The numbing cold did not seem to bother the many kids that were scattered around two hills at Kiwanis Park in Charleston.

Kids of all ages grabbed whatever flat, smooth surfaced object or round inner tube they could fit in and hit the hills that were slick with patted-down snow.

One by one like a conveyer belt kids ran up the hill, positioned themselves on their sled and pushed off, zooming down the slide-like hill and hitting a bump or two before either coming to a stop on their own or flying off their sleds after hitting a tree or person.

Jennifer Wilson of Charleston filmed her son, 10-year-old Cayden Hayes, sledding down the smaller hill at the park.

Wilson said Kiwanis Park was the “go-to spot” for kids and the parents who tagged along to make sure their children did not fly into the street or the creek located just off the street.

Wilson and Hayes said they were sledding for a little over an hour after they decided to come to the park on a whim.

“I must have been going 20 miles per hour,” Hayes laughed after sledding down the hill. “I’m just joking, but it must have been, like, 10 miles per hour.”

At the other side of the park, parents stood at the top of the longer hill watching their kids or riding with them.

Whether the kids were sledding individually or packing themselves together, sometimes four at a time, on one sled they slid down the hill over and over again, making sure to stop in time before going over the hill and into the creek.

Accidentally running into bystanders just getting up from their sleds was a common incident.

Joshua Peterson, who was there with his dad, Doug Peterson, was knocked over by two kids on a sled.

“Sometimes they just need a dad’s thumbs-up,” Doug said after inspecting his son’s leg and knee, handing him his sled and watching him walk back up the hill. “That’s how you know you’re really OK, when you can (sled again).”

Joshua made it back to the top of the hill, hopped on his sled and went down one more time, catching enough speed to fly over the makeshift ramp that waited below.

He got up, dusted himself off and ran back up the hill for another go.

Analicia Haynes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].