Steering and pulling rope

How does a toboggan actually work?

The sled is cleverly designed. In contrast to toboggans such as Grindelwalder, Davoser, etc., the runners are slightly bent in the longitudinal direction and the trestles are movably connected to the runners (with rubber bearings) and not firmly glued as is the case with a sled. The laterally folded runners allow precise and safe steering. By shifting the weight and applying pressure to the corresponding skid and pulling on the steering rope, the geometry is changed so that the sled moves in the desired direction. Braking steering attempts with your feet in the snow are a thing of the past.

The curved runners also provide an optimum centre of gravity. This makes the rotational resistance smaller than with a slide and the manoeuvrability considerably greater. This means much better cornering performance than with a rigid sled.

In contrast to the sled, the runners of the sled are inclined on the inner edge. The friction resistance is lower, the guidance is much better and therefore the sled is lighter and easier to steer than a sled. Less frictional resistance also means that the gliding characteristics of a sled are much better and the speed is therefore much higher. The comfortable textile or plastic tarpaulin seats dampen bumps and protect the back.