Today, sledding is both a sport and a pastime for many, but the humble sled actually started out as a construction aid to help build the Pyramids. Workers used sleds set on top of wooden tracks to help haul heavy stones. Sleds later came to be associated with Santa Claus, and in 1822, the poet Clement Clarke Moore described the legend of St. Nick in great detail – including his fabled sleigh. Sledding in the snow became a popular pastime in the 1800s, and the Flexible Flyer was patented by Samuel Leeds Allen in 1889. The first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race took place in 1973 and is now one of Alaska’s most popular sports.
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