• Sunday-What'sUP February 2 - 05:48 am

When Robin in Ohio sent me today's Shoebox Memory photo, I thought it was an outdoor walker for elderly folks in the U.P. back during the depression. Not so - it turns out there is a whole industry in Finland dedicated to these devices. In fact, the River Bend Nature Center in Faribault, MN. has a bunch of these for visitors to ride. Today's Pasty Cameo is a :30 second clip of third graders from Faribault Luthern School having some fun with them.

Here is Robin's note:

This photo is of my Great Grandparents Andrew Niemi (Name in Finland was Antti Korpiniemi) and His Wife Olga. They lived in Painesdale for awhile and he worked at the Champion Mine. Then they bought a farm moved to Paradise Road Location (I belive its Warham Road now) . I never knew exactly what the sled they had was untill yesterday. I recived a photo from a cousin in Finland and she is sitting on a more modern version of the same thing . It is called a potkukelkka or Kick Sled. You place your foot on one runner like my Great Grandfather has in the photo and kick with the other one. A person can either sit on the seat or if you are alone you have a handy place to sit down and rest. In Finland they even have competitions with them.

Maybe someone else remembers their Finnish family having one in the UP?

Looks Like Fun! We could use those all over town this winter!

Thanks Robin for information on the kick-sled.Could be another idea for our winter festival activities for next year.

What's with the Packer's paraphernalia??? Put on Cardinal's jerseys. Go Cards!!!

I too thought I had a new competitor for walkers, looks like fun.

The sled looks like it might be a bit of work on anything but a windswept lake. The woman is definitely not too sure of it, looks like she's afraid of being asked to pose sitting on the seat.
This was taken on a ride into Mohawk yesterday.

I think the tree burst a blood vessel holding up all this snow and turned red because of it.

I have a potkukelkka that my father made in our shop in Lake Linden years ago. I,ll get it out from upstairs of my garage and take some pics of it. Being a welder he made it mostly of steel.

Hey Gus: Where in Lake Linden was your fathers shop? Do you still live in Lake Linden?

Mickell, The shop is on the corner of 9th. and Grogory Sts.

Mickel, Yes I still live in Lake Linden. For 59 years now.

Kick sleds have been featured at Hancock's Heikenpaiva the past two years. We held kid's races with them last week. Finlandia owns several modern versions from Norway, as does BHK. I make them in Hubbell, out of maple, with a snowshoe-weave seat, for $250. Ed Sauvola in Chassell makes metal ones also for sale. I could provide photos and contact info if anyone has interest.

Gus; My mom lived on 6th street. She was born and raised in Calumet.

We would love to find a little house, with a garage, to rent in Lake Linden.

Could a small 'foot plate' be put on both sides of those runners to give a rest for each foot if needed? The runner doesn't look very wide so was just a thought.

In my lifetime, snow and oh so cold days were for the young to enjoy!

Good Morning to all ;O)

When I was a child, growing up in Mass, my Tati, Lydia Maki, had one, and I remember getting a ride home from school on it. I had to look twice when I saw the picture, thinking it was her. Thanks for the great memory...I now live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana....it's been 83 degrees already this month...no kick sleds here.
Christine Turin