New sleds like the Mad River Rocket take sledding to new heights. (Tim Jones photo
Many active winter sports have a long learning curve. Sledding isn’t one of them.
To enjoy sledding, you simply get yourself to the top of a snow covered slope, then sit, belly flop or kneel on your conveyance and slide down. Repeat as many times as necessary to fill your fun reservoir.
There are basically three types of snow sleds—ones you can’t steer at all (tubes, saucers) ones you can maybe steer a little (most toboggans) and the ones that really put you in control of your destiny.
Part of the fun of snowtubing is feeling
totally out of control in a controlled and therefore safe environment. There’s no steering a snow tube, no controlling its speed. That’s the beauty of those tubing lanes they craft so carefully at ski resorts: you can fly within safe boundaries.
“Wild” sledding is something different. When you are out in the real world, having to dodge other sledders, or even trees and rocks, it’s nice to have a little control of the situation—something you don’t get with a typical bargain basement plastic sled.
It’s not surprising that sledding has gone high-tech these days. I’m very familiar with three different models of modern steerable sleds and I’ve gotta tell you, they are loads of fun.
The Airboard inflatable sled has "chines" on the bottom for steering. (Tim Jones photo)
The first high-tech sled I tried was the Swedish-made Airboard. The Airboard can be used on beginner terrain at lift-serviced ski resorts and they rent them and give introductory lessons at Smugglers Notch (1-800-451-8752) in Jeffersonville, Vermont. The Airboard inflates like the tubes you tow behind a motorboat (which provides a nice cushioned ride), and had hard plastic “chines” on the base (like a boat hull) let you carve turns in soft packed snow (a groomed ski slope is perfect) and powder. You can control your speed by dragging your feet and turning. Great ride.
The Hammerhead Sled is the High-tech, go anywhere version of the old "Flexible Flyer." (Tim Jones Photo)
If you have fond memories of the old “Flexible Flyer” sled, you’re gonna go nuts over the new, Vermont-made Hammerhead. It’s extremely comfortable to ride on, steers in much the same way, but has skis instead of the narrow runners. You can even change the skis to suit different snow conditions—narrow for hard snow, wide for deeper powder. In my experience, they work best on firm but not hard snow. If you want to try them out, Tenney Mountain (888-289-1020) in Plymouth, N.H. rents Hammerheads and runs Saturday afternoon sled races
The Mad River Rocket is so steerable, you can even rip a powder line through the trees! (Tim Jones photo)
Finally, there’s the Mad River Rocket which is also made in Vermont. This sled has so much flotation and is so steerable you can even use it to sled in the woods, neatly carving turns around trees. You ride the Rocket by kneeling it and tightening a strap over your thighs, which welds you to the sled, and steer by leaning and dragging your hands. Not the most comfortable riding position (especially for older folks with creaky knees), but the control is amazing—kids are doing jumps and flips with them . . . The Mad River Rockets excel in soft snow, don’t do as well on packed or groomed. As an added bonus, if you’re a bit handy you can build a harness that turns the sled into a pulk for winter trekking.
Any of these high tech gems will turn an ordinary winter day into playtime. All you need is a slope and a little snow. Once you’ve invested in the sled, the fun is free.
Related posts:
Tim Jones, Founder and Executive Editor, started skiing at age 4 and hasn't stopped since. In the summer, he hikes, mountain bikes, paddles and fly fishes. In addition to his work at EasternSlopes.com, Tim also writes a pair of syndicated weekly newspaper columns, Active Outdoors and Eastern Slopes, and is Managing Editor of The Angling Report. He lives with his sweetheart Marilyn in New Hampshire with 25 ski hills within easy day-trip distance. 
