Krazy Downhill Derby & Broomball Tournament

The Krazy Downhill Derby is held annually, usually the third Saturday in the month of February. (… but check our Loony About Adirondacks events calendar for the exact date each year.)

The event is held at the Town of Chester Recreation Center ( … also known as Dynamite Hill) on Route 8, just a couple of miles west of exit 25 of the Northway (I-87).

There are two main parts to this event, the Krazy Derby and a broomball tournament.

The derby is great entertainment and sure to get you smiling, even laughing! It features creative homemade sleds designed and operated by kids and adults living in the local area. They compete for awards in several categories such as most creative, outrageous, daring, etc.

It’s obvious that a lot of time is spent designing and creating these custom sleds throughout the year as many are quite elaborate and they must be capable of making it down the hill in any weather.

Some sleds are basically the same each year and just modified with improvements for better results. While there are several new sleds designed each year to take everyone by surprise.

Expect to see many unique and shocking creations. Some even built from materials obtained from the Chestertown recycling center (… you can never tell what you will find there, like maybe that old recliner attached to some old skis!).

Experience matters, in knowing what unique design could win and knowing what last minute adjustments need to be incorporated in order to make it down the hill based on the snow conditions that day.

I’ve seen some nicely designed sleds get stuck just a few feet from the start because the snow was sticky that day. While others just flew down the hill.

The event is safe even if your sled is very fast as bales of hay are placed at the bottom of the hill to slow the sleds down if needed.

There are a few guidelines for the sleds. Although I don’t believe there is a weight limit, the sleds must be home-made and they cannot be motorized. Also, no more than four passengers are allowed to ride down the hill on a sled at one time. (…There may be other restrictions. So if you are planning on designing one for next year, you better check!)

The Krazy Downhill Derby is a fun time for all. And there are no losers. Everyone who enters the competition receives a t-shirt, hat, and a certificate. … and spectators there just to watch have a fantastic time.

The second part of the Krazy Derby Day is a broomball tournament. After a couple of off years the broomball tournament was brought back by popular demand.

Broomball is modeled after ice hockey in that they are both played on ice and have goals at both ends. But with broomball boots are worn in place of skates (… to prevent injury I assume). Plus there are less players on the ice. Also brooms are used in place of hockey sticks and a ball is used instead of a hockey puck.

The tournament is organized with separate divisions for kids and adults. The competition is held at the top of Dynamite Hill, in a small (… very small) pavilion with an ice rink, right next to the lodge. The competition gets fierce as neighboring towns take pride in bringing home the gold!

So ...if you want to have a fun time (either as a participant or a spectator), give the Krazy Downhill Derby & Broomball Tournament a try!

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