Crazy Kids and the Sleds They Build

Broomball sweeps up Dynamite Hill

Story and photos by Eric Rushia

Every February adults and children from throughout the North Country head to Dynamite Hill, a popular sledding spot for young and old alike, to participate in a custom sled competition.

Much preparation is needed to create an original sled that is capable of sliding down the entire hill. More than 15 homemade sleds took part of the sixth annual Krazy Downhill Derby in Chestertown, New York. Sleds ranged from Thomas the Tank engine to Sponge Bob Squarepants to Snoopy to the 4H Clover and Fire truck thirty-one.

To 14-year-old Ryan Trudsue of Chestertown, New York, staying on any sled for the entire ride down the hill can be one hell of an adventure as he gets ready for his run with fellow riders and his sled's creator, Doug Roberts of Chester, New York. Roberts usually waits until the day before the actual derby until he begins his final sled preparations.

"I've done this for many, many years now," Roberts said. "Every year I add more weight, tweak the design, or control the sled's steering more with a shovel or rope. As long as it goes faster and straighter, I will be in good shape."

This year, he nailed the small brown sofa, which he had borrowed from a local recycling center for a comfortable seat, to one end of his sled. At the front of the main wooden frame rests Snoopy, asleep in his doghouse. Both riders were given the award for the most relaxed ride down the hill.

"We never know how many people are going to show up. Depending on the weather, we typically get half a dozen sleds," said Lynn Engelmann president of the North Warren Chamber of Commerce.

Dynamite Hill has been home to the Krazy Downhill Derby and Broomball tournament for about six or seven years now, Engelmann said. A few years ago, local organizers chose to bring back the broomball tournament as neighboring towns showed interest having a tournament before the derby, which would allow for spectators to get an up-close and personal view of the sleds.

The restrictions put on the sleds are that they need to be homemade and non-motorized. Although there is no weight limit for the sleds, only four people are allowed to ride down the hill. The categories the sleds are judged on are mainly made up by local organizers who look over contestants' registration forms and depending on the sleds' originality, they create a sled-specific category. Everyone who enters the sled race does receive an official Krazy Downhill Derby and Broomball Tournament hat and t-shirt, as well as a certificate. Emergency medical technicians are on site in case an accident occurrs. Hay is also positioned at the hill's bottom to cushion the sleds and decrease their speed.

An assortment of tools, supplies, and manual labor go into building even the simplest sled. Sled-builder, Paul Lavin began thinking of ideas for his sled as soon as last year's event was officially over. Lavin spent about four months working on his "Lake Skywalker" sled, which is named after his favorite movie, "Star Wars." The design consists of Styrofoam wings on each side of the plane's body to give the sled much needed aerodynamics. The rest of the sled's body is made of cardboard that has been duct-taped together and smaller pieces of wood. Lavin's sled took home honors for "Most Original Sled" and "Best Low-flyer."

"Last year, someone built something as big as a Viking ship and another family had something as small as a tube-size sled," Engelmann said.

Many families showed up early so they could get a close-up view of the sleds before the races start. Before the sledding began, a four-team Broomball Tournament was organized with separate divisions for kids and adults. All games were played on the ice rink inside the pavilion.

For those who don't know, Broomball is a game similar to ice hockey in the sense that they are both played on ice, except with broomball there are fewer players on the ice at once, shoes are worn instead of skates, and brooms are used rather than ice hockey sticks. Usually players cover their brooms with duct-tape so they can easily smack the medium-size orange ball around with greater consistency than your typical broom. For the third year-in-a-row, The Adirondack Janitors, led by Eric Matson, won the adults division while the Anti-Guerillas took home the title in the kids 13-and-under division.

Did you ever go sledding as a kid?