What to ride down the mountain in winter. What can a child ride in winter. Types of winter scooters

Have you prepared a sleigh in the summer? Do not rush to move down the mountain on a plastic bag. There are more interesting options. Today we will talk about the closest relatives of the sled.

LICENKA

Once it was called a sieve or a box with a frozen bottom. And even just a large piece of ice, on which they famously rode down the hill. Now ice cubes of various shapes, colors and sizes are made of frost-resistant plastic. These "sleds" do not have runners, which allows the rider to feel all the unevenness of the slope on his own bottom. Such a vehicle moves briskly on the ice and slowly slides down the snow. A little trick: the ice will glide better if you douse it with water in advance, freeze it on the balcony, and dip it in boiling water for a second before going outside.

CHEESECAKE

If as a child you loved to drive down the slope on a car tube, then a multi-colored inflatable "cheesecake" is just for you. It is stable, softens blows, glides even on a slope barely covered with first snow. Durable and lightweight material from which the inflatable sled is made does not get wet, does not freeze in winter and does not melt in the summer heat. Therefore, in the warm season, the "cheesecake" can be safely used as a raft.

Managed streamlined sled. Unlike the whimsical snow scooter, the bob is not afraid of springboards and bumps. However, an amateur snow "car" is not at all the same as a professional one. The projectile of bobsleigh athletes is suitable exclusively for skiing on ice channels and develops an average speed of 130 km / h. One person cannot cope with super-speed sleds. Therefore, they are designed for a crew of two or four people.

SNOW ROLL

These are sleds with steering and wide ski runners. For the first time, sleds were crossed with skis back in 1935. And over time, the hybrid was equipped with a brake and steering wheel. Add a motor to a snowscooter and you have a snowmobile. "Snow cars", produced by well-known auto and motorcycle concerns, are capable of gaining speed over 100 km / h. They no longer need a slide to disperse.

TOBOGGAN

Initially - several boards fastened with straps, with a bent front and sides made of skin or birch bark. On such transport, Canadian Indians carried goods. Modern toboggans are controlled, usually double, sleds without skids. The highest mountain track for riding an Indian cart is located in the Alps, in the Lake Geneva region. On a mile-long descent, you can accelerate to 40 km / h. For our modest slides, inflatable toboggans are more suitable.

SLED

Small light sled without sides and back. They allow you to ride even on the priest, even on the stomach. It was on the sled that the first skeleton competitions were held - downhill head first. The modern Olympian skeletonist accelerates to 150 km/h. And the control is carried out by the toes of shoes equipped with spikes. The weight of the professional sled exceeds 40 kg.

FROM THE HISTORY

■ Sledges appeared in the second millennium BC. The remains of the oldest runners were found in Finland and the Northern Urals.

■ In ancient Egypt, after the invention of the wheel, a wagon on skids was used in funeral rites. The mummy in a standing position was taken to the tomb on a sleigh.

■ In Russia, until the end of the 17th century, solemn royal trips were carried out on sledges - even in the summer. Traveling on a sled was considered more honorable than in a carriage.

■ Luxurious sleighs of the Chinese emperor were dragged by eight servants shod in shoes with long nails on the soles.

And how many people still keep Soviet relics with aluminum skids and multi-colored wooden planks as a memory on balconies and attics! Today, many other varieties of sleds have appeared.

Let's try to figure them out.

"Cheesecakes", or tubing, - a new generation of inflatable sleds

Advantages: Both adults and children like these sleds. Riding on them is very reckless, snow does not stick to them. They come in different diameters - from 60 to 120 cm, so you can choose a sled for any age. They weigh little - usually within 1-2 kg. Versatile: suitable for skiing in the winter from the hills, and for swimming in the lake in the summer.

Flaws:"cheesecakes" easily pick up speed, becoming dangerous and uncontrollable. Many often bruise their foreheads on them and get bruises, crashing into trees or flying out of "cheesecakes" on springboards.

Wooden sled with aluminum skids (classic)

Advantages: Such sleds are very durable, light and frost-resistant. Time passes, but they do not become obsolete. You can sit on them together, arrange sledge trains from several of these sleighs. You can harness your dog or dad in them.

Flaws: rope grabbing into the hand.

Sledges on iron tubular runners

Advantages: in modern sled models, instead of the usual rope, they began to provide a handle made of a hollow iron tube. It can be inserted both in front of the sled and from the back to push it in front of you.

Another useful innovation is small wheels. They are especially useful in urban areas. With their help, you can easily transport the sled across a snow-free road without scraping the runners on the asphalt. In most of these models, soft mattress seats are provided. Such sleds are especially convenient for walking with kids.

Flaws: the bulkiness of the sled and its heavy weight compared to other models.

Sledge trough

Advantages: good for walking in the park and riding several children at once. They are relatively stable, agile and non-traumatic due to the low seating position, high sides and interior handles to hold on to.

They can support a person weighing from 45 to 80 kg. Sometimes they are even equipped with hand brakes and a steering wheel.

Flaws: The sled-trough quickly fills with snow. They do not have a back for the child to lean on.

Plastic sledges on runners

Advantages: they are usually lighter than classic sleds and have a more ergonomic shape, sleeker design. There are models with brakes and a steering wheel that controls the front ski. Some models of plastic sleds have removable pusher handles: it is very convenient to roll kids in these.

Flaws: their little frost resistance. At temperatures below -20 °C, plastic becomes brittle. Another disadvantage is that plastic sleds tend to be bulky and require a lot of space to store them.

Ledyanki

Advantages: ice rinks are the lightest and cheapest of all options, but are only suitable for going downhill. Compared to cheesecake sleds, they are less traumatic: firstly, because they are easy to control with a handle and outstretched legs, and secondly, because they have a low landing.

Flaws: everyone who rode them from an ice slide knows that it is very easy to beat off your tailbone on the recesses and springboards. Glaciers are dangerous for children under 4-5 years old.

Sledge-plates

Advantages: such sleds are suitable for ice slides and are quite safe due to their stability. They go much further than the ice and rotate during the descent. The sides surround the "plate" from all sides and soften the blows.

Sledding is fun and exciting. They are lightweight and weigh just over a kilogram.

Flaws: sled-plates are designed only for skiing from hills and do not glide well on loose snow.

"Finky" (chair with four legs, mounted on skids)

Advantages: this is one of the safest and most practical types of sled, operated while standing, like a scooter. They are the best for walking. They can be used as a chair during a walk. On the icy surface of the lake, the Finns develop great speed.

If it is necessary to move out onto loose snow, plastic runners in the form of cross-country skis are put on the steel “blades”. As a rule, Finns are easily disassembled, which is important for storage and transportation.

Flaws:"Finks" are a good means of transportation, they can go down from gentle slopes, but they are not suitable for riding from high hills. Toddlers can only ride them as passengers paired with an adult.

Actually, I prefer cross-country skiing. I ride sleds and ice floes if I go for a walk with my son. He, of course, has a snow scooter, and he loves to jump from springboards on it. And I prefer not so controllable, but much softer and more comfortable inflatable "cheesecake" or "donut".

Permians are still thinking about how to spend a long weekend. Some bought vouchers to hot countries, others take out sleds-ice-cardboards from the balconies.

We decided to test different skiing equipment and find the fastest and most comfortable option.

To begin with, we go with a stopwatch to a large wooden slide in an amusement park. But the administrator of the slide warns that he will not allow us to ride on anything but a bun-cheesecake.

Well, we take the most democratic option - the natural hills in Chernyaevsky Park (behind the military hospital). There are a lot of kids riding there - the junior schoolchildren have already come on vacation, and the weather has finally gotten better too.

"Go away!" - a snow scooter rushes past, on which, by some miracle, about five boys sat down at once. The unstable structure does not withstand the turn that the driver has laid down, and all passengers fly into a snowdrift. “Who is the last one is dragging the sled up the hill!” - schoolchildren immediately jump up and rush to the top of the hill in a race.

Well, let's start testing. To begin with, we mark the time of descent on a snow scooter, which again flies from the mountain, loaded with boys. 15 seconds.

Next - cheesecake (tubing). Two samples participate in the tests at once: purchased from the store and self-sewn from banner fabric. The first is down in 17 seconds, the second in only 20! And the first rolls a couple of meters further than the second.

Ledyanki also took different types: from soft plastic and more rigid (with sides). A soft ice-cream rises to one line of the rating with a home-made cheesecake - 20 seconds. Rigid a little faster - 18.

Now let's check the methods familiar from childhood: oilcloth and cardboard. This is ideal if you happened to be on the slides and did not take anything with you. For softness, we fill the bag with snow and try to go down the mountains ... About halfway through the descent, the speed drops to 0 and we have to continue moving, pushing off with our feet. As a result - 34 seconds.

The carton rides a little faster - 25 seconds, but because of the wet snow it gets wet quickly. For a long time such a device is not enough. Maximum - 2-3 descents from the mountain.

We look around: what else the guys are riding. Ordinary sleds, a snowboard (which is used as an ice rink), small plastic skis.

“Write so that you don’t ride on such hills with sleds and snow scooters,” a young mother asks us, who came to walk with her 2-year-old son. “I’m launching a child down on an ice rink, and I’m running after myself - I’m afraid that the older guys on a snow scooter will knock him down on the road.”

We ask the children what they like to ride on. The most popular answer is ice skating - it is easy to carry and goes down the mountain quite quickly. Although the cheesecake rolls faster, it is too inconvenient when carrying - it is not recommended to drag it on the ground like a sled - the “rolling” layer will be scratched.

Cardboard, a piece of plywood, linoleum, or even, if you're lucky, an old car tire. A few years ago, in order to enjoy spending time on a hill, it was necessary to use a lot of imagination and resourcefulness - in the truest sense of the word. What you find — on that and ride. Now stores offer a dozen different "gadgets". Just choose.

Sled

In any children's store you will find a million varieties of sledges: wooden, plastic, metal, with and without a back, and even a sled-carriage for kids. Prices, respectively, also vary greatly - from 500 to 5000 rubles.

When choosing a sled, keep in mind that wooden and aluminum sleds, although light, but not very strong, quickly break and bend. Plastic ones are more expensive, but they are more reliable.

Ledyanka

The most primitive rolling device, an alternative to a piece of linoleum from Soviet childhood. However, parents like their low price (from 100 rubles), and children like ease of use: no need to pull heavy sleds uphill. I drove down the hill, grabbed an almost weightless ice cube in my hand, ran upstairs - and you can roll again. There is only one problem - while you are driving, you must try not to beat yourself off both soft and hard.

"Plate"

Upgrading ice, but with its drawbacks. It seems that the design protects better from impacts and unsuccessful landings. And the price is not too high - from 300 rubles. However, the “plate” must be able to control, otherwise it instantly turns 180 degrees, and the child rushes backwards from the mountain, without seeing, of course, the road. Where he crashes - into a soft dad or a hard tree - depends on his personal luck and the quickness of the parent.

"Bean"

The next step in the evolution of icicles. This plastic trough with primitive brakes and a strap in front is easier to control than a “plate”, and it develops much more speed. Sometimes it is equipped with a steering wheel, which, however, does not affect anything except the price - from 1500 to 3000 rubles. As on an ice track, when meeting with springboards, everything fights off, but it’s not scary to fall, not like from a snow scooter.

"Vatrushka" / "Tube"

The favorite slides of last year and this year are not losing ground. Inside the cheesecake there is a chamber inflated with air, on top it is covered with a cover made of some kind of polymer, akin to the very piece of linoleum on which we rode as children. Thanks to this, the “cheesecake” develops a breakneck speed and is absolutely safe, landing after an unexpected meeting with a springboard will be painless. When choosing a cheesecake, pay attention to its carrying capacity, suddenly dad also wants to remember his youth and show how to ride downhill. The greater the carrying capacity, the more expensive the cheesecake - from 1000 to 3000 rubles, but it is entertainment for the whole family.

Snow scooter

A real steering wheel, which means simplicity and ease of use, distinguishes a snow scooter from all other types of sleds. The price, respectively, is quite high: from 3000 to 8000 rubles. The more expensive the model, the more all sorts of bells and whistles: from an automatically retracting towing cable to a vibration damper that reduces vibration (such things are in cars, drilling rigs and other complex mechanisms).

And what Russian does not like fast driving - especially on New Year's Eve, and even on freshly fallen snow! And we mean not just a car and not a sled with skis. Rushing with a breeze in the cold (if it comes, of course) can be much more interesting! In our material, we present you the top 5 most unusual snowshoeing ideas.

TOP-5. horse ride

One of the most affordable, but nonetheless interesting options is a winter horseback ride. This refers to both sledding and horseback riding.

For such a holiday, it is not necessary to acquire your own stable. There are plenty of horse-tourist bases in the Moscow region: for example, the Ataman complex in the village of Vaulino or the Outpost horse ranch in Isavintsy. There you can not only rent horses, but also get riding lessons from experienced instructors.

Let's face it: horseback riding isn't cheap. An hour-long ride on horseback will cost you one and a half thousand rubles, and a sleigh ride with a breeze will cost you two and a half. Private traders take cheaper, but their service is not the same, and you need to agree on the event in advance. So, if you want to make a date for the New Year holidays, you need to call today.

TOP 4. On a rope behind a car

Fun for real adventurers! Not everyone dares to rush on a sled or a mono-ski after a fleeing car, although the thirst for adrenaline can be quenched in this way for a couple of years ahead.

For the attraction you will need a car, an adequate driver, a piece of cable and, in fact, the “aircraft” itself. A strong sled is most often taken as it, although, as we have already mentioned, it can be a mono-ski or even an ordinary wooden pallet. The main rule here is the safety of the riders. And so we remember:
Never ride on the roadway or any other place where it is possible to meet another vehicle. The best training ground in such a case should be recognized as a well-frozen pond. And the platform is flat, and visibility is 360 degrees.
The length of the cable must be at least ten meters. In the event of a sudden stop, the rider needs sufficient braking distance.
Feel free to wear all the protection you have, including a mask. When riding a cable, it is useful to see exactly where you are being carried.
And the last rule this time is for the driver. If you hear that ice is cracking under the wheels - in no case stop! Add speed (but without fanaticism - you have a passenger overboard) and leave by the shortest route to the shore.

If rope riding is taken seriously, then a festive mood is guaranteed.

TOP 3. Dog team

For centuries, in the conditions of the Far North, a dog sled was the only means of transport. Today, it has already been thoroughly forgotten, and sleds are used only for sports purposes. But the idea to ride on such a sled, and even on New Year's Eve, is quite attractive! Even if instead of a pack you have only one, but a strong dog, you can arrange a holiday for at least your child.

The only problem is the Eskimo sled itself. They ask for them like for a used car, which not everyone can afford.

Fortunately, you don’t need professional equipment to just ride, and simple sleds can be made on your own, moreover, in two or three hours. For these purposes, you will need old skis, sleds, a two-three-meter piece of wooden beam and a handle from garden tools. Even if you have to buy all this, it will come out inexpensively.

As you can see, there is no particular need to explain the installation technology, everything is clear intuitively.

It will be necessary to stop only on some nuances.
Firstly, the skis must be fixed parallel to each other; for this, the distance between them is carefully measured before installation.
Secondly, all bolts or self-tapping screws with which you will fasten something to the skis must be twisted from the side of the sliding plane and must be hidden in the sweat.

A few hours in the workshop - and you can harness. Just don't attach the traces directly to the collar. For this, there are special dog sleds, which can be easily found in a pet store.

TOP-2. Winter windsurfing

If you can’t escape to the sea in the summer, and you have dreamed of sailing all your life, winter is exactly the time of the year when this can be done. After all, a flat snow-covered field is in no way inferior to the sea surface. The only thing you may have problems with is inventory. The sail itself can be purchased at the store, but there will be problems with the board. It will have to be made by yourself.

The board is of two types. This is a two- and three-skier. The latter is more friendly for beginners, and therefore we will talk about its manufacture in more detail.

For work, you will need two pairs of cross-country skis, a fine metal mesh and a thick-walled aluminum tube with a diameter of about two to three centimeters (you can take it from an old folding bed).

Make the center ski first.

Attach auxiliary skis to it using aluminum tubes, while they should not be parallel, but at an angle of 25 ° to the horizon. This is the most crucial moment. In order not to screw up here, aluminum parts must be bent in advance, moreover, one pattern at a time.

Insert spacers between the fasteners (from the same tubes) and wrap the resulting skeleton with a metal mesh.

In fact, the tricycle is ready, you just need to screw the leg loops and the hinge mount under the mast to the metal frame. The first can be made from leather or fabric-covered metal, while the second part is sold in the store.

With a good wind on such a tricycle, you can reach speeds of over 50 km / h, so do not forget about protective equipment. Well, now set sail and let's go for a ride!

TOP-1. Snowkiting

And yet, despite all the advantages of the sail, he is content with only the second place in our "hit parade" of New Year's skating. We call snowkiting the undisputed leader.

If you don't know, a kite is such a huge kite that is used instead of a sail. True, such a drive has an order of magnitude stronger traction, which allows you to use not only flat terrain for skiing, but also steep climbs. But special pleasure can be obtained not so much from speed as from jumps. Ten-second flights are the norm here.

One trouble, unlike summer kiting, in case of failure, you will have to fall not into the water, but onto frozen ground, because this type of entertainment has the highest percentage of injuries. Riding a kite without a helmet and elbow pads is out of the question.

In addition to protective ammunition, you will need the kite itself, it is sold with an area from one (training) to three meters, as well as a trapezoid and a snowboard. Although, if you decide to do without freestyle, regular skis will do.

All equipment is not cheap, but can be rented. So, the cost of daily rent of a kite is only 500-600 rubles, while it can be purchased only for 25-40 thousand. Not only is it really easy to manage a “kite”, but Google, at your first request, will find one and a half to two dozen kiting schools right in the suburbs.

Well, are you ready to get your portion of New Year's adrenaline? ..