Our (My) “Flexible Flyer Sled” By Thomas R. Haverland I was over at Cliffs Hardware Store in Sharonville, Ohio a couple of weeks ago; after I paid for my purchase, & when as I was going out the entrance, there standing upright against the wall, was a brand spanking new 3 man Flexible Flyer Sled; an exact replica of the beautiful Flexible Flyer we 3 brothers; Austin, Bill & I; received from Santa Claus when we were mere boys! You cant miss a Flexible Flyer Sled because of the distinct Flyer Logo stencil of Red & White, and the Red Arrow; on the finished Birch center slat of the sled, (And the wrap-around’ safety rear sled runners, {all Painted In Red)!! There was a sale price for this beauty; (which stood at least over 6 feet tall); of $99.00! And out of nostalgia I almost bought it! Not especially for me, but as Im now pushing 87 years; I knew I would get Sand from my better-half! But I know it would of been a swell gift for my 9 grand-Kids to use when they come to visit us in the Winter! Heres the story of our sled! Most of our early sleds were home crafted by Dad, made out beautifully out of wood; not very versatile or steer- able, they would be classified as antiques (Tramp Art) today. Our first “real” sled was a Gift from Santa Claus!! (Really!) Dad belonged to the Reading, Ohio Elks Lodge, who every Christmas had a Christmas party for its members kids, and this one year Santa Claus gave us boys a wonderful gift, a “Flexible Flyer” 3 man Page sled! ( My Sister Margaret got a beautiful Baby Doll)! Oh what joy these gifts of the season brought to us!, we boys wereKings of the Reily Rd. sled run for years afterward. This sled disappeared sort of like the “Rose-Bud” sled in the movie Citizen Kane and its a mystery what ever happened to our “Flexible Flyer” to this day! I think when we moved to Greenhills, Ohio in 1942; the old Flexible-Flyer was left behind in our cellar; as our Cousin Otto Haverland moved us in one load & there was no room on his truck! As everything of value we owned in our 4 room cottage, was piled high atop Ottos Model T Truck! As we traveled down Reily Rd., to Springfield Pike, up Compton Rd. to the Old Winton Road, and on North too the new Village of Greenhills!! Sort of like that old truck filmed in the Grapes Of Wrath movie! Most of our early wooden sleds were beautifully home crafted by Dad! Not very versatile but they would be classified as antiques today. Then there was the snow-sledge Dad made for use in the winter time when the snow was too deep for our horse “Queenie” to pull the wagon and something needed to be hauled! Made out of wood with front runners which turned, it didn’t get much use!. Dad also made a wood plank V shaped snow plow, pulled by our draft horse Queenie, to snow-plow the roads & driveways on upper Reily Road! I remember in winter and we sledded down Reily Rd. hill, one of the men on the hill had snow chains on his coupe and after we boys went flying down the hill on our treasured Flexible Flyer; he would tie our sleds on the back bumper of his car and we would all pile into his Coupe {with rumble-seat}; and we would all, sleds and kids, go back up the Reily Rd. Hill sled run for another try!. Sort of an early times Sled Ski-lift! Before we got our Flexible Flyer, We kids would make crude ski’s out of old barrel staves, sanding and planeing the curved concave sides smooth, waxing the surface; and then rivet or nail old leather harness belly-bands for boot straps as the belly-bands were wider than the rest of horse harness! We used tomato stakes for ’ski-poles’; & “wiped-out” many a time on these home-made skis.These were just some of “make-do” “toys” we kids made to amuse ourselves! I hope my last words on my lips; will-not be Flexible Flyer; as in Citizen Kanes (Rose Bud)! But I will always remember our first Flexible Flyer Sled of years gone by; and the fun my Brothers Austin & Bill, and I had; when we were Kings of the Reily Road Hill sled run! Watch Out; Get Out Of The Way!
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:58:18 +0000