Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 24, 1994 TAG: 9402010002
SECTION: NEWSFUN PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WENDI GIBSON RICHERT NEWSFUN WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Except, of course, turning on the radio and hearing that your school is closed because of it.
Immediately, you jump from bed and shimmy into layers of your favorite snow clothes. Eager to be the first to lay tracks in the soft, smooth snow, you grab your gloves, secure your hat, and head outdoors.
Chances are, you want to slide down some hills, so you take your sled. And if you don't have one, you find something else that works.
The point is, you want to sled down every incline in your neighborhood until you're so exhausted - or cold - you can't climb another one.
Sleds, or any form of them, are symbols of winter. From the Flexible Flyer of decades past to the newer plastic saucers, kids and adults look to them for fun in the snow.
But in cold places where snow falls heavily and often, sleds are more than toys. They are the main sources of transportation for people whose cars won't move in the snow. In fact, the Encyclopedia Britannica says sleds are thought to be the first vehicles used by humans.
People in snowy places such as Alaska and Canada often use sleds pulled by dogs or horses. They go to the grocery store in them. They go to work in them. When there's lots of snow and ice on the ground, they have to use sleds to go most anywhere.
Around here, though, we use sleds just for fun. When the first couple of snows fell on Western Virginia, you could find people sliding down hills all over the region.
In fact, so many people wanted to go sledding that many stores in the Roanoke Valley quickly sold out of sleds of any kind. And, many stores don't expect to get any more until next winter.
(A couple we know of that do have sleds are Wal-Mart, which expects more to come throughout the winter, and Northwest True Value Hardware on Williamson Road, which still has a few. Both are in Roanoke.)
If you are lucky enough to find a store that still has sleds, you'll find plenty of models to choose from.
The most expensive sleds for playing in the snow are the wood and steel-runner sleds - commonly known as Flexible Flyers, but there are other brands. These range from $30-$60 and have been around longer than the plastic models you'll find today. The great thing about these wood and steel-runner sleds is you can steer them. And, you can stop them by dragging your feet in the snow.
You can't, however, steer and stop many of the plastic models available. Their advantage, though, is they are cheaper - about $6-$20. Some are simple plastic dishes that look like saucers. Others are shaped like rectangles. Only the more expensive of these plastic sleds have any steering capability.
If you don't have or cannot find a sled, don't fret. You probably have a homemade sled in your garage that you never knew you had.
Corrugated cardboard makes a smooth sliding surface. This cardboard is the thick, sturdy kind that appliances come in, such as refrigerator boxes. While you cannot steer this cardboard sled, you can slow it down if you lie on your belly and drag your feet in the snow.
People like to sled in inflated tires, too. But you can neither steer nor stop these. And if you hit a bump while riding one, remember that you'll probably bounce.
To find out how safe - and unsafe - sledding is, we called Dr. F. Joseph Duckwall, a pediatrician at Lewis-Gale Clinic.
Duckwall says the most important safety tip is to ``stay in control.'' That means stay on top of your slide and know where you are going.
That will be hard if you sled in unsafe areas - near any roads, rocky and bumpy areas, and areas with steep drop-offs. But if you're in a safe, smooth area away from traffic, trees and other obstacles, you're more likely to stay atop your sled.
Duckwall also warned against using anything but the traditional wood and steel-runner sleds in icy conditions like those of last week. Those sleds are hard enough to control, he said. But the plastic saucers are impossible. He says most of the sledding injuries he treats are on kids who lose control of the plastic saucer sleds.
Duckwall also advises kids to sled with an adult watching - always.
And, before you decide that Duckwall is no fun, you should know that he used to sled as a boy. ``Oh, I've used a sled plenty,'' he recalled. His sled of choice was the Flexible Flyer.
by CNB