Toboggan (ride)
Toboggan is the name of a ride at folk festivals . The passenger is transported to the center of the tower by means of a high-speed conveyor belt. From there you climb stairs to the top of the tower, enjoy the view from above and slide down on the wooden slide with a sackcloth as a base. In contrast to other rides, here the passenger is actively challenged and at the same time ensures that the audience is amused. This is ensured by the conveyor belt mentioned above. Due to the high speed of the belt, a lot of skill is required to reach the tower on the belt without assistance.
Beginnings
The origins go back to North America in the 19th century, where tower slides were an attraction. This is where the name "Toboggan" comes from, originally a term used by the Canadian Algonquin Indians to refer to a light snow sled made of wood .
Probably one of the first rides of this kind in Europe is documented on a Paris postcard from 1900. As early as 1906, Anton Bausch from Baden built what was probably the first German toboggan based on the model from Paris. Despite the former popularity of the towers, very few of them still exist in the German-speaking world.
Germany
One of the few rides of this kind that can still be found at fairgrounds today is the Konrad family's "Toboggan" ride at the Munich Oktoberfest , which has been there since 1933. Since it is a mobile toboggan, it can also be set up on other fixed sites. However, the Konrad family's toboggan is too labor-intensive and expensive, so that it is no longer profitable for the trip. Nevertheless, it is occasionally set up in the greater Munich area.
Another mobile toboggan is the former electro-toboggan built in 1907 . It was rebuilt in 1952 and was installed at the Munich Oktoberfest until 1970. Since it was taken over by the Fischer family in 1971, the toboggan has been on display at the Oldenburg Kramermarkt, the Nuremberg Festival and the Straubing Gäubodenvolksfest.
Austria
In the Wiener Wurstelprater there were temporarily several toboggans, the oldest toboggan has been preserved.
