UBCO hosting concrete toboggan race at Big White

UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering has found a way to combine winter sports and the thrill of competition into their daily work.

On Jan. 28, UBCO will be hosting the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race at Big White’s Tube Town, which is a student-led event where universities across Canada race their hand-built concrete toboggans down steep hills.

While the competition is heavily focused on the design and manufacturing aspects of engineering, faculty supervisor Dr. Ahmed Rtiel says there is a lot of learning and professional development that takes place during the design, construction and race.

“There is a lot of business and logistics planning that goes on behind the scenes so the teams recruit students from other areas of study,” he says.

“The experience of participating in this event has helped students make connections with industry and round out their resumés, which will potentially help them find employment after graduation.”

Competing teams must design and build a custom-made toboggan that is capable of steering, braking and safely carrying five people down the mountain.

Kyle Lessoway, the event’s co-chair, explains that the toboggans must weigh less than 350 lbs, and the only part of them that must be concrete are the actual runners, which contact the snow during the downhill race.

“The competition is unique compared to other engineering competitions in that it adds a spirited side to the event with themes designed into the toboggans,” he says, noting that this year is cow-themed.

“The event also allows competitors to practice their soft skills, such as communicating with industry partners and members of the public who are not engineering experts.”

Janessa Froese, past competitor and event co-chair, says students have been preparing budgets, writing funding proposals and engaging with stakeholders for months. She adds that getting the team and sled from their home to the competition city is a massive undertaking.

“The skills I developed while I was on the concrete toboggan team were the reason I got my first job when I completed university,” she explains.

There are 15 competing teams and four non-competing teams attending the event, with more than 385 participants arriving in Kelowna this week.

The UBCO team has a track record of success, with podium finishes at several events and a second place spot overall at the last Kelowna event in 2015.

Each toboggan will be judged on the design of it as a whole, the level of ingenuity and innovation, as well as how well it performs on race day.

Prior to racing, the toboggans must pass a safety inspection.

Students will also participate in a competitor interaction day, where they will attend downtown tours including the heritage museums and some on-campus events.

On Jan. 27, they will also partake in a concrete testing demonstration at UBCO and the Tech-Ex display at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort.

The Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race was first established in 1975 and is the longest-running engineering student competition in Canada.

For more information about the 2023 Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race, visit gnctr2023.ca.