
|
18
Before you hit the slopes on your trust toboggan this year, learn a little bit about the fascinating history of the sport/pasttime!
1. Canadians made toboggoning an official sport in the 1800s, and the rest of the world followed suit.
2. When Inuits first built their toboggans, they made them out of whale bone.
3. Early competitors in Bobsledding thought that if you "bobbed" your head at certain points in the race, your sled would accelerate. Hence, the name.
This is actually completely false. The fastest strategy is to keep your head tucked low, avoiding wind resistance.
4. Although bobsledding was in the first Winter Olympics in 1924 in France, women didn't compete in the Olympic sport until 2002.
5. The first mass-produced sleds in the United States were these little guys—clippers and cutters!
6. In a kick sled race, this little contraption can get reach up to 18 miles per hour.
7. Because of the structure of the kick sled, you can only use them on hard, slippery surfaces.
Perfect for a walk out on the lake!
8. When Admiral Byrd went to the South Pole in 1928, he took six of these sleds, the flyers, with him.
9. The first ever "Toboggan Slide" was built in St. Petersburg, Russia in the 1800s.
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Do not show me this again