Gnarly! Rockin' the best snow sleds

With the season's first blizzard looming in the northeast, it suddenly occurred to us that we've never reviewed snow sleds! We'll start our research process, but if you can't wait, here's a sneak peak at some of the reviews we've been finding. If you haven't shopped for a sled in a while, you'll be stoked to see some of these high-tech numbers.

For Popular Mechanics, Jeff Wise road tests (or, slope tests) four pricey sleds designed for speed (read: not for the kids).  For wicked speed, Wise picks the $250 Hammerhead, which was simple to use and steer. For a more finessed ride, read his review of the Airboard Classic 130, a $280 inflatable.

An older review in Outside magazine checks out the product claims of three modern sleds, including the Airboard. Editors here also had good all-around results with the Airboard; it maneuvered well and picked up decent speed.  But the fastest sled there was the Wham-O Snowboogie XRS-Pro, a belly rider that only costs $35.

This site, SnowSleds.net, doesn't do much testing, but the owners clearly are sled fanatics. Sleds sold here get a good description, plus pictures that let you better see how it's supposed to work. SnowSledsMart.com is another nice looking site with everything from classic toboggans to simple plastic discs.

As for cheaper snow sleds, Amazon.com has some reviews.  About.com has a few recommendations, these from Northwest US travel guide Angela Brown. Brown doesn't appear to test anything, but the list will give you an idea of what's on the market.

How about making your own? Here's a primer at Trails.com on constructing a sled with a wooden pallet. 

Got a favorite sledding blog? Please let us know.