The Next Thing

We’ve got some of the best conditions of the season for the weekend. But if there’s one thing that can keep me in the city Saturday, it’s the inaugural Winter Sportec event hosted by UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.

In a town known for popularizing snowboarding, I can hardly wait to see what these inventive Vermonters have come up with to change the winter world again.

From co-sponsor The Vermont Ski Areas Association:

A team of UVM professors and engineers from the community will judge … new designs, inventions, products and equipment created to improve on a current winter sport or to create a totally new winter sport for snow or ice. 

My imagination is running wild. Just look at these registered team names: Icy Seduction, Bikes on Snow, Jack Jumpers, Ice King, Downhill Kayaking. Judges will name Most Technologically Innovative, Most Popular and Most Accessible (to people with disabilities), among other categories.

The Northeast Disabled Athletic Association is also a sponsor.

The devices will be on display starting at 9:30 a.m. at the University Mall in South Burlington.