Sledding

Sledding, and tobogganing or sledding is one that originally wintry, locomotion, a mountain by a Rodels ( sleigh ) ride down. Today is known as the steerable sled by shifting your weight sports equipment.

The sledge

A sledge, also briefly toboggan ( from the Upper German -Swiss rotteln " shake ", " shaking " ) or slide ( OHG slito " glider ", " toboggan" cf ), is a two skids and a rack unit. It is used to slide down a slope or a toboggan run after it has previously been drawn by human power or by means of a ski lift to a higher position. Since sledge need less snow than skis, they are also widely used in areas with less snowfall.

History

Slides are used as means of transportation for thousands of years. In Europe, first carriage were probably used since the early days as wintry transport, such as in Scandinavia, the Alps or in the Erzgebirge as drawing carriage for the hay and wood transport and in smaller forms for passenger transport. The first mention of tobogganing probably makes Plutarch about the Cimbri, which should have run naked through the snow on the mountain and sitting on broad, flat shields, repelled and whizzed down. The later toboggan developed as a recreational device from alpine slide molds.

A sledge is traditionally made ​​from ash or beech wood with iron-shod runners, with newer also be made from plastics. It offers mostly for one or two people on a seat on wooden slats or fabric covering space and has a string, where it can be pulled uphill and flat stretches. A distinction is made between the Davos sledge and the horn sled.

Sledging

Since the beginning of the 19th century sledding became popular as an independent winter sport in the variants luge on artificial ice rinks and as tobogganing. Originally derived from the drawing carriage forms have evolved into specialized high-performance devices. Race on traditional sleds are just more than folkloric entertainment event usual.

The modern sport sled, unlike the Davos Sled oblique iron- runners. The runners of the Davos carriage lie flat on the ground on which the Rodels are only on one edge. The runners of the Rodels are slightly curved in the longitudinal direction, in combination with the verziehbaren construction of Rodels - as in the classic drawing carriage - allows the driver press only by shifting your weight and leg work on the toboggan ( soles of the feet against the front frame arch: Press right to left curve and press the left for right curve) to control this; the driver of a carriage Davos, however, must press your feet against the ground to steer the sled ( press on the left for left turn, and right for right curve). The luge track is faithful and also much faster than the Davos sledge.

Other sports equipment for sledding

Apart from the actual sled has been around since the 1960 Bob - no slide in the proper sense. This device also slides on sand dunes is possible. Bob is available as a plastic tub with guide grooves, on the front, the feet can be placed. with more or less pronounced seat with backrest, sometimes two handles controllable, as well as the simple Zipflbob with handle, which can take between his legs. Other sports equipment, similar to the sled are the skeleton and the Rennbob of the bobsleigh and the Schibob which is today nurmehr rare. As an alternative to sled there, since 2001, the inflatable Airboard.

For recreational sledders, it is possible to ride on the summer toboggan runs. In the summer toboggan the runners are replaced by wheels. In summer tobogganing no national or international competitions.

Sand tobogganing

Summer tobogganing

Spark ( Kicksled ), traditional Scandinavian sleigh, here with child seat