Canadian Designs: The Toboggan

When you picture perfect leisure activities for winter holidays, do you imagine sledding down a snowy hill with your kids? If so, you may be using ancient technology that happens to be Canadian. A number of Canada’s First Peoples were crafters and users of toboggan sleds, dating to pre-contact with Europeans. The name “toboggan” has Algonquian Mi’kmaq (tobâkun) and Abenaki (udãbãgan) origins. French Canadians spelled it “tabaganne.” The simple wooden sleds were used to carry supplies and people across the frozen landscape, and also to haul large game from hunting expeditions. The smooth wooden base would glide easily over snow, and in particular, over snow packed by snowshoes from the human puller up front. A simple cord loop was used to pull the sled, or in some cases a chest harness. Toboggans were also used as early dog sleds. Source: "Toboggan", Wiktionary Source: Canadian Industrial Design No. 1876 (Toboggan), registered to R&W Kerr, December 2, 1901 The toboggan became popular as a recreational item in the 1800’s, for adults and children. Various Canadian cities established tobagganning clubs. Tobagganning is also related to some highly competitive winter sports practiced today – bobsled, luge and skeleton. The toboggan design used by the First Peoples has not changed significantly over time. Larch or birch slats are joined by wooden cleats or cross-bars for support. The front end of the toboggan includes a curled portion that is formed by bending the wood slats while still green and allowing them to dry. The Tlingit people also used steaming to soften the wood to make the curved shape. A typical toboggan is approximately 7-10 feet long, and about one foot wide. The narrow width allowed the toboggan to fit within a track formed by snowshoes (or, today, a snowmobile track). To ride a toboggan, the rider sits on the top surface of the sled (typically between the cross-bars). Feet can either be tucked under the front curved end, or held out to the side (to assist with braking and/or steering). Polishing the smooth base of the toboggan with wax (similar to skis) reduces friction and allows a faster ride. Numerous industrial designs have been registered for various improvements on the traditional wooden toboggan, including the one illustrated above that was registered in 1901 (for what appears to be a three-person-wide toboggan). Issued patents in this area have added motorized drive systems, steering mechanisms or mass-production manufacturing methods, among other improvements. Further reading: “Toboggan,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/toboggan Various entries for toboggan at the McCord Museum online collection, see: http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/collections/ “Tobogganing in Canada,” Discover Canadian Outdoors, http://outdoors.ca/en-CA/Articles/TobogganingInCanada.aspx Canadian Icons, “History of the Toboggan,” http://www.canadianicons.ca/toboggan.php?page=1 Summary by: Jennifer Jannuska