Some people bemoan the onslaught of winter, while others wait for those first flakes of snow with the giddiness and joy of a three-year-old child. I can’t say I love jack frost nipping at my nose, toes and butt, but I do love playing outdoors. Snowmobiling and cottaging seem to go hand and hand. There are over 200,000 snowmobilers in Ontario alone, who enjoy over 41,000 kilometers of groomed territory, making it the largest managed trail system in the world, according to Bill Harrison, Manager of Safety and Public Relations for the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.

For those folks living in Ontario, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs has dubbed this Get Ready for Snowmobiling Week, so we thought we’d tang along and examine the sport of snowmobiling.

The first snowmobile was invented by Joseph Armand Bombardier, a Quebec inventer, in 1937. It rolled out of his small repair shop in Valcourt, Que. giving birth to a new winter sport and a legendary Canadian company. It would not be until 1959 when he would refine his design to what is known today as the modern snowmobile, with an open cockpit, and one or two passenger seating.

Bombardier was trying to create a practical device that would replace the dog sled for trappers. He originally coined the new machine the “Ski-Dog,” but somewhere between marketing and printing the stem fell of the g, by the time Bombardier discovered the mistake it was too late to change it. The Ski-Doo was born.

Around the same time, Edgar and Allen Hetteen and David Johnson of Roseau, Minnesota were also building a more practical snowmobile. The early machines were too heavy (1000 lbs or 450 kg), and too slow (20 mph or 30 km/h). Their company, Hetteen Hoist & Derrick Co., would later became Polaris Industries and remains one of the four largest snowmobile manufacturers.

Snowmobiling hit its peak in terms of sales between 1970 - 1973 when over 2 million machines were sold. Many snowmobile manufactures were forced out of business in 1973 as a result of high gasoline prices and the ensuing recessions.

Snowmobiling is still considered a lucrative sport today, pumping more than $2.1 billion into the winter economy in Ontario. In Canada and the United States it generates more than $28 billion in revenue for equipment, clothing, accessories and vacations.

On average 30 - 40 people die each year in snowmobile related deaths. According to Harrison, “Most snowmobile incidents are predictable and preventable.” We will take a look at what causes the fatalities, and how cottagers can avoid them.

Cheers,

Julie

PS Today’s picture comes from the CBC’s website.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 26th, 2007 at 10:50 am and is filed under Toys. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.