Flexible Flyer

Flexible Flier type sleds tend to go really fast, since they have only two thin runners which cuts way down on friction. The only weakness is stopping, which with the absence of formal brakes can only be accomplished by running out of momentum (which can be hard mid-hill) or by falling off and holding the rope. But stopping is for wusses anyway.

Plus, the snow and ice will pour over your face, requiring you to squint and/or wear goggles, increasing the coolness factor.

Finally, in the grand tradition of luge, there is no velocity which does not become more exciting if one places oneself nose-on to it at low altitude - which describes the front-down position on a Flexible Flyer precisely, and puts you one up on those wussy lugers who go feet-first.

gee, Bitter_Engineer, one would almost think those were bad things! Heck, what's sledding without risk? :-)

1. If the snow is not deep enough, the runners will sink straight through the snow, and run on the grass and dirt beneath.
2. If the snow is too deep, the wooden bar will drag in the snow above, spraying your face with more snowdust than is fun. In the worst case, the sled will become completely submerged in snow, and will barely move at all.

The only exception to this is when you decide to sled over very hard-packed snow or ice, which is when the thin runners of the sled show their true worth on control and speed. This is also a good place to mention the enormous increase in injury potential that you get when you choose a flexible flyer: (hard wipeout at high velocity) + (cheap wood and metal vehicle) = emergency room visit