Winterfest is coming, and so are the snow snakes!
Once again the Muskoka Lakes Museum in Port Carling
is hosting a Snow Snake competition at Port Carling’s Winterfest.Surf Paradise is providing some great prizes for the grades 4 to 6 and grades 7 & 8 categories, while Muskoka Highlands has promised some golf prizes for the new high school / adult categories!

What are Snow Snakes?
Snow snakes are wooden sticks that are slid across a snow covered or icy stretch of ground to see which snake slides the farthest. This old native game is also an official activity at the Arctic Winter Games. Their official rules are listed below. They are also posted at The Norma and Miller Alloway Muskoka Lakes library in Port Carling, along with a sample of a snow snake.

Who can compete? Everyone!
Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

For longest throw - elementary school grades 4 to 6, one prize each for girls and boys, and elementary school grades 7 and 8, one prize each for girls and boys, (4 prizes total). One prize each for ladies and men in the new high school/adult categories. You can also decorate your throwing snake for the best decorated contest.

For best-decorated snake -- elementary school grades 4 to 6, one prize each for girls and boys, and elementary school grades 7 and 8, one prize each for girls and boys, (4 prizes total). One prize each for ladies and men in the new high school/adult categories. Your decorated snake can also be used for the longest throw competition.

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The Competition
Bring your snow snake to the Community Centre in Port Carling on Sunday, February 3rd, to register. Registration for all snow snakes – throwing and best decorated -- will take place from 9am to 11am, (during the breakfast). Judging for the best decorated categories will take place at 11am at the Community Centre. If your decorated snow snake is also being entered in the throwing competition it has to be judged BEFORE the throwing competition starts. The snow snake throwing course is located at Hanna Park in Port Carling. Throwing starts at 11:30am, with younger ones throwing first.

How to make your snow snake
Material required -- a pine or spruce board between 1 metre and 2 Metres (approx. 3 to 6 ½ feet) long, and a minimum 2 cm (3/4 inch) thickness. You can also use a ¾ inch broom handle.  Sandpaper, paint, (optional) ski wax or varnish, nut and bolt for eye, (optional) and decorations, if you are entering the best-decorated contest.

Each contestant should create their own snow snake, though help from parents and siblings or friends is allowed, of course. The board should be sanded along its length. It should be about 2 to 2.5 cm (3/4 to 1 inch) wide. It can be slightly less than 2 cm (3/4 inch) high, if you like. You can create a 'head' at one end and a 'tail' at the other. The head can be from 4 to 5 cm (approx. 2 inches) tall. You can drill holes in the head for eyes, and use a nut and bolt for the eyes, (and for extra weight). The bottom of the head can be shaped to slope up, like the front of a snow ski. The underside of the snake should be rounded, but the back can be flat, unless you use a broom handle. Each snake should be well sanded, especially the bottom. Then, paint it if you like, and wax or varnish it for a smooth finish.

Then What?
Practice throwing along your driveway, or in the schoolyard or playground. Try it one of two ways -- hold the snake by the tail with the head resting on the snow-covered ground and give it a big push, something like you would do if you have played shuffleboard; or, carry your snake and take a running start before launching it along the snow-covered ground, similar to bowling.

See you at Winterfest!

SNOWSNAKE RULES

1. START: A player may be standing or may choose to run to the throwing line.

2. MOVEMENT: The team player, utilizing an underhand delivery (below the hip) throws the spear along the surface of the snowfield. The object is to make the spear slide over the snow as far as possible. Players will be allowed a maximum of a 20' run up prior to each attempt (throw).

3. ATTEMPTS: Each player has three (3) attempts.

4. SCORING: The distance the spear travels from the throwing line to the tip of the spear, with the longest distance being the winner or at the point that the spear exits the trough.

5. COMPETETION FORMAT: The rotation is established by draw.

6. EQUIPMENT: The spear is a straight spruce stick 1.4 meters (4'6") in length and 20 millimeters (3/4") in diameter and sharpened at one end. The surface of the spear must be varnished.

The snowfield is generally level and packed; it may be on a lake and should be at least 150 meters (500 feet) in length. A trough 3 meters (10') wide with 300 millimeters (1') snow bank on either side must be developed.