What is Snow Snake?
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A game of snow snake is played by four teams, called "corners", who compete in trying to throw their wooden "snow snakes" the farthest along a long trough, or track, of snow. The game is divided into rounds, and in a round each team gets four throws. At the end of each round, two points, are awarded to the team of the person who made the farthest throw in the round, and one point is awarded for the second farthest throw. Play continues until one of the teams wins, by achieving a certain predetermined number of points (usually 7 or 10).
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There are two roles on a snow snake team: the Thrower, and the Shiner. The main role of a Shiner is to craft and maintain a team's wooden "snow snakes" in between games. The Shiner is also tasked with selecting which will be used for each throw during the game. A Thrower, meanwhile, is a player who actually throws the snow snakes during a game.
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If you remember from last year, this whole thing started with Cold Cache Crew's Wherigo Snow Snake (click it to download and play again). Then we decided that wasn't enough and one fateful afternoon, a trough was built and snakes were made. People gathered and had a great time.
When is the Event?
Sat. Feb. 21, 2015 @ 1pm
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Please arrive early to get placed on a team. Round 1 will start as soon as all are entered. We're expecting this event to last at least 2 hours. You may come at any time if you aren't competing and visit while spectating.
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If you are interested in helping out with the building of the trough beforehand, stay tuned for further information on when that will be.
Current Weather for Hamilton, MI
Click for weather forecast
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What to Expect?
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Last year was our test, this year we're going all in! If you are participating, you will need to bring your own crafted snow snake and you will be grouped into one of the 4 teams ("Corners"): North, West, South, or East. Upon starting, play will continue fast and furious according to the description above with the following relaxed exceptions:
- Number of Corners may decrease depending on how many people attend.
- The roles of Shiner and Thrower aren't strictly enforced.
- Each member of your Corner must throw at least once, after that it's up to your team.
Snow Snakes
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The poles used in the game, collectively known as "snow snakes", have different names depending on their length. The smallest poles used are the six-inch-long "snow darts". The next size up is the three-foot-long "short snake", also known as a "mud cat". Longer poles are known only as "snow snakes", and can be anywhere from six to ten feet in length. Snow snakes can be made from a variety of materials. In the Sioux tribe, they were traditionally made of bone, with feathers trailing behind for decoration, while other tribes traditionally used native North American hardwoods, such as maple, oak, apple, hickory, and juneberry. In modern times, other hardwoods not traditionally available, such as ebony, have become popular materials for snow snakes.
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Each person participating must bring their own snake(s) unless someone is willing to share with you.
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Please have fun and customize your snow snakes by decorating them with colorful designs or adding minor modifications, such as waxing the wooden surface.
For more info on the history of Snow Snake click here. Be sure to check the references quoted at the bottom of the page too...some good info there as well.
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