US National Toboggan Championships

Location: Camden, Maine, USA

Event date: Feb 02, 2024

More Info: Click Here

Wipe off your sled, grab a few friends and find a funny costume. With over 400 teams and 6,000+ spectators, you get a chance to run down a 440ft chute and reach up to 40 mph, skidding across frozen Hosmer Pond. Every five years we hold the Worlds. First place winners in the 4-person division going back 29 years are eligible to compete in the Worlds in 2020. This is a one-run, winner takes all race. 

Get ready to slide into action at the U.S. National Toboggan Championships – the only organized wooden toboggan race in the country and a must-see event for adrenaline junkies! This thrilling competition takes place in the charming town of Camden, Maine, at the Camden Snow Bowl – a community-owned recreation area that has been shaping skiers since 1936.

The history of the toboggan chute is just as exciting as the race itself. Built by volunteers in 1936, along with a ski lodge and hill that became one of the earliest in America, the original chute lasted until 1964 when it was shut down due to rot and neglect. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, it was resurrected in 1990 by another group of volunteers and material donors, and re-named the Jack Williams Toboggan Chute.

Today, the 400-foot-long (120 m) and 70-foot-high (21 m) toboggan chute is made of pressure-treated wood and speeds of up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) are achieved as sleds hurtle down the track. And if there's clear ice on frozen Hosmers' Pond, some sleds may even go the entire way across, covering a whopping 0.25 miles (0.40 km)!

The race takes place every year in February, so mark your calendars and get ready for the thrill of a lifetime. And the best part? Anyone can enter the race, regardless of age or ability. The toboggan must be of traditional shape, material, and design to qualify for the Nationals, but beyond that, it's all about pushing the limits and tweaking your sled to go just a little bit faster.

So come on down and experience the heart-pumping excitement of the U.S. National Toboggan Championships. And who knows – maybe you'll even become the next National Champion!