Sat, 02/09/2019 - 09:03 pm

Lynda Clancy

The 29th annual Toboggan National Championships draws all kinds of characters to Ragged Mountain in Camden, in February, for an informal competition that is a crazy festival unto itself. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Ragged Mountain Ski Patrollers Morgan Laidlaw, Abbie Leonard and Jeff Boston picks up those who fall. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

The Rockport Fire Department, out in force. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

A Rockport select board member, in camo. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

The nicest couch in Tobogganville this year, by far. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Camden Snow Bowl Maintenance Manager Tom Beauregard keeps on eye on everything. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Grace Josselyn, of Hope, finds a wam spot in the sun. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Things were shaking in Tobogganville. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Dave Dickey, of Camden, is one of the founders of the Toboggan Nationals. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

This man had a silver fox hat, with the ears. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Ski patroller Steve Pixley holds down Ice Summit, headquarters of the Ragged Mountain Ski Patrol in Tobogganville. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Richard Podolsky stops by the ski patrol summit. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

A mountain steward. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Grapes. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Camden Police Officer Allen Weaver. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

The Camden Select Board team, upright, beat Rockport by a few tenths of a second. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Then came Rockport’s town team. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Ragged Mountain Ski Patrollers Morgan Laidlaw, Abbie Leonard and Jeff Boston picks up those who fall. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

The Rockport Fire Department, out in force. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

A Rockport select board member, in camo. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

The nicest couch in Tobogganville this year, by far. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Camden Snow Bowl Maintenance Manager Tom Beauregard keeps on eye on everything. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Grace Josselyn, of Hope, finds a wam spot in the sun. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Things were shaking in Tobogganville. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Dave Dickey, of Camden, is one of the founders of the Toboggan Nationals. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

This man had a silver fox hat, with the ears. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Ski patroller Steve Pixley holds down Ice Summit, headquarters of the Ragged Mountain Ski Patrol in Tobogganville. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Richard Podolsky stops by the ski patrol summit. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

A mountain steward. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Grapes. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Camden Police Officer Allen Weaver. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

The Camden Select Board team, upright, beat Rockport by a few tenths of a second. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

Then came Rockport’s town team. (Photo by Lynda Clancy)

(Photo by Lynda Clancy)

CAMDEN — Oh sure, it was cold: 21 degrees F at the bottom of the hill and a cold slicing wind blew in from the northwest. All the slush and rain from Friday’s warm front turned to solid ice by early Saturday morning, Feb. 9, and Hosmer Pond was again a frozen ice rink.

But that was just the background. Front and center, it was all color, laughter, and serious and not-so-serious competition, as the 29th annual Toboggan National Championships got underway for day one of setting chute times, visiting with friends, eating chili, and making merry.

The just-perfect ice-rimmed toboggan chute had been prepped accordingly by the Camden Snow Bowl and Toboggan Committee’s always capable crew, and the first toboggans careened down toward the sheer ice of Hosmer Pond, almost as fast as the wind itself.

Familiar faces, plus new ones, filled Tobogganville. Fires and woodstoves were stoked all day long, as Old Man Winter blew, with gusts sometimes reaching 45 mph.

But that didn’t matter much, as just about everyone dressed appropriately, with the really smart ones attaching ice creepers to their boot soles. (Get some if you don’t have any.)

Once again, the east side of Camden Snow Bowl by the 440-foot-long toboggan chute came alive for the well-loved winter event that draws the local community outdoors, and brings visitors from afar, always with a hearty toast to winter. Let the wild winds blow. At the base of Ragged Mountain, it is time to race and celebrate, bump into old friends, and get the heat on.

(See photos from the costume parade)

But even with the ice, the times were not extraordinary, rivaling those of the 28 other toboggan nationals as the sleds ripped down the 440-foot long chute. Times were comparable to 2018, and the weather one year ago on toboggan weekend was warm and slushy.

Four hundred plus toboggan teams are registered this year. Each team has been ensured two rides during qualifying with the best times advancing to the Sunday finals.

Admission to Toboggan Nationals is free for spectators and cheering squads, and parking is available for $10/car fee to park in the Snow Bowl parking lot (space is limited).

Shuttle buses run from the village green downtown throughout the event for $3 per day or $5 for both days, and your ride back to downtown is free.

SUNDAY, FEB. 10

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bus shuttle service from downtown Camden; $5 roundtrip 2-day pass; Shuttle bus pick-up @ Village Green

9 a.m. SECOND RUNS for 4-person and Experimental teams (Optional for fast times)

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Snow Bowl open for skiing and snowboarding

Noon FINAL RUNS – begin with 2-person teams, then proceed with 3-person, 4-person and experimental teams

TOP 40 – 2-person teams

TOP 40 – 3-person teams

TOP 50 – 4-person teams

TOP 25 percent – Experimental teams

3 p.m. (approx) Awards ceremony in Tobogganville

What follows are the initial times released Saturday evening for Saturday’s runs.

2 Person Finalists
Bib	Full Name	Final Result
5	2 Moody	9.42
37	The Return of Deedles	9.44
4	Sokwajiweg 1	9.45
57	Sleducators	9.46
63	Bad Ash	9.46
1	Other Two Big Kahoonas	9.48
62	Two Pounds	9.48
2	Two Big Kahoonas	9.49
41	Throbbin’ Boggans	9.49
42	Throbbin’ Boggans 2	9.5
13	Two Wingnuts	9.51
31	Bolt 2	9.51
28	Sokwajiweg 2	9.52
33	2 Whiskey’s On Ice	9.52
36	Spudrunner 2	9.52
78	BOLT 5	9.52
73	Valley Kingdom Chuters	9.53
88	Buzzard’s Glory	9.53
38	Yahtzee	9.55
3	Lil Deuce Coupe	9.56
23	Maxcy Pad	9.56
21	Toboquinns	9.58
68	2 Slab City Sliders	9.58
52	Who’s the Boss	9.59
111	2 Fast	9.59
247	Jugheads 2	9.6
56	Fat Bloated Idiots	9.61
406	Deaf Lefties	9.63
24	Hell Gets a Bit Nippy	9.64
99	Rednecks on Ice	9.64

3 Person Finalists
Bib	Full Name	Final Result
147	Whiskey on Ice 3	9.33
177	Three Pounds	9.4
126	Three Big Kahoonas	9.41
132	Wax That Ash	9.41
157	Throbbin’ Boggans 3	9.41
145	Bolt 3	9.43
141	Sokwajiweg 4	9.44
140	Shear Madness 3	9.46
167	Farm Fry or Die	9.46
142	Splittin’ Adams	9.48
161	Spudrunner 3	9.48
179	Schooner Olad	9.49
210	Middle Earth	9.51
128	Sokwajiweg 3	9.52
155	Mums the Word	9.52
127	Eleanor Gone In Eight Seconds	9.53
150	Bumble Bee Jack	9.54
201	Sundays Questionable	9.54
153	Sue-personic	9.55
169	Absolute Zeros	9.55
207	Redneck Rocket	9.55
180	Chute That’s Fast	9.56
193	First National Bank – Nadeau’s Savage Day	9.56
211	Deer Isle Smile	9.57
130	The ‘Boggan from the ‘Scoggin	9.59
240	Jugheads x3	9.59
139	Toboggahue	9.6
186	3 Slab City Sliders	9.6
188	First National Bank-Bruised Ash	9.6