Tubing on snow is a wintertime activity that is
similar to sledding. This kind of tubing is almost always performed on
a hill or slope, using gravity to propel the rider to the bottom of the
grade. The rider will then often return to the top of the slope with
his or her tube and repeat the process. The low amount of friction
between most tubes and snow allows tubers to reach considerable speeds
while riding, especially on steep slopes. Because of the circular shape
of snow tubes, controlling the course and speed of a tube while riding
on snow is extremely difficult. While a sled rider can drag his or her
arms on the snow to brake or steer to a degree, attempting this on a
tube will often cause the tube to spin. This lack of control has led to
injuries, some serious, when riders have struck obstacles such as trees
while tubing on snow.
Some ski resorts offer courses devoted solely to
tubing. Such courses often have slopes or barriers on the periphery to
guide the tubes along a safe course. Motorized pulley towlines are
often used to tow riders and their tube back to the top of the course
after riding to the bottom.
It is also possible to tow a tube through the snow
behind a snowmobile. This is similar to towed tubing on water, only the
watercraft is replaced by a snowmobile and the water with snow-covered
ground.
