Annual Nature Up North Cardboard Sled Race

By Aurora Hager Last updated Jan 26, 2023

Local family who entered a cardboard sled in the 2022 Cardboard Sled Race at SUNY Canton. Photo credit: Shannon Pyne '22

This winter, Nature Up North will be hosting its fifth annual Cardboard Sled Race! The Cardboard Sled Race is a prized tradition for our young organization and is an event we look forward to every year. Having worked for Nature Up North last year, I can safely say that this event was the highlight of my internship.

The race will be taking place on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 10:00am to 1:00am. Hosted by SUNY Canton, the event is open to all members of the community, and we love to see both North Country locals and college students gather for a great day of fun in the snow! As the name suggests, the idea of the event is to build a sled with just cardboard and duct tape.

We recommend building one sled as a team with your friends or family—making this event perfect for clubs, teams, and dorms. Then, on race day, show up with your beautiful creation and send her down the slope for a chance to win awesome prizes!

Even if your sled completely falls apart and your team loses, the laughs you’ll have along the way will more than makeup for it. But be sure to do your best work SLU students. Rumor has it that Clarkson is planning on building a cardboard sled of their own, and we can’t have them beat us in our backyard now, can we?

If you don’t have any spare cardboard laying around, no worries. Everyone is welcome to bring a sled and just have some good Ol’ fashion fun in the (not so warm) sun! And we’ll have plenty of food and drinks to keep you going.

I can say from personal experience that this event is a great way to spend some time with your friends and family, and it greatly helps our organization. Nature Up North is a community-oriented organization that aims to celebrate the people, traditions, culture, and yes, the nature of our wonderful North Country! Events like this help us not only engage with the community but spread the mission and reputation of Nature Up North.

The snow arrived just in time to make the conditions perfect for the Sled Race, and we couldn’t be happier. On behalf of the whole team of Nature Up North, I hope to see you there!