Longmont Boy Slides on Icy Ditch While Waiting for School Bus

Archived photo from 1984 shows 9-year-old Bob Hoffman entertaining himself before class.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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A 1984 photo from the Times-Call archives, shared by the Longmont Museum, shows a 9-year-old boy named Bob Hoffman sliding on a sheet of ice in a drainage ditch near his home in northwest Longmont while waiting for his school bus.

Why it matters

This nostalgic photo from the local newspaper's archives provides a glimpse into the everyday experiences of Longmont's youth in the 1980s, capturing a moment of childhood fun and creativity during a time when many children walked or took the bus to school.

The details

The photo, originally published on January 31, 1984, shows Bob Hoffman sliding on the ice in a drainage ditch near his home. The ditch fed into nearby McIntosh Lake, providing a makeshift sledding spot for the 9-year-old as he waited for his school bus.

  • The photo was originally published on January 31, 1984.

The players

Bob Hoffman

A 9-year-old boy living in northwest Longmont who was photographed sliding on a sheet of ice in a drainage ditch while waiting for his school bus.

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The takeaway

This nostalgic photo serves as a reminder of the simple joys of childhood, when kids could find amusement in the most ordinary of settings, like a frozen drainage ditch, while waiting for the school bus to arrive.