Camden Snow Bowl

The Camden Snow Bowl opened in 1936, in the midst of the Great Depression. The original lodge was built by volunteers with donated materials. Almost everything had to be ferried across the pond as the area was surrounded by too many trees. The property was sold to the town which allowed them to obtain funding from the Works Progress Administration to build a road to the lodge. Some volunteers were also able to be paid from this funding to clear out trails for skiing.[2]

Originally meant for winter recreation, specifically ice skating and skiing, the area became prominent enough that people wanted to use it year-round. After a few winters with limited snow, a horse ring was constructed to host horse shows in the warmer weather. However, that didn't stop the snow events, as skiing and tobogganing continued to gain popularity. In 1966 the Snow Bowl received federal funding to expand the ski operations, resulting in four more trails, power transmission, and snow-making equipment.

In the late 1960's, the lodge burned down, postponing the grand opening. A new building was soon constructed, although it was further from the pond and closer to the ski trails. In 1976 lifts became functional and the area came to resemble the Snow Bowl today.[3]

Previously known as Winter Carnival, Winterfest consists of winter recreational activities and contests. In 1936, when Winter Carnival started, festivities included toboggan rides, skating races, figure skating contests, horse races (skijoring), trap shooting, and wood sawing contests.[6] Due to World War II, these events halted in 1940.

In 2002, the modern Winterfest was developed. While toboggan rides still occur, the weekend introduced ice carving, the polar plunge, the Maine State Snow Sculpture Championships, live music, the CamJam ski and snowboard exhibition and the annual U.S. National Toboggan Championships.

Top section of the toboggan chute

The Jack Williams Toboggan Chute is 400 feet (120 m) long and rises 70 feet (21 m) in elevation. Jack Williams was a Camden local who spearheaded the renovation and documented the history of the snow bowl.[7] Tobogganing started in Camden in 1936 during the first Winter Carnival. The chute was made of wood and covered in ice, allowing participants to slide down in their sleds. Despite being rebuilt in the early 1990's to match safety standards, the base remains made of wood.

Volunteers partake in a slow process of building up layers of ice on the wood chute every night before a race. This is done through a "Rube Goldberg" invention in which bags of water with small holes are pulled up by hand. The cool temperatures before dawn freeze the water, creating the slide. Similar to the luge, sleds fly down this icy chute at hurtling speeds, as fast as 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). In Camden, participants are sent out onto Hosmer Pond, which is frozen, and sometimes are able to travel all the way across the water.

Every year, the Toboggan Championships are held across from the Camden Snow Bowl. Originally, it was held on the first weekend of February, but the date has since been changed to the second weekend of February in order to avoid conflict with the NFL Super Bowl. The event has been taking place every year since 1991 and allows anyone to register, making the event more of a winter festivity than a competitive sport like in the Olympics.[8] This is the only organized wood toboggan event in the country.

• Official website