While luge, bobsledding, and skeleton is left to the Olympic athletes, anyone can sled if there is enough snow on the ground. Since the snow has fallen, students have been pulling out sleds and flying down hills all over Hampden and Wilbraham. Some of the finest places to sled in the community can be found at the Hampden Country Club, Fountain Park, and the Wilbraham Monson Academy hill.

Freshman Caroline Davis does not have to travel far to have a good time sledding. “I have a really steep driveway, so that’s where I sled,” said Davis. Her driveway is not the safest place for sledding. “Once, I crashed into the mailbox.” Another time, Davis and her sister ended up on a frozen swamp and fell through the ice.

There are four basic types of sleds, which are disks, toboggans, runner sleds, and tubes. Some sledders like to stick to these traditional types of sleds. Sophomore Corrinne Choi has three different sleds that she likes to switch off. “One sled that I have had ever since I was born is one of those regular red plastic ones. I also have another one that is blue and has two seats with handles and everything. My third one is one of those old wooden sleds that tend to break a lot,” said Choi.

However, teens often get creative and go down hills on unconventional sleds. “The weirdest thing I have ever sledded on was a person,” said junior Alexis Howell. Junior Joe Bailey had also gone down a hill on top of another person.

Junior Andrew Lennox was even a little more creative with what he had sledded down a hill on. “A canoe behind a quad,” said Lennox. Another common unconventional sled that is used is a trash bag. Freshman Jenny Howell agrees that trash bags can work well for sledding down a slippery slope.

In 2004, the National Safety Council revealed that emergency rooms received approximately 33,000 sledding-related cases, and 1,500 incidents caused by tobogganing. Junior Alexis Howell had experienced sledding gone bad before. “I crashed into my dad and knocked him over. It caused him more pain than me, but it still hurt,” said Howell.

Still, the risk of sledding adds to the thrill. Freshman Tom Koziol said, “You get that feeling in your stomach like you're falling very fast because you are. It’s amazing.”

Freshman John Przewoznik went sledding with a large group of people on New Years Eve at Fountain Park in Wilbraham. “We were bored, and [Fountain Park] was close. [At the park,] there were already some big [jumps] there. They were pretty cool”. Przewoznik did however come home with many bruises from sledding.

Not only is it fun to sled yourself, but it can also be entertaining to watch your friends go sledding down a rather steep hill. “It’s a blast and it’s really amusing to watch people fall off their sleds,” said freshman Correy Murphy.

Many people who sled just love the feeling of getting covered with snow while sledding despite the cold temperature. “I love sledding, the snow spraying in your face from the front of your sled,” said Koziol.

Even though many people associate sledding with their childhood, teens still find reasons to bundle up and find a steep enough slope. Some believe that the activity is not just for children though but also teenagers and even adults. “Sledding isn't just for kids; it's a ton of fun. Who cares if it isn't cool?” said Przewoznik.

The only downside to sledding: “It’s over too fast,” said Koziol.