U.S. National Toboggan Championships

Why would you go to Camden Maine, especially in the winter? And on top of that, where is it? Well, I have one good reason, U.S. National Toboggan Championship. This year it was held from February 7th-February 9th, which coincided perfectly with our arrival time here in Maine. Of corse we had to go! Regarding location, it is southern Maine, near Rockport, with the closest, “big” city being Augusta.

According to the statement in Mainetourism.com there were over 400 teams competing, from all around the world, that made the trek to Camden. It included a 440 foot toboggan chute. And of course, the fastest teams win a handmade, one of a kind trophy, a miniature traditional wood toboggan.

Now that is what I call Aerodynamic! This group went 40 MPH!

And this is what makes it all worth it! The homemade trophy.

This year happened to be the 30th annual U.S National Championships, which made the event feel more special to first timers like us. The toboggan chute ends by running onto a frozen pond. Highest race speeds soar up to 40MPH and the top times were coming in around 9 seconds. These guys fly. To paint a picture for you, imagine walking past competitors that are dressed up in all sorts of costumes; pink flamingos, race car drivers, and of course traditional flannels. You are walking around to check out the toboggan chute on crunchy snow, it is only 18 degrees out and you notice the run is simply made out of wood with a small base of frozen water-ICE!. Most people made it safely, however some crashes were noted and looked painful, rolling onto their side and being thrown onto the frozen lake. Infact, many would turn sideways and tumble out of the toboggan. Helmets highly encouraged!

Every team gets two rides over this three day event, and teams range from 2-4 person. There is a trophy for each category, and there is even an experimental division. In this division, you build your own unique toboggan, like this one below, made from a recycled children’s slide. The best part of this whole event…Free for spectators!

The experimental division…They converted a childhood slide into a toboggan! I have no idea if it made it down or not. This is where the judges decide who has the “best” experimental design.

For those that are interested in an overall run down

Thursday is race entry
Friday is the Toboggan inspection.
Saturday and Sunday is race day.
Free to spectators other than parking. We parked for free in town, 10 mins away, and 5 dollars is all it took to ride the school bus shuttle up to the toboggan races. If you want to drive up yourself, it is 10$ to park at the Ski Bowl.

Now I forgot to mention, these guys are legit. Every 5 years is the World Championships. This year happened to be one of those years! The participants of this championship run include only the 1st place winners from the 4 person toboggan division. There were participant winners from every year the race has been held. Meaning, there were winners from 29 years ago that entered and competed for a chance to be World Champion. This was one run, winner take all.

I truly enjoyed the small town feel of this event. There are ice huts on the lake, ice fishing, grilling, and hanging out by an open fire (not on the lake). Lastly, if you get hungry or thirsty there are a few food trucks and a beer garden as well as a small souvenir shop.

Despite waking this morning to -10 degrees, and only 1 degree at 8 am, once we arrived at the races, it was a balmy 18 degrees and warm enough for a two hour view of this event. I would suggest to bring some snacks, dress warm, and enjoy walking on a frozen lake!.

Lastly

The races are a major fundraiser for the Camden Snow Bowl. This is the only ski area in the country with summit views of the Atlantic Ocean. If you ski or snowboard, this is a great way to make a full weekend out of your trip to see the toboggan races.

Next time you find ourself in southern Maine, in the middle of winter, wondering why you want to be outside in freezing weather. Search no further. Camden Maine. (I truly did have a great time)

Tyler, Kari, and Roger all enjoying the toboggan race.