THE 'OL BUBBLETOPS!

Like 'em or hate 'em, these little sleds dominated the landscape when I was a kid. They were plentiful, inexpensive and built for fun.

Because one of my neighbors had one, I'll never forget his name - Bruce Froeming. Bruce looked like his 'ol Bubble Top. He had long, red stringy hair and was thin and wiry. Bruce also had a huge grin that he'd flash as he raced around on his Bubble Top.

I could never figure out why Bruce liked that sled so much and why it made him grin from ear to ear all the time. It was almost always broken, it would spray him endlessly with fuel from the carb (Bruce always smelled like gas, so this was probably okay for him), and he kept getting clothing caught in the clutch. He was routinely beaten by almost every other brand of sled in the neighborhood.

Yet Bruce would be out on the lake with us every winter day, proclaiming his Bubble Top to be superior to everything on snow.

I've heard countless stories of peoples fascination with these hummers, and I've seen countless Bubble Tops restored at shows. I always try to chat with the guys that have restored them. The number one reason given for restoring the sled: "Because I had one as a kid".

So here's some of the Bubbletop stories that have been sent in:
NEW! From Charles Plueddeman - Bubble Top Fever!
From Rick Herter - on the fond memories of the 'ol bubbletops
From Don McLennan - why he's now a Cat man!
From Gary Boest - How Bubble Tops fueled his addiction
From Russ Swenton - a "Bubble Top-less" story
From Marc Sebright - The Exploding Bubble Top Hoods!
From Jeff Metz - The Scars Remain The Same
From Kent Anderson - Photos of My Bubble Top Racer
From Jeff Webster - The Little Oly That Could
From Patrick Sullivan - It's Not Just The Bubble-Tops...
From Monty Teshio - Addidicted To The Bubble
From Grey Rolland - I'd Rather Have My Yamaha's...