CORNER BROOK — They are confident their contraption will win, but students at Academy Canada already know something good will come out of their entry in the first ever Cook’s Quest bobsleigh race.
The two-person bobsleigh race, being organized by the City of Corner Brook for the city’s winter carnival, is slated for Feb. 20 and will take place on a track to be built on Hospital Hill next to the O’Connell Centre.
The city has put out a challenge to residents, businesses and any group to build their own sled to race down the steep hill.
The administration at Academy Canada asked its carpentry students if they could build one and they have. At least two teams from the school have agreed to race the sled.
While the machine will be fine-tuned in the coming week or so, the school will also be busy selling tickets on the sled up to an including race day. All of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to welding student Jeff Murrin, whose home in Mount Moriah was gutted by fire recently.
Mike Cole, an occupational health and safety student, painted the dory-shaped sled and his classmate Greg Park will be the brakeman on one of the teams. Culinary students Bill Squire and Dave Butt, already dubbed the Crazy Cooks, will also compete.
“If I have to bail out, I will be the first one out at the first sign of trouble,” joked Cole, though with intimations of being serious. “I am not going to go down with this ship.”
The crew has had the sled, which they plan to dub the Bob Boat or maybe the Bob Boat Goulding after principal Keith Goulding, out for test runs.
“We had to take her back in to make some adjustments on the steering mechanism,” explained Steve Gould, who designed the oar-shaped braking system. “We’ve got that revamped and we’re going to try her out again.”
Gould said the school is confident of its creation.
“I would like to issue a challenge to anyone to try and beat us,” he said. “I think ours could win.”
The City of Corner Brook said there has been some interest from other makeshift bobsledders for the race the city hopes will become an annual Corner Brook Winter Carnival event. Participants have until Feb. 16 to register.
The plan is to pack down snow on Hospital Hill and build a starting ramp near the tunnel which goes underneath the Lewin Parkway. Racers will have to negotiate a turn before speeding towards the finish line at the bottom of the hill near Tim Hortons.
There will be hay bales and snow fencing on the turn as safety precautions. Participants must also wear snowmobile helmets.
For a complete list of rules and registration forms, visit www.cornerbrook.com or www.cornerbrookwintercarnival.ca.
