Slog
News & ArtsSunday, December 21, 2008
City Currently Sledding
Posted by Eli Sanders on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 at 2:15 AM
I imagine this is also happening elsewhere, but just now at the intersection of East Denny Way and Bellevue Avenue East I came upon a hundred or so people throwing a snowed-over street party: music blasting out of an apartment window, booze in most hands, and all manner of sleds, skis, and snowboards cruising down the steepest part of Denny toward the I-5 overpass.
Pressed into sled service: a giant surfboard (seats upwards of five if necessary); the casing for the front bumper of a cheap car; lots of cardboard; several laundry baskets; and a green box spring mattress.
Photo, captioned "sledding down Denny," by StrangerFlickr contributor joshc.
4
You know you're getting old when you look at that pic and your first thought isn't "wow, that looks awesome!", but "wow, that looks unsafe!"
(sigh)
(sigh)
6
That is a beautiful picture. Thanks.
I'm going to get nice prints of that photo and send one to all of your advertisers. Copies to the pimped out whores in the Backpages may be questionable. Do you think they would be appreciative?
i don't like turtles as much as tits and ass for sale
I'm going to get nice prints of that photo and send one to all of your advertisers. Copies to the pimped out whores in the Backpages may be questionable. Do you think they would be appreciative?
i don't like turtles as much as tits and ass for sale
7
Cafeteria trays work well also, as long as your ass isn't too fat, but are there even any cafeterias left anymore?
9
That rocks.
(And apparently better use of the hills than Metro is making of them. 3 buses stranded this morning on various parts of Pine between 15th and 1st.)
(And apparently better use of the hills than Metro is making of them. 3 buses stranded this morning on various parts of Pine between 15th and 1st.)
10
I used to put a garbage bag around cardboard and staple it together at the corners. That worked fairly well.
12
God - memories - then trudging back up the hill
Spilling out on the ice, seemed so funny and cool
Need a tabagonn (sp) - they whiz down with five or six people cluching each other - one of the thrills by the way - cluching which is groping but approved when sledding with strangers
Spilling out on the ice, seemed so funny and cool
Need a tabagonn (sp) - they whiz down with five or six people cluching each other - one of the thrills by the way - cluching which is groping but approved when sledding with strangers
13
by the time I left they were setting up human pyramids on that windsurfing board and making it a fair way down the hill without tumbling over.
15
Tried: a deflated tube sled, cardboard with garbage bag exterior, and a cafeteria tray. I didn't have much success but I did get clipped by a much faster sledder, and the bruise on my left calf is a proud reminder of the night.
16
When people used that hill during the snow storm of '06 or so it was pretty funny to see what people brought to sled on. Initially it was the standing sled items, but as more and more people appeared wacky items like frying pans and cereal boxes started appearing. Some of those off-the-shelf items worked pretty well. But then one of those 10-people-on-one-item things had to crash into a pole and the ambulance came and much of the fun disappeared.
20
I'm still hurting from day #1 action at Union. Those side-ads from the buses were awesome to ride! Go Team Macy's! :)
21
This is pretty much the same scene as 18th & E Union.
Best improvised sled: The guy who cut the side out of a square 39 gallon trash bin and turned it into a 3-person toboggan!
Best improvised sled: The guy who cut the side out of a square 39 gallon trash bin and turned it into a 3-person toboggan!
22
Looks like all of those parents from Medina, Mercer Island and Redmond get to see what their children do on a "snow day"!
24
When i was a kid, my sister's BF had an inner tube from an airplane. Stack on a tube from a semi and a regular tube (do not tie together), pile on as many people as you can and hold on for dear life. The trampoline effect would send you flying. Hauling that sucker back up the hill was a pain in the ass, tho.
Good times, good times.
Good times, good times.
25
more chances - snowing again and tons or ice and compacted snow EVERYWHERE
getting cabin fever - need a love interest, old boyfriend will do
drinking rum and oj
Absolut Pears - great taste, needs a few drops of something, ginger oil?
getting a lot of sleep - TV is shitty - Giant windows in two directions, third floor, the whole world is white and still - surprising number of walkers, no traffic to speak of
getting cabin fever - need a love interest, old boyfriend will do
drinking rum and oj
Absolut Pears - great taste, needs a few drops of something, ginger oil?
getting a lot of sleep - TV is shitty - Giant windows in two directions, third floor, the whole world is white and still - surprising number of walkers, no traffic to speak of
29
Thanks for the picture Eli! I'm the standing guy in there. Does anyone have more pictures? Find me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=16…
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=16…
30
That is a beautiful photo! I'm in the photo next to it in the flickr pool: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alithea/312… , we also had a bit of a snow party on our block in the U-D. I met neighbors I'd lived next to for YEARS without so much as making eye contact and had a blast building our siege wall with "toll booze" to keep out the riffraff. Then SPD made us take it down - but not before telling us it was "the best thing they'd seen all night". Hooray!
31
A few years ago, we saw groups of people going down Kite Hill in a dinghy. They stopped when they whacked into the chain-link fence enclosing the Gasworks.
33
Aw, this is so sweet. But it does make me want to take up a collection of real sleds from the midwest to send to your poor people in Seattle who have to improvise! Well done though, folks. And the truth is, ER docs appreciate sled injuries, especially if you're over 40, I can assure you from personal experience.
34
WHEEEE!!!!
To the people on 13th Ave S who left their super fancy sleds out by the curb:
Thank you! They worked much better than our rather sub-optimal rubbermaid-item-sleds. We wrote a thank-you note in the snow next to them when we left, but since the shit just keeps coming down, I bet you won't see it. :)
To the people on 13th Ave S who left their super fancy sleds out by the curb:
Thank you! They worked much better than our rather sub-optimal rubbermaid-item-sleds. We wrote a thank-you note in the snow next to them when we left, but since the shit just keeps coming down, I bet you won't see it. :)
35
Yes, it's fun and nice. Wheeee... whatever.
As a Cap Hill resident overlooking one of the popular sledding spots, I am beyond sick of hearing hoots and hollers at all times of night.
After four nights of this shit, I just have to say: Get your fucking sledding out of your system during the day and let me get some sleep! (Shaking fist)
As a Cap Hill resident overlooking one of the popular sledding spots, I am beyond sick of hearing hoots and hollers at all times of night.
After four nights of this shit, I just have to say: Get your fucking sledding out of your system during the day and let me get some sleep! (Shaking fist)
36
@34: Ok, now I'm wondering exactly how you wrote that note. Did the guys in your group write most of it?
37
Yes, it's nice and fun! As a Cap Hill resident near one of the popular sledding spots, I really enjoy hearing the hoots and hollers at all times of the night.
Every night of the past four I'm reminded that I live in a city full of people who know how to have fun. I'm glad you get your sledding on all the time. Thanks Seattle! (waves hand)
Every night of the past four I'm reminded that I live in a city full of people who know how to have fun. I'm glad you get your sledding on all the time. Thanks Seattle! (waves hand)
38
To Teddy B at comment #1: If you're a kid or a kid at heart, cardboard makes a bitchin' sled for about a half dozen runs. If memory serves, curling the front of the cardboard up in front of you provided great protection when you ran into someone (they didn't hit the ground until I'd passed underneath. ahh to be young again).
Fun to read about your fun. We've got lots of snow for sledding here in MN but the 7-below aspect of it makes book reading a better choice for an old guy. Enjoy.
Fun to read about your fun. We've got lots of snow for sledding here in MN but the 7-below aspect of it makes book reading a better choice for an old guy. Enjoy.
39
@32 : thanks! it depends on what you mean by "photoshopped": the white balance was corrected and contrast, etc. were tweaked in Lightroom.
Looks like the city's gearing up for another night of fun. Unfortunately, I'm busy getting ready to go to the frozen midwest where there's bound to be a lot more snow, but a lot less frivolity about it.
Looks like the city's gearing up for another night of fun. Unfortunately, I'm busy getting ready to go to the frozen midwest where there's bound to be a lot more snow, but a lot less frivolity about it.
40
Beautiful shot. You really caught the fun and energy of it all including great expressions! Sled, surfboard, serving tray or plastic garbage bag, sliding Denny is a blast!
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