To Duct Tape Or Not To Duct Tape
It’s a toss-up at the MidWinter Chill Cardboard Sled Races
By Marcie Post
Winter in Michigan has three phases. December is magical, and holiday spirit abounds. Parents are happy, kids are angels, and the snow (if there is any) is a blessing. January is the start of a new year; people want to get in shape, enjoy a new hobby like cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, and are generally happy. And then the end of January hits; people realize they have at least eight more weeks of cold and sub-zero temperatures, and they’re over it, which is where the Midland MidWinter Chill Cardboard Sled Races come in.
Photo: Aberro Creative
2018 was the first year of this new, favorite event in Midland, Mich. Located two hours north of Detroit in the heart of central-lower Michigan, Midland supports a robust parks and recreation department complete with 72 parks and more park acreage than a combination of all of its neighboring cities. Midland City Forest is the largest of the city’s parks at 520 acres. A true four-season park, it transforms into the Great Lakes Bay Region’s premiere winter destination. The area offers groomed cross-country ski trails, ice skating, tobogganing, and sledding. Midland City Forest is also the site of the annual MidWinter Chill.
Swelling In Popularity
Born of an idea to offer a fun event to break up the monotony of winter, the MidWinter Chill nearly doubled in size in its second year. In 2019, the event boasted 34 sleds. In 2020, that number rose to 65, and categories were created to separate the “artists” from the competitors.
Photo: Midland Parks Recreation
Midland is the original home of The Dow Chemical Company, and with that title it brings several engineers—engineers who know how to make a sled go “vroom.” In 2019, Midland Parks and Recreation had so many sleds that were embellished with everything from cellophane to tin foil that staff members couldn’t award winners. Two categories were then established to honor the creativity and ingenuity of the participants: the Original (think cardboard, glue, and duct tape) and Catch All (anything that is used to safely enhance the aesthetics of the sled). In addition to these categories, participants receive awards for the fastest sled in each division (King of the Hill Award), best-looking sled (Best Dressed Award), and the most-spirited team (School Spirit Award). Divisions are the following:
Riders age 10U
Riders ages 11 to 17
Families and adults 18+.
The event is free to the public, and entrants receive prizes for winning in each category.
In the first two years of the event, parks and recreation staff members have seen sleds disguised as a milk carton, a variety of animals and vehicles, and the fan favorite—a Popsicle emoji. Hundreds of hours go into creating these amazing sleds, but at the end of the day, the staff has found that the true, successful formula is a basic cardboard box. So, the question remains, to duct tape or not?
The 2021 event is scheduled for Saturday, January 23. For more information on this event, please contact Marcie Post, Recreation Manager for the City of Midland Parks and Recreation Department at mpost@midland-mi.org or online at www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/chill. For photos of the event, visit us on social media at @MidlandParksRecreation.