About two weeks ago we got the following note:
Needless to say, we accepted the challenge. After a couple of weeks of careful planning and team meetings, the Wilson lab built four beautiful sleds out of sheet plastic and heavy cardboard that were clearly aerodynamic, slick and sturdy enough to go head-to-head with a classic Flexible Flyer.
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| Wilson Lab Team Sledding |
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| Joe and Mehmet, representing for the Wilson Lab |
We, on the other hand, got a bunch of crates and a staple gun on Saturday afternoon, and two six-packs later, called it a day.
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| Datta Lab “Bobsled.” It would be ironically named, but only if it moved. |
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| Datta lab, also representing. Except with somewhat less velocity. |
Predictably we got blown out the first two races, the group challenge and the bobsled.
Finally, it was time for the Wilson/Datta showdown, mano a mano. But since Bob’s sled (really a biohazard bag stapled to a long piece of dirty cardboard) had already fallen apart, the Wilson folks were kind enough to lend a sled so the Datta lab could at least complete the competition.
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| Before the final showdown. |
In the end, we bought the beers at the Pig for the Wilson Folks and toasted their good fortune. A great time was definitely had by all. We just need to bring more glycerol to the table next year, and perhaps some tacks.