Sleds deserve a nod for toy hall of fame, too

Inner tubes were brought out of storage with the first snow fall and reinflated for use in sliding down hills. Because of its dual functionality on water and snowy surfaces, the generic car/truck inner tube is a worthy candidate for induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

 

It snows a lot in Washington, Pa., about 28 miles south of Pittsburgh in the southwestern section of the state, and the students at Trinity High School there learned a lot about the history of sledding in 2022 from student journalist Abby Drezewski.

“A favorite style of sled is the inner tube,” Abby wrote in a column for the school newspaper. The school’s physics teacher Mrs. Nicole Welsh stated: “The inner tube is the best way to sled. It goes so much faster. The coefficient of friction lower.”

Aluminum and plastic saucers work fine, too.

 

The first “traditional” wooden sleds produced in America were hand-made by Henry Morton in 1861. He and his wife, Lucilla Forbes Morton, formed Paris Manufacturing Company in South Paris, Maine. Their son Will Morton hand-painted each one with a different scene. (The company continues today as Paricon Inc.)

In 1868, Samuel Leeds Allen of Moorestown, N.J. (shown below), founded S.L. Allen & Company in Philadelphia, Pa., primarily a manufacturer of farm and garden equipment. He was an inventor who patented in 1889 a sled known as the Flexible Flyer with “laterally bending runners, which allowed it to be steered.”

 

It took about 10 years for the revolutionary sled to catch on, but eventually the product was picked up by major retailers like Wanamaker’s in Philadelphia and Macy’s in New York City. Flexible Flyer became a household name. By 1915 the company was selling 2,000 sleds a week with an estimated 120,000 each winter season.

 

Samuel Allen died in 1918, but his company continued to grow. The popularity of the Flexible Flyer brand grew steadily in the 1920s. Sleds were offered in a variety of sizes, from 38 inches long for children to 101-inch models capable of seating six grown adults.

 

My best sledding memories from Adrian, Mich., in the late 1950s/early 1960s were at the neighborhood sledding hill in a natural area we called “the gully.” There were several trails with varying degrees of difficulty to pick from.

Using a classic 48-inch Flexible Flyer with birch wood and steel runners, it was best to ride on your stomach and steer with your hands. Your feet hung off the back, so you could dig the toes of your boots into the snow to apply brakes if needed.

The most talented sledders could get up enough speed to jump the small creek at the bottom of the hill and finish their run on the other side.

In 1968, the Flexible Flyer name was sold to a California conglomerate, Leisure Group, ending production of the sled in Philadelphia. The brand was batted about among various owners, but the Flexible Flyer name was bought by Paricon in 2005, ensuring its continued availability in U.S. markets.

Abby Drezewski told her classmates: “Sled riding has always brought people together to have a fun and festive time amid the cold winter months.”

“As the holiday season approaches, so does the possibility of a snow-covered wonderland outside the windows of Trinity High School,” she wrote. “Don’t be afraid to get outside this winter to unleash your inner child. Grab a sled and hit the hills!”

While the Flexible Flyer has dominated the sledding market, there have been many competitors over the years. For this reason, the generic sled appears to be the best candidate to join the National Toy Hall of Fame.