Wilmot, n.h.
Since 2011, Herrick has been the proud builder of sleboggans, an apparatus made of wood and fiberglass that attach to toboggans to make them easier to steer.
The original prototype came from the front third of a surfboard, to which Herrick affixed handles and steel runners to help users negotiate turns.
Various incarnations have developed — Herrick’s latest version is smaller and designed for children ages 5-8 — and he’s sold 63 of them since establishing Mr. Sleboggan, Inc., 5½ years ago. Available in paint schemes designed by his son, Carson, they retail for $89-$119. Users may also purchase 66-inch toboggans made of sturdy plastic, modified with handles and hooks in order to attach to the sleboggans, from Herrick for $77.
“I’ve never had one returned,” Herrick said at his home shop in Wilmot, N.H. “There’s no marketing budget, just word of mouth and some demonstrations that I put on at different events.”
Herrick, a Rutland native who taught aerospace at Middle Tennessee State University after a transport piloting career, moved to New Hampshire 10 years ago and became motivated to find a way to allow his oldest grandson, Lincoln, to toboggan safely on the property he shares with his wife, Donna Sweet. Perched on the foothills near Mount Kesarsarge, Herrick’s land is quite amiable to sledding, so long as users are able to stay clear of the trees on either side of its paths.
“I’ve been riding toboggans my whole life, and I finally realized, ‘You can’t steer these things,’ ” Herrick said. “Back in 2010, my daughter-in-law (Kirsten) said ‘No,’ when I suggested that Lincoln take the toboggan down the hill. I said, ‘We’ve got to fix that.’ ”
Creating a mold from the end of a surfboard donated by his stepson Rob, Herrick patented the Link 1 — named both for Lincoln and because it links to a toboggan — in summer 2011. Thirty-two inches long, the hollow, three-dimensional unit weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and proved effective.
Since then, Herrick has made lighter, single-plank versions of the sleboggan named for another grandson, Griffin, and a granddaughter, Daphne. Mr. Sleboggan’s latest, named for his youngest granddaughter, Ayla, is approximately one-third the size of the original Link 1.
Meanwhile, Herrick uses a snowmobile each winter to carve luge-style paths on his property, which he calls Sleboggan Park. Prospective customers may visit for free demonstrations and test rides.
“I don’t make snow here, so of course it’s dependent on natural snow,” Herrick said. “I’ve never measured, but I’d guess the trails are about 1,500-2,000 feet long. They’re a blast. You can get some pretty good speed.”
Herrick has organized a group of volunteers called the Slebogganing Club of New England (SCNE), whose members help him demo the units at area events. They’ll be at Claremont’s Arrowhead Recreation Area on Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., offering free demos as part of Arrowhead’s participation in World Snow Day, an international celebration of snow sports facilitated by FIS.
As part of the festivities, Arrowhead will be offering half-price lift tickets for tubing, skiing and snowboarding for children ages 4-14, Herrick said, along with its usual free ice skating and cross country skiing options.
“The fastest we’ve ever gotten a sleboggan to go was 32 miles per hour, at this same event two years ago,” Herrick said. “We’re going to try to break that this year.”
The Slebogganing Club of New England also will stage demos as part of the 101st Newport Winter Carnival on Feb. 11, as well as on Feb. 25 during a sled bed racing event at Grantham’s Eastman Recreation Center.
“We do all the demos for free and just hope that some of the people who see them become interested,” Herrick said. “It’s worked out pretty well that way so far. Last year, though, was terrible, because we had almost no snow. I only sold one.”
Meanwhile, Herrick has begun crafting a modified version of a classic, curved-front toboggan. Incorporating a flannel-covered cushion upon its base, a prone rider would affix to it with the help of a Velcro-covered vest. Herrick attached a fiberglass fin to its rear end in hopes of increasing stability, but he has found it generates too much friction.
“I’m always experimenting, always tinkering,” said Herrick, who also harvests maple syrup from the trees on his land. “It never ends.”
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.