CAMDEN — The 29th annual Toboggan National Championships came to a close by 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, with the winners announced.

 It was a record year for the 29th running of the U.S. National Toboggan Championships, according to the Camden Snow Bowl, in a news release. Held over the weekend of Feb. 8-10,  thousands of spectators joined a sold-out roster of racing teams at the Camden Snow Bowl.

The annual event, which has raised nearly $1 million dollars toward the town-owned and operated Snow Bowl’s operating budget, is poised to go down in the books as one of the best years of racing and outdoor winter fun, among other positives.

“It was gratifying to see so many people willing — even excited — to join us in Tobogganville, in light of the frigid temperatures that were made a bit more challenging with the addition below-zero windchill figures,” said Holly S. Anderson, co-chairman of the Toboggan National organizing committee. 

The first day of the event, Friday, is when many teams get a jump on taking care of the final registration steps and getting their toboggans inspected. This year, the day started out mild and drizzly, preventing the traditional day of practice runs and family fun rides in the chute. This was preempted so that the four inches of ice in the chute would be preserved for official racing Saturday.

Speeds during the races reached more than 42 mph, and the times to get down the 440-foot-long chute were as low as 9.33 seconds. The fastest time was raced by Whiskey on Ice 3 during the preliminaries Saturday. During the finals Sunday afternoon, the 4-person Whiskey on Ice team turned in an impressive low time of 9.36 on the first of their two runs, but posted a time of 9.55 on the second run. That combined time pushed them out of contention for a trophy.

Winning first place in the three divisions were Bolt 2 (2-person) with a combined time of 18.93; Splittin’ Adams (3-person) with 18.91 after their two runs; and Spudrunner 4 (4-person) posting a combined time of 18.78.

Magic Carpet ride again won the Experimental Class, posting the fastest preliminary (9.32) and fastest final (9.29) times of all the toboggans in all the divisions.

The 2-person team, Return of the Deedles, won the Fastest Females special category, Rogue Trolls 4 (Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast) took home the Fastest Student trophy, and Free Eddie 2 was crowned the Oldest Team, with an average age 77.5 years.

Best Crafted Toboggan went to Bath Flyers 1, and Best Costume honors went to Panic/Don’t Panic (first), Shear Madness (second) and Ice Queenz (third).

Weather permitting, the Jack Williams Toboggan Chute will be open to the public, to feel what it is like for Toboggan National racers, on weekends through the end of the season, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $5/hour/person and the Snow Bowl provides toboggans. 

“The Toboggan Nationals is 90 percent volunteer-driven, and depends on its generous sponsors and supporters to thrive year after year,” said Anderson. “We are grateful to all of the racers, returning and new, who joined us for this awesome winter event that can only be experienced in Maine.”

And for those interested in attending — and racing — the 30th annual U.S. National Toboggan Championships, save the date for Feb. 7-9, 2020. Team registration will open Fall 2019.