The original chute was built in 1936 by volunteers who also built a
ski lodge and ski hill, one of the earliest in America. The chute was rebuilt in 1954 by local Coast Guardsmen and lasted until 1964 when it was brought to an end because of rot and neglect. In 1990 it was resurrected once again out of
pressure treated wood by another group of volunteers and material donors and became known as the Jack Williams Toboggan Chute. The week before the race many hours are spent during the night, when it is the coldest, to coat the wooden chute with layer upon the layer of ice. This is accomplished by a "Rube Goldberg" invention of David Dickeys, which pulleys a tub up the chute to slowly dispense water from holes in its back. The chute is long, in elevation, and speeds up to are attained. The run-out is on to frozen Hosmers' pond. If there is clear ice on the pond, some sleds will go the entire way across, . The Nationals used to be held the first weekend of February, but to avoid conflict with the Super Bowl the event has been changed to the second weekend in February, starting in 2008. ==Rules==