McMaster Sets Top Speed but Alberta Sweeps Concrete Toboggan Race

February 1, 2010

While McMaster University was fast, two teams from Alberta took home the top prizes at the 36th annual Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race held January 29 and 30. Some 400 engineering students from 19 universities across Canada participated in the event hosted at McMaster.

University of Alberta finished first overall while the University of Calgary won the first-ever King of the Hill elimination competition.

The McMaster Outlaws, McMaster's all-female team, achieved the top speed of the competition with a 62 km/hr run on a 500-foot downhill slope at Glen Eden Ski and Snowboard Centre in Milton, Ontario.

Second place overall went to the University of Calgary and third to Université de Sherbrooke.

In the King of the Hill competition, McMaster’s El MACadors placed second in a close battle with Calgary’s ‘The Night of the Living Sled.’ The McMaster Outlaws made it to the semi-finals but a broken concrete runner hampered their chance to move on.

In the overall points competition, the El MACadors placed 11th and the Outlaws 12th.

Overall race winners are based on a score combining both judged elements and racing results. Judged criteria include: sled design, communications, and team spirit. Race results include time, speed, braking distance and tournament ranking.

Concrete toboggans are made of a concrete running surface and metal frame which accommodates five riders. Toboggans can weigh a maximum of 300 pounds, must have a functioning brake, steering, and a roll cage to protect its occupants.

The Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race is the largest and longest running national engineering competition in Canada. The host site alternates between a western and eastern university each year. The event provides students with an opportunity to apply their engineering knowledge to several real-life design problems, such as concrete mix, structural steel, and braking mechanism. It also allows them to develop teamwork, communication, organization, and fund raising skills. A social component sees teams develop themes, dress up in costumes, and sing teams songs. www.gnctr2010.com

See the final results »

View slideshow of January 29th events »

Prepared by John Rennison, The Hamilton Spectator