Tobogganing has also reached new levels of popularity due to the outdoor boom caused by the pandemic. According to experts, the sport is still underestimated – which can be fatal. The most important questions and answers.
How dangerous is tobogganing?
Tobogganing accidents, some with serious consequences, are by no means rare. In the mountain accident statistics of the German Alpine Association, tobogganing accidents usually appear under “Other” and thus under those mountain activities that “statistically do not play a major role” in accidents. However, the accident statistics of the Austrian Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety show that 162 people were injured and three people died while tobogganing in Austria alone last winter. For comparison: 498 people were injured on slopes and ski routes, with this extremely low value being related to the corona measures and the resulting low number of skiers in the ski areas. The ten-year average here is 4105 injured and 33 dead in organized ski storage, and 197 injured and two dead in tobogganing. However, the figures do not take into account which activities were performed for how many hours.
Where and why did tobogganists injure themselves?
According to the Austrian Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety, almost a fifth of the 162 people mentioned above suffered head injuries (19 percent); followed by injuries to the back and lower leg (eleven percent each). Only every fourth of all tobogganists who had an accident wore a helmet. “People still grossly underestimate tobogganing. Above all, the speeds that can be reached,” says Andreas Pflug, who runs the portal as a toboggan instructor kufenreich.de operates and has specialized in winter sports law in his profession as a lawyer in Munich. “If you drive into a tree at 40 kilometers per hour – you don’t have to be an accident doctor anymore.” Tobogganing under the influence of alcohol after stopping at a mountain hut makes about as much sense as cycling home from the Oktoberfest after a few beers. However, tobogganing has one major advantage. “The drop is not that high,” says Pflug.
What equipment do you need for tobogganing?
Sandra Mariner, state-certified toboggan trainer for the Austrian Toboggan Association and former world-class natural track tobogganist, says: “Tobogganing is not dangerous – if I pay attention to certain things.” This includes, among other things, the right equipment: a helmet is a must, plus ski goggles, possibly a back protector, robust gloves, good shoes, the braking effect of which can be increased with brake irons, especially on icy tracks. Cracks and plow pilots even swear by a spax screw in the heel of the shoe to better get around corners. In addition, both experts clearly recommend a good wooden toboggan. The most important criterion: flexibly mounted bars so that you can also steer. “The only other thing that works is a Zipfelbob,” says Pflug. Everything else – such as toboggans made of aluminum or plastic and cheap vehicles from the hardware store – is “nonsense”.
How do you sled properly?
A good toboggan in particular needs to be served well because it is very sensitive, says Sandra Mariner. “On a straight stretch, you have to lie down rather than sit down, otherwise you’ll be driving in a wavy line.” In general, you steer a toboggan using your hips and not your upper body, says the toboggan trainer. To learn this, you can also take courses on kufenreich.de or the Austrian Toboggan Association – who also recently started offering training courses to become a certified toboggan guide. A possibly accident-preventing trick is the emergency braking manoeuvre: “Sit backwards and pull the sled up on the front bars,” says Pflug. When in doubt, it would always be better to let yourself fall off the toboggan than to hit a tree. And Pflug makes it clear: “Tobogganing is not rocket science.”
Are there rules for tobogganing?
Lawyer Pflug calls a basic rule for the toboggan run – which also applies to many other situations in life: “If there’s a crash in the back, there’s money in the front.” In his opinion, tobogganers should heed the same rules of conduct that apply to skiers on slopes, above all only overtaking at a sufficient distance, entering the track carefully or only stopping in clearly visible places. Mariner also refers to the rules of the Austrian Toboggan Association (“They’re more advanced than us there when it comes to tobogganing,” says Pfluger) and names two of them as examples: “Tobogganing on slopes is a no-go. And tobogganing head first is the way to go not.” Basically, according to Pfluger, it was the same in this case: “These are things that can be understood with common sense.”