SLEDsmart! USA Knowledge Base
Module 04 - Rider Skills
WHAT TO DO IF YOU LOSE CONTROL ON A HILL
If you lose control of your sled when climbing, descending or crossing a hill, stay on the upside of your machine. This is where you’ll be safe from being crushed to death if your sled decides to roll. If your machine ever does tip and roll, make sure you release the handlebars immediately, dismount the machine on the upside of the hill, and just let it go. It’ll be tough to watch, but these machines are a lot tougher than we are, so it will probably be all right. You, on the other hand, most definitely will not be.
RIDER SAFETY TIP: MOUNTAIN ADVICE
You’ve probably seen the tricked out sleds that Red Bull athletes are riding and we agree, they look awesome, but BEWARE. Those are high performance machines and they’re designed for mountain riding or for doing tricks, unlike your average sled. The capabilities of mountain or sno-cross machines are much greater and so is the skill level to ride them. Never attempt crazy stunts and don’t take an old, humble sled up a challenging mountain trail. An old pony and a young racehorse may have similar characteristics, but on a racetrack, they’re going to have a very different performance. Same goes for sleds.
