BDN teams to join hundreds at Camden toboggan races

A year ago, against my better judgment, I became one of hundreds of participants during the 23rd annual U.S. National Toboggan Championships in Camden, joining my co-worker Aislinn Sarnacki on a two-person sled.

Members of Team Snarf spill on the ice of Hosmer Pond in Camden on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012 during a run at the 22nd annual U.S. National Toboggan Championships. (Bangor Daily News Photo by Kevin Bennett)

Members of Team Snarf spill on the ice of Hosmer Pond in Camden on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012 during a run at the 22nd annual U.S. National Toboggan Championships. (Bangor Daily News Photo by Kevin Bennett)

The best things I can say about the experience: First, I survived. Second, my teammate and I were so slow, we weren’t invited back for the finals, and I didn’t have to plunge down an ice-covered trough more than once.

You might say I’m a bit of a chicken when it comes to heights and extreme (or seemingly extreme) speed.

Today, I’m more or less happy to have been forced to announce that I’ll return to Camden on Saturday for the 24th edition of the event.

In fact, the BDN will field two four-person teams this year.

First, there’s the “BDN Walking Deadlines,” which includes Abigail Curtis, Troy Bennett, Kathleen Pierce and Seth Koenig.

And then there’s the team I’m on, “Bangor Deadly Luge,” featuring our fearless leader Tony Ronzio, along with Aislinn Sarnacki, Brian Feulner and (theoretically) me.

Crowds will head to the Camden SnowBowl beginning early Saturday morning, and racing will take place through Sunday.

Come on over. Stop by and chat. Warm yourself by our fire. And if you choose, try to convince me why sliding down an icy trough is such a good idea.

Good luck on that last one.

 

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.