Just in time for snow season across the Northern Hemisphere comes the Snolo Stealth-X, a carbon-fiber sled that's super-light and ultra-maneuverable. It lets you lean into turns like a motorcycle, while you sit upright as if you're in a race car.
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Built by a group of snow-sliding enthusiasts in New Zealand, this futuristic carbon-fiber snow rocket is shrouded in mystery. According to a single web page displaying a countdown timer, Snolo says its website will launch in just under 37 days.
That's when the company will blast more news about the super-sled -- and maybe bring the product itself -- into the homes of the well-heeled just in time for the holidays.
Why a carbon-fiber sled? According to Snolo, this sporty snow conveyance takes "sledding to a new level in styling, performance and maneuverability." The sales pitch goes on: "brush the snow with your hand as you lean into a corner, whether it's powder or packed, backcountry or resort. Feel the ride with a Snolo Sled."
Sean Boyd, the design director of Snolo Sleds, called his sled "a far cry from the wooden sleds of old that were designed to run down a gentle slope laden with small children." This Stealth-X carbon fiber model is the company's flagship sled, "designed to be used on both hard and soft powdered snow," he told Mashable.
Boyd described the sled's maneuverability, refined through extensive testing for six years: "Early test runs on an average gradient snow slope showed the Stealth-X was capable of speeds in excess of 65 km/hr (40 miles per hour), but uniquely it can also steer and stop in much the same manner as a snow board. The rider sits in a comfortable seated position, and the cornering is done with leaning the body, and pushing with your foot on front mounted foot pegs, in the direction you want to turn."
The sled's 9-lb weight will come in handy when you reach the bottom of the hill and have to hike back to the top for your next ride. The Stealth-X is designed to pull apart by releasing a simple locking nut. Then it folds into a small package that can be bundled into a backpack so you can carry it back up the mountain or sledding hill, hands-free.
If you're familiar with carbon fiber, you know that along with uncanny light weight and super-strong construction, it invariably brings an extraordinary price. The Snolo Stealth-X is no exception, lightening your wallet by about $2,999 for the privilege of flying down a hill in a space-age toboggan.
So if you're that rich or that serious about sledding, this might be the ultimate ride for your upcoming downhill adventures.
Stealth-X Sled Prep
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[via OhGizmo]
This story originally published on Mashable here.