Sliding! (college, activity, yard)

[elston]

When I was a kid............... we had wooden sleds with metal runners....and a handle bar that acutally steered the sled by bending the runners in the direction you wanted to turn....they were beautiful blond wood varnished a rich color and they had an emblem of an eagle on them and the brand name "Flexible Flyer" in fancy script.....I imagine they are antiques now and collectable....you could really go flying down a hill and with the sharp runners it is a wonder we didnt get hurt in a wipe out at the bottom......we would steel wool the runners to make sure there was no rust and wax them for maximum speed. As teen agers we would go for toboggan parties with a bon fire and hot chocolate....lots of kids could fit on one toboggan....they were beautiful wooden affairs with a curved front....and if you were lucky a pad to soften the bumps on your rear...end .... it could really pick up speed.

[msina]

You can still get them Elston.

Sledwarehouse has the widest selection of snow toys and snow accessories such as plastic sleds, foam sliders, toboggans, runner sleds, pull sleighs and more!

[elston]

[quote=msina;7291529]You can still get them Elston./quote]

But my dear msina......as you must know.....those new flyers....are nothing like the deep golden honey hued rulers of the hill that we had back then in the days when the snows were deeper and the ice was thicker and the skies were bluer and the friends were truer....old whiskey takes on color as it ages and mellows....so do the memories of childhood.

[gussie]

I had one of those wooden sleds with the metal runners as well. We would use a candle and go over the runners to make them more slippery!!

[chaosX5]

Originally Posted by elston

When I was a kid............... we had wooden sleds with metal runners....and a handle bar that acutally steered the sled by bending the runners in the direction you wanted to turn....they were beautiful blond wood varnished a rich color and they had an emblem of an eagle on them and the brand name "Flexible Flyer" in fancy script.....I imagine they are antiques now and collectable....you could really go flying down a hill and with the sharp runners it is a wonder we didnt get hurt in a wipe out at the bottom......we would steel wool the runners to make sure there was no rust and wax them for maximum speed. As teen agers we would go for toboggan parties with a bon fire and hot chocolate....lots of kids could fit on one toboggan....they were beautiful wooden affairs with a curved front....and if you were lucky a pad to soften the bumps on your rear...end .... it could really pick up speed.

Don't laugh.....but we actually own two of these We've only had one time that we have been able to use them! but what fun we had They are fast (it was icy) sooooo much fun! We don't get winter much, but when we get it we celebrate it for sure!!!!!!!




Sliding in Maine must be the ultimate! I loved the pictures and videos! Have some fun for us!!!!!!!!!!

(and thank you everyone for the sledding/sliding explaination)

[SandyCo]

When I was growing up and we'd "go to the snow" (only in Southern California!), my older brother would go flying down the hills in a plastic orange saucer with cloth handles. The handles supposedly let you steer, but they weren't exactly effective! Lots of spectacular wipe-outs on that!

[peachie_in_maine]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

When I was growing up and we'd "go to the snow" (only in Southern California!), my older brother would go flying down the hills in a plastic orange saucer with cloth handles. The handles supposedly let you steer, but they weren't exactly effective! Lots of spectacular wipe-outs on that!

hehe
Funny how the "wipe-outs" made us want to do it again and again. Getting a "push" down the hill too.

If I even shifted a bit on the sled now... I'm worried of cracken a pelvis bone or tail bone.

[corgis]

Mensaguy and I still have our wooden sleds - runners need the rust removed but I bet we could still use them.

[fxtrader]

When we were kids we would use innertubes for sliding. I don't know what kind of vehicle they were made for, most likely a tractor trailer or skidder. We would pig pile as many kids as we could and usually would loose a couple on the way down.
Essex street hill in Bangor is a great place for sliding. It is a long steep hill and you get a lot of speed. You can see it from 95.

[elston]

Originally Posted by corgis

Mensaguy and I still have our wooden sleds - runners need the rust removed but I bet we could still use them.

I am sure my old bones would protest the jarring and the bumping .... when we were kids we could wipe out and roll half way down the hill..and think nothing about it and as soon as we were at the bottom run back up retrieving lost hats and mittens on the way up for another ride...and we would keep at it till way after dark and we could here Mom calling us in.

We always wanted the town to close off the street in front of my house as it was a long long hill (at least in my memory) but there was so little traffic we used to slide there all the time anyway.....I dont think it was treated....I remember Steere Street being great for sliding.