Kicksled

__TOC__The kicksled is a small sled consisting of a chair mounted on a pair of flexible metal runners which extend backward to about twice the chair's length. There is a handlebar attached to the top of the chair back. "Kicksled" is a direct translation of the Finnish word "potkukelkka". Some other possibletranslations are "kicker" and "chair-sled". The typical adult sized sled has runners about 2 m long, spaced 400 mm apart. The steel runner blades are about 5 mm wide. The handlebars are about 900 mm above ground. The kicksled is driven forward by the driver standing on one runner, kicking backwards on the ground with the other foot, hence the name. The flexibity of the runners allows the driver to steer the kicksled by twisting the handlebars. One can have a passenger or luggage on the chair seat. The kicksled can also be used as a dog sled. Easy to pull, the kicksled can be your dog's best friend.

A kicksled can only be used on hard, slippery surfaces like ice orhardpacked snow. On very smooth, bare ice, the useof traction devices like spiked shoes or crampons improves kicking force. On level ground, one can easily reach a speed of 15 to20 km/h, and much faster on downhill section or with a strong tail wind.

The kicksled is in common use in Norway, Sweden and
Finland, especially where roads are not sanded or salted. There it serves as a winter substitute for a bicycle.

It is also an excellent means of travelling over frozen lakes to go icefishing or just to explore the lake. Kicksledding on lake ice sharesmany of the same features as Tour skating.

Some models also include a wheel kit allowing to transform the sled to a kind of walking aid for summer use. This type is especially popular amongst the elderly.

History

The first definite record of a kicksled was in a newspaper in northern Sweden around 1870. The kicksleds of that era had stiffwooden runners and were heavy. In 1900 the design of the modern kicksled with flexible metal runners was introduced in Finland andquickly became the standard in Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Kicksled Racing

In the years 1890 to 1910 kicksled racing was a popular sport, especially in Sweden. Kicksled racing was a major event in the
Nordic Games, which were the ancestor of the Winter Olympics.

Around 1990 kicksled racing was revived as a serious sport in Finland. There are races of up to 100 km long and the average speed is around 30 km/h. Often the kicksled races are held in conjunction with marathon speed skating races on natural ice; the kicksleds use the same ice track as the skaters.

A light-weight racing kicksled model is now mass-produced by the Finnish kicksled company ESLA [http://www.esla.fi/eng/kickspark.html] .

In Canada, the kick sled has been modified for dog sports. A bridle is attached to the kick sled, and a gangline to that, with one to three dogs pulling. This small sled is useful for the urban dog owner, as it is lighter and easier to transport than a full scale dog sled. Kick sled races are now being held, with teams racing at times comparable to skijorers.

References

* Swedish Wikipedia entry for
* Norwegian Wikipedia entry for
* "Sparkstöttingar" by Göran Rosander; Stockholm; Nordiska Museet; 1995; ISBN 91-7108-385-5

External links

* [http://www.potku.fi/kepopas/kepopas_eng.htm Kicksled Handbook from Finland] (1200 kB)
* [http://www.multia.fi/potkut/eng/main_page.htm Kicksled World Championships]
* [http://www.dermott.ca/ski/spark.html Spark or Kicksled] (23 kB)
* Historical References in Swedish or Norwegian:
** [http://www.aik.se/historik/sparkstotting/historik1.html Kicksled racing in 1890 Sweden]
** [http://www.wallstens.se/sparkmuseum.asp Museum in Sweden with earliest known article about kicksled]
** [http://www.nansen.no/sparken.htm The kicksled page of Nansen Produkter AS]
** [http://www.nordosterdalsmuseet.no/default.asp?WCI=ViewNews&WCE=196 Museum in Tynset Norway with kicksled history. ]
* [http://www.esla.fi/index.html Esla - Finnish producer of traditional Scandinavian Kicksleds and the Kickspark racing model.]
* [http://www.goslide.ca GoSlide - North American distributor of traditional Scandinavian Kicksleds and Kickspark.]