Laundry bins, baking sheets, cardboard boxes and 20 mph winds. How did you spend your Saturday?
Students in Concordia Outdoor Recreation Club took a trip to Woodlawn Park for their second annual “Anything But a Sled” event on Saturday, Jan. 29.
“Can I get a push?” asked CORC President Levi Kovic as he sat in a box sporting his name. He would not make it far before his box gave out. He moved on to using a pizza pan.
Sledders raced up and down the hill, experimenting which extraneous object would carry them the farthest. Some items, like the white plastic laundry bin, found themselves cast aside in favor of better non-sleds, like a folding shovel.
Kovic said the shovel proved to be the best before he barreled down the hill with it, coming close to the frozen snow banks at the bottom.
Joseph Kroll made it to the bottom with some help from his job; he brought a promotional sign from Kwik Trip with the duct tape still attached.
Soon, the sledders began testing not only which objects were best, but how to use them optimally. Some sat on or in their sleds like normal. Others took a penguin slide approach. Some even stood on their sleds as makeshift snowboards.
Neither the weather nor their makeshift sleds being harrowing enough, the group moved to a taller hill. From the moonlight and the park’s singular light near the top of the hill, sledders could see the telltale shimmer of ice.
Dylan Pringle gathered seven others to take on their new hill in a train of tote box lids, cardboard, baking sheets and Kroll’s Kwik Trip sign. Each holding onto the person behind them, the students shot down the hill and quickly fell apart in a slew of laughter and snow.
Other, smaller trains formed from the wreckage and enjoyed more success, though most still derailed from their snowy tracks.
The train’s challenge of many people on many sleds going down the hill together inspired sledders to pile as many of themselves into a single sled. Four eventually climbed into a sled and asked for a hefty push to embark on their journey. They all fell out.
In the spirit of the event, Joshua Curtiss came with his snowboard. Though he was able to maneuver to the bottom of the hill while staying on his feet, others were not so lucky.
“There is only fear in these eyes,” said inexperienced snowboarder Steph Dalen as she strapped in and got a push to jumpstart her descent.
“Does she know how to stop?” wondered aloud Carrie Voss, having used her falling hands to apply the brakes earlier.
Dalen answered her question by employing a similar technique: using her entire body to skid to a stop.
CORC does more than throw themselves down icy hills in freezing temperatures.
“Concordia Outdoor Recreation Club is about bringing Cobbers together through a shared love of the outdoors,” said CORC social media chair Mya Lysne.
The group is “seeking new members that enjoy having fun outside and going on adventures,” according to their bio on CobberNet. The group has hosted joint events with other campus and community organizations, aimed at sustainability and environmentalism.
Earlier this year, members took a weekend trip to Buffalo River State Park. The club has also picked up trash at nearby parks, gone stargazing, played sand volleyball and just taken walks in nature.
Those interested in joining can visit the CORC Instagram page @concordiaorc and click the link in their bio.
