Golf Road
Tamaqua PA
circa 1934
Mahala family photos

Betty (Lizzy) Mahala Vavro

https://thehillernewspaper.org/6068/sports/winter/glide-through-the-history-of-sled-riding/

The first snow of winter, for many, marks the start of the long-awaited sled riding season. Whether there’s a few inches or multiple feet of snow on the ground, children and adults everywhere are always eager to button up their snow pants and spend hours outside on their sleds.

Senior Ashleigh Tuite explains her love for sled riding by saying, “When I was little I used to sled ride every weekend and now I still do it multiple times a year whenever I can.”

With all of this winter fun on its way, curiosity has struck. Why are some sleds better than others and how have sleds evolved?

For hundreds of years, people have been sled riding in some capacity. Despite the fact that people have grown to know sled riding as a snowy sport, the first documented sled ride occurred around 1900 B.C. in the sandy deserts of ancient Egypt. The sleds were made out of carved rock and were used for both convenience and labor.

The first recreational sled riding events were held by Russian aristocrats around the 1650s. The Russian youth would build wooden tracks down hills and carve sleds out of large blocks of ice. Although extremely dangerous, it was a primary source of fun amidst the harsh winters.


Tamaqua is a borough in eastern Schuylkill County in the Coal Region of Pennsylvania, United States. It had a population of 6,934 as of the 2020 U.S. census. Tamaqua was established from territory from West Penn and Schuylkill Townships. The borough is part of the micropolitan statistical area of Pottsville.