On February 14th 2016, the Mighty Tippecanoe Tribe hosted the annual Winnipeg / Great Elk Nation cardboard sled race at Melas Park in Mount Prospect. The rules of the event are simple: each tribe is to construct a sled consisting of nothing but cardboard, duct tape and glue. Judging is done in two categories; 1st for design voted by each Tribal Chief and 2nd for distance (farthest from the starting point). Unfortunately, the snow cover was at a minimal at the hill the morning of the race, but that did not stop the Nation from moving forward with the event.
The sleds from the five tribes that participated in this year’s race ranged from traditional design to the preposterous. The common theme to this year’s entries could be considered “Out of this World”, as the nations were invaded by Star Wars. The Blackhawks X-Wing rebel fighter (aka the “Good” guys) battled the Tippecanoe’s First Order Star Destroyer (aka the “Bad” guys) for bragging rights. The force was strong that day, but unfortunately we will have to wait until the spring campout to see which side it was stronger with.
The Seminole Chief Ted Tsevis, had a vision of re-creating the 50th Anniversary rendition of the original 1966 Batmobile. This idea was definitely “Thinking outside the Box” as there were almost no 90 degree corners anywhere on this sled. Out of the nine years that I’ve been in the program, this sled was one of the most complex that I’ve had the honor to work on. Because most of sled consisted of curves, a sturdy skeleton had to be constructed. Later was wrapped using a one-sided flexible cardboard. It took 12 nights with between 5-6 dads at any given time to complete Ted’s vision. Attention to detail made the construction fun, as many of the dads had their own input and ideas on how to improve the overall appearance of the sled.
Despite the lack of snow, the Dads and Sons (and extended family members) that attended the event had a blast as they raced down a frozen and snowless hill. The looks of excitement on the boy’s faces as they traveled down the hill is what this program is all about: creating memories, having fun and bonding with your sons.
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Remember…“Pals Forever!”
Joe Samperi
Big Bear with 3 Cubs