Check Out The Fastest, Coolest, Ice Slide At A Minnesota Finnish Sliding Festival

Have you ever heard of Laskiainen? It's the Finnish sliding festival that takes place in a tiny Minnesota community each winter. It's also the festival that nobody from outside of the Finnish community knows how to pronounce, so I'll help you with that. Lus-key-eye-nen.

Laskiainen is a winter celebration with Finnish origins. Each year the festival takes place at the Loon Lake Community Center, near Aurora.

There are a bunch of festivities that take place. There are hay rides, craft sales, Laskiainen Queen Coronation, music, and of course sliding down the hill onto the lake. Which, I got to tell you, is pretty intense.

The hill is built with tracks going down the hill and onto the lake. You pick up enough speed to fly pretty far into the lake before you stop. It's all done safe, but I can tell you from going down myself that it is more intense than you think. Hang on and hope your sled makes it! Check out this POV video from Curtis who went down the slide.

I also found a local photographer who took a drone video of the sliding festival which turned out pretty awesome! It's a view I haven't seen before of the festival, and it shows just how big it is. The Frozen Photog did a great job with this super clear video. You can see what happens when the sled clears the end, sometimes it will give volunteers a run for their money like these three kids who veer off course.

This year was the 85th year for the Laskiainen. Join them next February for their 86th year. Bring your own sled and your sisu to brave the icy hill.