Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race

Last updated
Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race
GNCTR 2012 Race Hill Crowd.jpg
TypeEngineering Student Competition
Established1974
Location
Canada

The Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race (GNCTR) is an annual event that challenges the creativity of engineering students. The competition originated in 1974 and was created by Dr. S. H. Simmonds, president of the Alberta chapter of the American Concrete Institute. [1] The first race was held in 1975 with participants from the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. [2] Since its beginning, GNCTR has grown to include universities and technical schools from across Canada with occasional entries from the United States and Europe.

Contents

Rules

The project involves designing and constructing a toboggan with a metal frame and a running surface made completely out of concrete and racing it down a steep snow-covered hill. The sled must weigh less than 350 pounds (158.8 kg), have a working braking system, and be fitted with a roll cage to protect its five passengers. Each competing team must complete a technical report summarizing the design, which is presented at a public technical exhibition.

Spirit

It is traditional for teams to choose a theme for their sled; they often wear appropriate costumes and incorporate elements of the design into their technical exhibit and sled aesthetics. Themes have become a major part of the competition, making up a large part of the spirit award, as well as the best uniforms award. Theme ideas are most often drawn from popular culture, retro references, or are based on the team's home university/college and its location.

Awards

Teams are judged for top speed, best run, most improved, braking, steering, and aesthetics. Each year, an award is also given for the best overall entry.

The current record holder for top speed in a successfully completed run at GNCTR is the University of Toronto, who set a speed of 73 km/h on Feb 1, 2020.

YearOverall ChampionRace ChampionSpirit Award
2024 University of British Columbia Okanagan University of Toronto McMaster University
2023 Western University University of Toronto McMaster University
2022Not Awarded [3] Not Awarded [4] University of Calgary
2021Not Awarded [3] Not Awarded [4] Ryerson University
2020 University of Toronto University of Toronto Concordia University
2019 Ryerson University Ryerson University University of Calgary
2018 Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Lawrence Technological University University of British Columbia Okanagan
2017 Queen's University Southern Alberta Institute of Technology University of Calgary
2016 Western University Lawrence Technological University University of Calgary
2015 University of Calgary University of Calgary University of Calgary
2014 University of Alberta University of British Columbia Okanagan University of Toronto
2013 Western University University of Toronto McMaster University
2012 Ryerson University Ryerson University Queen's University
2011 University of Calgary University of Saskatchewan McMaster University
2010 University of Alberta University of Calgary Queen's University
2009 University of Manitoba
2008 University of Waterloo
2007 Université de Sherbrooke University of Alberta
2006 Royal Military College of Canada University of Western Ontario
2005 Carleton University McMaster University
2004 University of Calgary McMaster University
2003 University of Manitoba McMaster University
2002 University of Waterloo Carleton University
2001 University of British Columbia McMaster University
2000 University of Calgary University of Manitoba
1999 University of Manitoba University of Manitoba
1998 University of Waterloo University of Manitoba
1997 University of Waterloo
1996 École Polytechnique de Montréal
1995 University of Waterloo
1994 Universität Stuttgart
1993 University of Alberta University of Manitoba
1992 Universite de Sherbrooke
1991 École de technologie supérieure
1990 École Polytechnique de Montréal
1989 University of Calgary University of Waterloo
1988 University of British Columbia
1987 University of British Columbia University of Waterloo
1986 Southern Alberta Institute of Technology University of Waterloo
1985 University of Waterloo
1984 University of Manitoba University of Waterloo
1981 University of Manitoba
1980 University of British Columbia
1979 Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
1977 University of British Columbia
1975 Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

Competition host

In the early years of the competition, the winning team was asked to host the subsequent competition. By the mid-1990s, this practice had changed to an alternating scheme between Western and Eastern Canadian schools; the dividing line is the Manitoba-Ontario border. The competition usually runs from Wednesday to Sunday, at the end of January or over the first weekend in February.

YearHost SchoolCity
2025 Concordia University Montreal
2024 Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's
2023 University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus) Kelowna
2022 Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, University of Calgary Virtually [5]
2021 Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, University of Calgary Virtually [5]
2020 University of Toronto Toronto
2019 University of Alberta Edmonton
2018 University of Waterloo Waterloo
2017 University of Manitoba Winnipeg
2016 University of Ottawa Ottawa
2015 University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus) Kelowna
2014 University of Western Ontario London
2013 University of British Columbia Vancouver
2012 University of Calgary Calgary
2011 University of Alberta Edmonton
2010 McMaster University Hamilton
2009 University of Calgary Red Deer
2008 Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke
2007 University of Manitoba Winnipeg
2006 École de technologie supérieure and Concordia University Montreal
2005 University of Calgary Calgary
2004 Carleton University Ottawa
2003 University of Alberta Edmonton
2002 University of Manitoba Winnipeg
2001 Queen's University/Royal Military College of Canada Kingston
2000 University of Regina Regina
1999 University of Waterloo Waterloo
1998 University of Calgary Calgary
1997 Carleton University Ottawa
1996 University of Manitoba Winnipeg
1995 École de technologie supérieure Montreal
1994 University of Alberta Edmonton
1993 Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke
1992 École de technologie supérieure Montreal
1991 École Polytechnique de Montréal Montreal
1990 University of Calgary Calgary
1988 University of British Columbia Vancouver
1985 University of Manitoba Winnipeg
1984 University of Alberta Edmonton
1982 University of Manitoba Winnipeg
1981 University of British Columbia Vancouver
1980 Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Edmonton
1978 University of British Columbia Vancouver
1975 University of Calgary, University of Alberta, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Red Deer

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References

  1. GNCTR Calgary Accessed May 8, 2012
  2. GNCTR '99 Accessed May 8, 2012
  3. 1 2 No Overall Champion awarded due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  4. 1 2 No Race Champion awarded due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  5. 1 2 Competition was held virtually as travel restrictions and gathering limitations due to the COVID-19 Pandemic prohibited the competition from taking place in person.