When I was a boy I had a much more basic Flexible Flyer sled than this one. It had no seat back or side rails. For stability at speed, I rode it lying on my belly. The important feature was the same, though: the flexible front end that made steering easy and accurate. I remember one winter when the series of hills in the park across the street not only got a good thick base of snow, but there was a very brief partial thaw followed by a re-freeze. The icy surface then made it possible to build a lot of momentum, and we could cover long stretches of level ground and even slide uphill, coasting to the next big downhill. There were turns to be made to avoid running into trees and rocks…it was a bit like high speed cross country skiing for city kids with only a sled. At the end of the run, we even had to do a sharp turn to a sideways skid, to avoid running into a fence, much the way a downhill skier might stop. (I don't know if that's good technique or bad for skis, but it was the only option on a sled!)
I've missed seeing snow, and with the first chance in Raleigh this winter turning out to be a fizzle, I decided today to photograph this antique sled that my wife found some years back. It probably dates to between World War I and WW II. Yes, it's just sitting on a white sheet.
[24mm TS-E f/3.5 L II + 1.4x Extender II]
Permalink: http://jilcp.blogspot.com/2014/01/luxury-ride.html
Recommend you see the movie, The Giver. In the movie, a sled much like the one your wife found, above, is featured prominently three times. The sled symbolizes childhood, memories, and dreams as well as transport into different worlds. Something to look for in the movie (per Imdb), Nelson Mandela died while the film was being shot in South Africa, and his image is used in the film as a "memory."
ReplyDeleteSounds very interesting! Reminds me of "Rosebud" in Citizen Kane. I will look up The Giver and watch it when I have a chance!
Delete