TOBOGGANING, the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills and artificial ice-shutes on the toboggan, a sled from 3ft. to 8f t. long and 2ft. to 3ft. wide, formed of strips of wood from to lin. in width, fitted together and curved up at the front (Micmac Indian, tobaakan, sledge). The toboggan is not so well fitted for use on roads that are not steep or very smooth as is the sled provided with runners, but is generally used on open hills, or upon artificial courses (chutes), which are very popular in Canada. In Switzerland tobogganing on this type of sled is called lugeing, and the sleds are known as luges ; it is a popular sport with visitors to the Engadine, where both the sitting and ventre-a-terre position are practised. The run from the top of the Schatzalp at Davos is one of the best luge-runs in Switzerland.
On the big runs, of which the Cresta is the most famous, the steel skeleton type of toboggan is invariably used, and the runner is equipped with knee and arm pads and a felt-lined steel crash helmet to protect him in the event of accidents; specially con structed boots with steel spikes render steering and braking with the feet easy. The Cresta is built with several turns banked up
with solid ice. (See also COASTING.) The United States.—With slight variations, toboggans are constructed, in the United States, in the same manner and of the same materials as in other parts of the world. Toboggans are best fitted for the soft fluffy snow of dry-cold climates, their flat bottoms and curled up fronts riding the surfaces with ease. They are often used for transportation purposes where other con veyances are of no use. Dogs, sometimes called huskies, haul toboggans on hunting and camping trips through the north woods. In Alaska, teams of dogs of from 2 to 12 animals are frequently used to pull toboggans loaded with supplies and provisions. Toboggan racing between Alaskan cities is a popular sporting event and very often the winner of a toboggan Derby will receive a cash prize of several thousand dollars.