At least a cardboard sled won't sink, Indian Princess tribes find
A makeshift sled, fashioned out of cardboard and painted to look like a candy cane, ended up as the winner Sunday at the annual sled races, sponsored by the Indian Princess tribes in the Big Waters Federation's Mountain Nation.
The red-and-white-striped, pontoon-styled sled fit nearly all 16 girls from the Kiowa tribe inside. Even better, the so-called 'Kiowa Kane' had the farthest run, going 10 yards farther than its closest competitor, down the hill at Melas Park in Mount Prospect.
"It was awesome," declared Ashley Boldt, 9, of Arlington Heights. "When we hit the bottom of the hill, the snow started spraying us in the face like crazy."
All eight tribes in the Mountain nation brought their sled entries to the morning competition, including members of the Osage tribe from Mount Prospect, who hosted the event, and brought their creation that looked like a pirate ship.
The winter sled races stretch back more than 20 years in the program, with Indian princesses and their dads working together to create a winning sled, using nothing more than cardboard, duct tape, liquid nails and paint.
"It's a lot more fun when there's snow," quipped John Caswell of Arlington Heights. "There've been some years when there hasn't been any, and the dads had to pull the sleds down."
This year, they all agreed, they hit the jackpot in terms of conditions, with the weekend's freshly fallen snow and seasonal temperatures.
"The best part is making the sleds with your dad," said Amy Kruse, 10, of Arlington Heights, whose Navajo tribe designed their sled look like a container of McDonald's French fries, prompting its members to stack themselves inside.
Other entries ranged from the Zuni tribe from Prospect Heights with their teepee-shaped sled, to the most elaborate of the day, a monster truck model, made by the Ottawa tribe from Arlington Heights.
Just to get it out to the hill, tribe members had to use a front-end loader, and its riders all wore helmets to ensure their safety.
"We're positive it's going to tip over, so we're going to sit in the back, over the wheels," said Laura Dacy, 10, of Arlington Heights.
In the end, the entry was no monster on the slopes. It hardly moved, forcing the fathers to have to push it all the way down the hill, before turning around and pushing it back up.
"We're in this purely for the aesthetics," joked one of the Ottawa dads, Pete Aiello of Arlington Heights.
The other contest for the day was for best design. Each of the tribal chiefs did the judging, however, and the winner will not be announced until next month's winter campout in Burlington, Wis.