Preston & Steve’s Cardboard Classic is coming in hot! The event takes place on Friday, March 1, 2024 at Montage Mountain. The sledding begins sometime after 10am. The party on the mountain begins before that. But the real party begins months, weeks, days, and in some cases, the night before the first run.
We’re talking about the building parties! A lot of the teams turn their sled building into an event. Some start in the Fall, others kickoff around January. Then there are a couple who begin building just a few days before the event. There’s no right or wrong, it comes down to the time that you have to put into the creation.
There’s a big community that has been formed by the builders. Bonds that started on the mountain comparing sleds have turned into year-around friendships. The hub of this community is a Facebook Group named Preston And Steve’s Cardboard. Photos. There’s no sled building prerequisite required to join. The folks behind the group are happy to share the knowledge and skills they’ve acquired over the years. To make it easy for newbie builders or those trying to amp up their sled building, we collected a list of tips from the pros.
Meet the contributors:
- Bob Havens, Team Delco Cardboard Building Bitches. Past themes: Gene Simmons Chicken, Blue Suede Shoe, Kathy’s High Heel , I Just Got Out Of The Shower, Turntable, Eagles Bird Cage, Wile E. Coyote
- Dave Thompson. Past themes: One Crazy Summer The Boat & Shark, Smokey And The Bandit, Rockem Sockem Robots, Wheel of Fortune, Blues Brothers
- Mike Javorka (aka Mr. Peanut) and Ed Dalpé, Sled Heads. Peanutmobile, The Grinch, Wienermobile, Pierre Robert’s Minerva, Popemobile, Better Off Dead, Animal House, Birdbot, Vacation, Foot Juice
- Pat, Cardboard Sled Union 933. Yellow Submarine, Harry Potter Train, Jaws, Ghostbusters, Brave Little Toaster, Falcor
Cardboard Classic are built out using only glue, string, paint and cardboard. If you would like to participate, register your team here before February 25th. There are prizes up for grab including Best Design, Best Tito’s Handmade Vodka Sled (must be 21+), Fastest, and P&S Favorite Fail. We’ll take a moment to remind everyone that you do not need to build a sled to attend Cardboard Classic. It’s free to spectate, no tickets required.
Sled Building Tips:
It's All About The Base
For larger sleds: We always incorporate attach points built into the bottom base for ropes to pull your sled from the bottom so it doesn’t fall apart front , middle and back.- Bob Havens
Smaller sleds: We [slide it onto a] tarp since our sleds aren’t as big as yours and helps move it up the mountain. – John Raugs
This is what a solid base looks like. – Dave Thompson
via Dave Thompson
Poles are Where it's at
Tubes. Tubes. Tubes. These things are the best to hold your boxes together. – Dave Thompson
via Ed Dalpé
via Dave Thompson
Incorporate cardboard poles into your base to have rope throughout them on each side for bigger sleds. If you don’t have poles, drill holes in the lower end of your structures, tape the holes up with duck tape so the don’t tare, then final detail paint to blend it in. – Bob Havens
via Bob Havens
The Good Stuff
Glues and tape that I use. Glue takes a little longer but looks a lot better.
via Dave Thompson
Paint can easily make or break your build.
via Dave Thompson
Don't Forget About Transportation
Make sure your sled will fit in/on whatever you plan on using to bring the sled to the event. And if you have to. You can always rent a truck to bring the sled. If you have to use a open trailer, make sure it is wind (turnpike) proof. Do not want to lose weeks of hard work on the way to the event. – Ed Dalpé
via Ed Dalpé
via Ed Dalpé
Measure. Measure again. Make sure it will fit out the door. – Ed
Bring on The Rain
Use the natural elements to help you form the cardboard.Want curved “feathered wings” like strips? Let a little rain help. Keep eye on them , don’t let ’em soak. Watch them like a pizza in the oven. – Bob Havens
