The Sport of Snowmobiling is Changing
by Scott A. Sumner
The sport of snowmobiling is evolving in many ways with technology advances including turbo charging engines for increased horsepower,better suspensions including being electronically controlled, large screen displays with interactive mapsand the use of light weight material.We now even have electric snowmobiles with new manufacturers in the sport like Taiga from Quebec.
I think one of the biggest shifts has been to much longer track snowmobiles.When I first started in the sport the track length might be 121 inch long. Now you can get 165 inch sleds which are really specifically made for mountain riding with deep snow conditions.
I have been following a You Tuber, named Muskoka Freerider, who documents mountain riding well. He is from Muskoka but makes the trip to Revelstoke, BC for several months each year and posts almost daily videos of his adventures. His videos get upwards of 100,000 views very quickly which shows me the interest in this kind of off trail riding.
If you live in our area of NW Ontario many local riders make the trip out west each year to ride.You can also find areas around here to ride these off trail speciality sleds.
In my case I ride a 146 inch track snowmobile with a 1.6 inch lug which is perfect for both on and off trail riding. It is almost becoming the new norm for snowmobiling. Even snowmobilers who are ice fishing enthusiasts with fan cooled lower horsepower snowmobiles might have 155 inch tracks to get to their favourites fishing spots.
The sport is evolving which I enjoy.To see it come from humble beginning to today is very impressive. You can check it out yourself at a local dealer which have inventory in stock now a days after recent Covid years of limited supply.
