I PIMPED MY TUBE! Thats right! I personally added a couple of upgrades to this awesome blue commercial snow tube from SnowTubes.com (ebay). As you may have seen below from the previous review of that I did in 2008 of their red commercial snow tube, these are the best snow tubes on the market. What I did with this blue snow tube was add 2 long-life LED lights velcroed to the handles and some acrylic stencilling. The velcro LED lights come in BLUE, RED, and GREEN by Black Jax Sports (see links to buy above). These can be seen up to 2 miles away and will surely make you the talk of that next night time sledding venture! The stencil is a "single use" stencil from JustStencils.com and the font on my tube is Impact. I had them italicize it on special request. I used acrylic white paint, since that was what was recommended for use on vinyl. I applied 3 coats, allowing time to dry in between each application of the paint.

UPDATE: I also added a foam pad in the center to provide more cushion for the tushy when getting some airtime. You can see a photo of the snow tube's foam pad here. I had it custom made at FoamForYou.com. The details on dimensions and type of foam are on the photo. I requested black as the color. It costs a bit over $40 + shipping for the "custom size and angle cut" piece of micro cell, closed cell foam. They did a great job!

IF I COULD GIVE THIS 10 STARS, THEN I WOULD! This is simply the coolest modern sled on the entire planet to date!. To sum it up, it's the Lamborghini of sleds. It's like a redesigned flexible flyer with bling. The Hammerhead Sled weighs roughly 9.7 lbs., is 51" long end to end and 23" wide. The sled design and cool add-ons will be the talk of the sledding hill I'm sure. As you can see from the photo, I've opted for the headlight, taillight, bell and optional powder skis for my list of accessories on this sled. I doubt you will find much competition at that next sled race that can match this sleds speed and sharp turning radius. The sled is built with an ergonomic design and suspension to give you a ride of a lifetime through the snow. If your 8 or 80, this sled will bring out the child in you. I know that when I received mine I was ALL TEETH, grinning ear to ear! I highly recommend HammerheadSled.com and vote them as having the 2009/2010 best and coolest sled in the world! Job well done to their R&D design department!

IT'S HUGE & TOP QUALITY! It's so huge, that when my wife opened the door she wondered how her little self was gonna get in without my help (since I was still at work). This coasting toboggan is simply a piece of craftsmanship art by the Northern Toboggan and Sled Company! It weighs roughly 30 lbs., is 7.5" long end to end and 16" wide. The Red Oak construction provides beauty and durability and the Red Oak bottom polishes with time to become very slick. It has a linseed oil finish, the boards steam bent and overall it is built to last for generations!

One of the features of their toboggans is the "slow bend" which is more the original toboggan bend where the boards come up gradually at first until they are well off the ground before they wrap over 180 degrees. This allows the toboggan to climb obstacles more readily rather than ploughing into drifts etc. This Downhill toboggan is a scaled down version of their 12' 3 board dog toboggan which has 7/8" thick boards and is bolted together with laminated cross piecing. This downhill toboggan is made from 13/32" boards but otherwise is made the same way using the same technique. It is quite durable. Also many recreational toboggans are not tapered in the curl, starting approximately where the curl is coming up off the ground a tapering cut is made on the outside edges and narrowing gradually until it reaches the tip of the curl. When a toboggan is used for freighting this is desirable if the sled should tip over with a load. The tapering cuts prevent the curl from being broken by digging into the ground in a spill with a heavy cargo.

I had to take 4 photos rather than the usual 2 for a review due to it's size. This is sure gonna be a crowd pleaser at the big hill! It'll fit the entire family (at least my son, wife and I, lol). Oh, and you can get a cushion to go along with this wooden coasting toboggan to keep your tushy comfy too (not pictured). I highly recommend NTSled.com and their very nice wooden coasting toboggans!

Get on your knees! That's the motto of the Mad River Rocket Company. This is the black Killer B version of the Mad River Rocket (a knee board for the snow), not to mention the most popular of their sleds. The durable plastic shells are made in the USA of recycled plastic. The center of the black Killer B sled has some pretty cool looking artwork too (see here). We previously reviewed the more expensive Lexan version (see below) with the same dimensions. Both have a weight limit of 250 lbs. On this sled, you can mark your sled on the strap plate using a permanent marker. All of their sleds feature a quick release lap belt and ribbed kneepads that are designed for comfort and performance. The kneeling position allows you to see ahead, lean for balance and control steering. As with the Lexan sled, these are recommended to be used in powder, not packed snow. That is because the negative keel on the underside allows the sled to turn in the powder when the sled glides through the snow. There are a BUNCH of videos here dedicated to this sled. I highly recommend the MadRiverRocket.com sleds!

It's called "free sledding" and the Mad River Rocket sled introduced the phenomenon! This is the Lexan version of the Mad River Rocket (a knee board for the snow). It's a very unique looking sled. It is a clear polycarbonate transparent thermoplastic that has outstanding dimensional and thermal stability. Being optically clear, it provides total luminous transmittance. In other words, it's "see through". It has 2" foam angled, ribbed kneepads, a padded knee strap to strap yourself in for the ride and can carry an individual up to 250 lbs! At only 7 lbs. and 47" long, this sled can be taken and manuevered just about anywhere there's powder! The negative keel on the underside is the key to turning. This type of sled needs powder conditions, so it isn't recommended for use on packed snow or ice. It just won't perform turns like you need. The advantage this sled has over all others is the ability to carve a turn. This is possible because of two features. First, the nylon webbing lap belt and thick foam pads hold the sled comfortably under the sledder, freeing both hands for easy steering, balance and control. And second, an ingenious design that incorporates double hard edged chines to dig into hardpack along a central snow channel to aid the sled in tracking through powder. This Lexan sled is the more expensive version, however the black Killer B sled version is just as good (just not clear) and more affordable. They also make a smaller sled called the Stingray for smaller kids. There are a BUNCH of videos here dedicated to this sled. I highly recommend this sled!

When it comes to the "best snow tubes", this is one that by far tops the list! This is the BIG 44" Commercial Snow Tube by SnowTubes.com (ebay), also known as Moore Manufacturing. The 40 ounce vinyl coated bottom offers superior puncture resistance and a ride of a lifetime. It is perfect for rental use, ski area surface lifts, or high use snow tubing. It is also perfect for the common individual who wants a higher quality snow tube for those snowy days. Show up to this sledding hill with this baby and you'll definitely be the talk of the town. Get multiple kids on it for a thrill ride down the hill. I guarantee that with this you'll outrun and outlast any one of those cheapo snow tubes sold at the common department stores! More specification details are that it has a 5' removable, replaceable heavy webbing leash and a 20" (Inner Diameter) recreational rubber inner tube. The 18.5 oz rip stop vinyl tops come in assorted colors. The bottoms are a heavy 40 ounce vinyl coated nylon in the color black. It is constructed with #6 brass grommets and 1" heavy nylon web handles. Also, the cover opening has been double needled with a 2" heavy poly web binding. All tubes are custom made for the customer in your choice of styles and colors. Handle and stress point backing systems are R.F. welded on to eliminate needle holes and thread decay due to abrasion and U.V. rays. So if you want a simply great snow tube ride with a built in "bounce of fun", then get this snow tube. You won't regret it! Extreme speedsters can wax the bottom for a rocket ride. I highly recommend this snow tube and is my favorite sled of choice! See me, the webmaster, in mid-air with one of these awesome tubes in 2009 here and also a video of my son and some others on this tube here.

UPDATE: And yes, just like the newer review of the lighted blue snow tube above, I also pimped my red snow tube. See the pic here. For details on the stencil or the lights, see the similar blue snow tube review on Nov. 16th, 2009 above. I also added a foam pad in the center to provide more cushion for the tushy when getting some airtime. You can see a photo of the snow tube's foam pad here. I had it custom made at FoamForYou.com. The details on dimensions and type of foam are on the photo. I requested black as the color. It costs a bit over $40 + shipping for the "custom size and angle cut" piece of micro cell, closed cell foam. They did a great job!

Move over flexible flyer, you've met your match! This is the 52" Ultimate Flyer by Mountain Boy Sleds. When I had opened up the box today after receiving this in the mail, my wife and I were amazed by the beautiful wood color and wood craftsmanship put into making this flyer. Unlike the Flexible Flyer reviewed previously below, this Ultimate Flyer can be used in both packed snow and powder snow. It has a unique base that is molded for both types of conditions. Adults and children alike will enjoy flying down those sledding hills with this Ultimate Flyer! Also, the steering is a exceptional with this sled since it will turn almost 90 degrees in each direction (see here). When not in use, this sled will make a nice piece for decoration around the home during the holiday. Click here for a nice little YouTube video on the Mountain Boy Sled. Also, click here for more reviews. I highly recommend this sled!

This is the 60" Flexible Flyer sled. We had gotten it from True Value Hardware. This is the same sled that I had when I was a little boy. It's metal runners perform extremely well on a hill with packed snow, however it isn't recommended for hills with deep or unpacked snow. The size of this sled will allow for an adult or 2 children to ride on it. If you lay down, you can ride 2 laying on top of each other or you can ride sitting down, using your feet to steer. You can turn each way about 45 degrees. If the conditions are right (packed snow), this sled is extremely fast! To gain that extra momentum after the runners become worn (red paint gone), I recommend sanding the runners with a fine grit sand paper to allow the shiny steel to show evenly. Then, wax the runners with hard candle wax. If and when the runners become rusty, repeat the process with the sand paper and wax. The brownish rust will slow you down. Under the right conditions, this "controllable" sled can be very very fast! For a video example, click here. Also, click here for more reviews. I highly recommend this sled!

This is the 51" Snow Boogie (Tiger Shark) Wham-O foam sled. We had gotten it from Target. It is made of 1 1/4" heavyy duty cushion foam and the bottom is constructed of a hard durable plastic to give the sled speed. It has 4 handles for 2 children riders or 1 adult rider. If the bottom is waxed, it will even go faster! It performs best in packed snow. Unlike the above Flexible Flyer, you can't steer this, so where you aim it it'll head. However, if you lie down and dangle your feet or hands off, you may be able to give it some turning motion. I recommend this sled!

This is the 65" heavy duty plastic molded toboggan. We had gotten it from Target. It is made of a very durable hard plastic. It can fit 3 children or 2 adults. It has a nylon rope attached for pulling the sled up the hill or pulling a child in the toboggan. It performs well in both powder and packed snow. If you wax the bottom, it'll gain you some additional speed. The person who sits in the rear is in charge of steering, however they must do so with their hands. By putting pressure down on the right rear side of the ground with your hand, the toboggan will turn slightly right. Vice versa for the left side. This sled performs best by sitting down, but I have seen people try to stand up on it and surf. Please wear a helmet if you do this! Lying down will gain you speed, but you may not be able to fall out if you need to quickly to avoid a collision. I recommend this tobbogan!