We had a feeling it wouldn't be long before we started seeing changes to this season's racing schedules. In many parts of the Midwest, snow has been scarce and temps have been too mild to create the ideal racing conditions. While we still have hopes that this winter will produce larger snow totals than last year, racing circuits are already being forced to shift their event schedules around a bit.

Due to current weather patterns, the United States X-Country (USXC) snowmobile racing tour decided to drop one of its January events - the Grafton 100 in Grafton, N.D. (originally scheduled for Jan. 28). The Gerald Dyrdahl Memorial Pine Lake 200 in Gonvick, Minn., which was originally scheduled for Dec. 17-18, has been rescheduled for Jan. 7-8, 2017. As a result, the next three events on the schedule each have been moved forward a week. 

Here's the updated race schedule:

Jan. 7-8: Gerald Dyrdahl Memorial Pine Lake 200, Gonvick, Minn.
Jan. 14-15: Detroit Lakes J&K Beach Bar 200, Detroit Lakes, Minn.
Jan. 21-22: Park Rapids Heartland 106, Park Rapids, Minn. 
Jan. 28-29: Seven Clans Thief River Falls 250, Thief River Falls, Minn.
Feb. 8-11: Seven Clans Winnipeg to Willmar I-600
Feb. 25-26: Seven Clans Warroad 200, Warroad, Minn.
March 4-5: Naytahwaush 200, Naytahwaush, Minn.

For more info on the USXC, visit www.usxcracing.com.

The Cor PowerSports XC race series originally scheduled its 2016-17 season kickoff for Dec. 10-11 in McGregor, Minn., but so far, Mother Nature seems to have other plans. The weather in the Midwest has felt more like mid-October than late November.  Despite months of preparations and work by the Cor PowerSports crew, the opening round event will have to be rescheduled.

Early last week, Rat Lake in McGregor had full ice coverage. The ice was thin, but it was a start and a small glimmer of hope that the ice conditions just might be good enough to run the event as planned. That hope was extinguished this past weekend, when high temps approached 40 F and rain brought open water back to the lake. Looking at the extended forecast, the need to reschedule became clear. The Big Sandy Lodge & Resort in McGregor will be the new host site for the make-up date (Feb. 18-19, 2017). The race will be run on Big Sandy Lake right in front of the resort.

The next event on the Cor PowerSports XC schedule was originally slotted for Dec. 31 in Mora, Minn., where Knife Lake has yet to see any ice form. Due to the predicted forecast and the time required for this lake to develop sufficient ice required for permits, the event has been moved to another location. It will be now held at Larsen Barn in McGregor, Minn., and it will still be a one-day event as originally scheduled. After discussions with the local promoter, Cor PowerSports is confident that Rat Lake will have the necessary ice conditions for the event by the end of December. Larsen Barn has land-based parking, so less ice will be required to hold the event – a huge advantage for an early season race location.

Cor PowerSports has also secured a sponsor for the Open class on Dec. 31. EuroTech Auto Service of New Brighton, Minn., has put up an additional guaranteed purse of $2,000 for this event. The Open class will have a morning qualifier race for starting positions, followed by the main heads-up race.

Here is the full updated schedule:

• Dec. 31: Larsen Barn, McGregor, Minn.
• Jan. 21-22: Friendship, Wis.
• Jan. 28: Phillips, Wis.
• Feb. 18-19: Big Sandy Lodge & Resort, McGregor, Minn.
• March 11-12: Baraga, Mich.
• April 1: Bessemer, Mich.
• April 23: Lutsen, Minn.

For up-to-date racing information, visit www.corpowersports.com.

UPDATE: We recently drew names for our Snow Show giveaway. Here are the names of the winners!

GRAND PRIZE: Castle X EXO-CX950 Helmet

• Dan Mertes, Amherst, WI

10 FIRST PRIZES: Castle X Goggle (Choice of Force or Stage)

• David Schneiderly, Negaunee, MI
• Dan Schultz, Interlochen, MI
• Mckenzie Prins, Holland, MI
• David Ferguson, Paradise, MI
• Erin DeVeau, Kenosha, WI
• Mike Wahlfield, Comstock Park, MI
• Katelyn Stark, Kenosha, WI
• Dawn Schnetzler, Columbus, WI
• Keith Voyles, Bartlett, IL
• William Webber, Trenary, MI

Congratulations to these lucky sledders! Stay tuned to www.AmSnow.com for more opportunities to win cool stuff.

Castle X released a brand new snow helmet, and AmSnow is giving you the opportunity to win one of your own!

Representatives of Castle X say the new EXO-CX950 helmet is the Swiss Army knife of helmets, and the company claims that it's "changing the way you think about snow helmets." We can't wait to it out when we hit the snow this winter!

The polycarbonate lid is indeed versatile enough to meet any rider’s needs. The modular dual-sport helmet includes a removable visor, an easy-to-use flip-up chin bar, and an integrated breath box and chin curtain. An internal yellow-tinted, drop-down sun visor enhances vision in varying light conditions without the need to change face shields.

The EXO-CX950 retails from $269.99 to $274.99 for solid and matte colors, and from $289.99 to $294.99 for the Apex design. An electric face shield can be added for $70 more.

So how can you win one? Stop by the AmSnow booth at the Snow Shows in Milwaukee (Oct. 14-16, booth 122) and Novi, Mich. (Nov. 4-6, booth 149-150) to enter your name into our drawing. One lucky snowmobiler will win an EXO-CX950 helmet of his or her choice. See you at the Show!

(Please visit the site to view this video)

The first-ever Snow BikeCross X Games Qualifier will take place Dec. 17 at ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minn. The event will include an X Games Qualifier on Saturday in advance of the National Snow Bike points championship race. The results from the X Games Qualifier will serve to qualify up to eight riders into the first-ever X Games Aspen Snow BikeCross competition in Aspen, Colo. Riders competing in the X Games Qualifier will also have the opportunity to race in the Dash for Cash race for a $5,000 prize purse, as well as the National Snow Bikes Points Championship race on Sunday, Dec. 18.

What is Snow BikeCross?
Snow BikeCross is a racing discipline where riders compete on dirt bikes which have been outfitted for snow riding by replacing the front wheel with a snowmobile ski and the rear wheel with a full suspension track kit. The popularity of Snow Bike Racing continues to grow, with the top action sports athletes, including current X Games stars, like Ronnie Renner, Jackson Strong, Robbie Madison, Axell Hodges, taking up the sport, competing and filming video parts in the backcountry.

When: X Games Qualifier Saturday Dec. 17 from 12–4pm
Dash for Cash Saturday, Dec. 17 from 5-7pm
National SnowBike Points Championship Sunday, Dec. 18 from 11am–3pm
Where:  ERX Motor Park: 10800 175th Ave NW Elk River, MN 55330
Tickets:  Available for purchase at the gate. $10 adults, $5 kids 6-12, FREE for kids 5 & under. Free admission for all military and  veterans with presentation of military ID.

For more info, see the Facebook event page and schedule.

[caption image="/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-38/7587.21652583_2D00_mmmain.jpg" position="left"]Snowmobilers ride along the Straits of Mackinac shore near the Mackinac Bridge. Photo by Jim DuFresne. (Courtesy www.mlive.com)[/caption]According to a recent news report on www.mlive.com, there will soon be history made on the Mackinac Bridge in St. Ignace, Mich. For the first time ever, people will have the opportunity to cross the bridge on snowmobile.

For a short time on Saturday, Dec. 17, the bridge will be open to vintage snowmobiles. The event is being held in conjunction with the Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum in Naubinway and the St. Ignace Events Committee.

"The biggest draw is going to be the cool factor of taking your snowmobile across the Mackinac Bridge," said Quincy Westhuis, assistant director, St. Ignace Visitor's Bureau. "Literally no one has done it in the bridge's history."

Driving snowmobiles across the Mackinac Bridge is usually prohibited. The Mackinac Bridge Authority has long provided a service to transport snowmobiles across the bridge via trailer, but self-manned machines have never crossed the bridge.

Organizers hope to make the event an annual occasion while growing the festivities each year.

"There's going to be opportunity to meet people with old snowmobiles and to check out the machines," Westhuis said.  "If there's snow, there's also lots of trails in the area. You can make a weekend out of it."

In order to participate, your snowmobile must be at least 25 years old and outfitted with a wheel kit, and the wheels must be at least two inches wide and have no studs or cleats. The crossing begins at 11 a.m. Registration is $35 per sled, which includes bridge fare and and lunch at the Mackinac Grille afterwards. Any passengers cost $30 each.

For more info, including a schedule of events and registration instructions, click here.

Winter has arrived in the North Woods, and that means snowmobiling season is just around the corner in Eagle River, Wis. Recent snow has coated area trails, and with a favorable future forecast, grooming could be completed as early as Monday, Dec. 12.

Known as the Snowmobile Capital of the World, Eagle River boasts expansive network of trails (often referred to as the "Eagle River 500”) that connects the Eagle River area to surrounding North Woods towns. The trails are meticulously maintained by local groomers from the volunteer-based Sno-Eagles Snowmobile Club, Inc.

For more than half a century, Eagle River has also hosted the "Indianapolis 500 of Snowmobile Racing" during AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby Week. During Jan. 13-22, 2017, more than 40,000 spectators will take in the action of snowmobilers traveling at speeds greater than 100 mph on the solid ice oval.

Riders are advised to take the necessary steps to prep their sleds for the start of the season before heading out on the trails. All information regarding the snowmobile season, including trail condition updates, can be found here.

This winter, the American Motorcyclist Association will begin sanctioning the relatively new sport of snow bike racing, which features competition off-road motorcycles modified for snowy terrain.

"The AMA is excited to be getting involved in the new and innovative sport of snow bike racing," said AMA Motocross Manager Kip Bigelow. "We have been watching it with interest for several years and decided that it makes sense to embrace this interesting new competition segment."

The inaugural series sanctioned by the AMA will be the AMA Championship Snow Bike Series, promoted by Big Nasty Hillclimb LLC, an AMA-chartered promoter out of Boise, Idaho, that has experience promoting hillclimb and hare and hound events.

The first round of the AMA Championship Snow Bike Series will be held at ERX Motorpark near Minneapolis, Minn., on Dec. 18.

The snow bikes, which swap out wheels and knobby tires for a ski up front for steering and a high-performance snowmobile-style track in the rear for traction, will compete on a motocross-inspired half-mile track of jumps, banks, right and left hand turns, and whoops and dips.

"We have learned from past snow-bike events that when dirt, dust and rocks are eliminated, racing gets closer," said Ron Dillon, the principal of Big Nasty Hillclimb LLC and the series director for the promoter. "Racers will be riding inches from each other, fighting for a spot in our main events, and it is an absolute blast to watch them go at it."

Spectator admission is $10 for ages 13 and older, $5 for kids 6-12 and free to those 5 and under. Veterans and active military members will be offered free admission with military identification or if wearing full uniform. Practice begins at 9 a.m., with racing starting at 11 a.m.

For more information about the Dec. 18 event and the AMA Championship Snow Bike Series, contact Ron Dillon at (208) 573-4255, or visit the series' website.

Photo courtesy of Big Nasty Hillclimb LLC

The telecast and competition schedule for the 16th consecutive X Games Aspen at Buttermilk Mountain has been released on XGames.com. Athletes will return to the world’s premier action sports competition from Jan. 26-29, 2017, televised with live coverage on ESPN and ABC and streaming live on WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Additional X Games Aspen content will also be available across ESPN digital platforms, including XGames.com, the X Games app, and X Games pages across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and more.

The world’s best will battle it out for a podium spot in Ski, Snowboard, Snowmobile and Snow BikeCross competitions. Snowmobile and snow bike events on the competition schedule include:
 
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017
Snowmobile SnoCross Adaptive Final
Snowmobile SnoCross Round One & Final
 
Friday, Jan. 27, 2017
Snow BikeCross Rounds One & Final
 
Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017
Snowmobile Freestyle Final
 
Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017
Snowmobile Best Trick Final
 
For a full schedule and the initial list of invited athletes, visit www.xgames.com.

Timbersled announced a new snow bike race team and contingency program. The race team includes five legendary athletes and the contingency program is the largest in the industry, offering nearly $44,000 in payouts.
 
Famed racers Ronnie Renner (pictured, right), Reagan Sieg, Brock Hoyer, Axell Hodges and Jackson Strong will be aboard Timbersleds when snow bikes make their inaugural appearance at the 2017 Winter X Games Aspen in January.
 
“Ever since Timbersled created the original modern snow bike architecture, we have worked hard to find new ways to promote and grow the sport. Our A-List roster of athletes and unprecedented contingency program is the next step in that progression,” said Chris Wolf, vice president, Polaris Snow Division. “Seeing snow biking go from being a very niche interest to being center stage at the Winter X Games shows the increased interest and popularity of the sport.”
 
Leading up to the Winter X Games, Timbersled will have several other race team members competing at the X Games Qualifier on Saturday, Dec. 17, and at the AMA Snow Bike Series Kick Off on Sunday, Dec. 18. The team includes Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Colton Haaker and fellow Rockstar Energy and Husqvarna-supported rider Ronnie Faisst. Both events are held at ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minn.
 
The new lucrative, new race contingency program spans nine snow bike racing organizations. For individual events, Timbersled is offering the following program:
 
Snow Bike Event Pro Class Win
X Games: $10,000/$7,500/$5,000
X Games Qualifiers: $1,000
AMA Championship Snow Bike Series: $500
ISOC (International Series Of Champions): $500
RMSHA: $500
Canadian Snow Bike Nationals: $500
CSRA: $100
ECS: $100
COR Powersports: $100
 
In addition, Pro Class Racers also can qualify for championship contingency in three snow biking race organizations:
 
Snow Bike Year End Points Championship
AMA Championship Snow Bike Series: $1,000
ISOC: $1,000
RMSHA: $1,000
 
More information about Timbersled’s race and contingency programs can be found here.

(Please visit the site to view this video)

In the latest installment of BRP's Lynx Adventure series, a team of four adventurers plans to set out on a 4,400-kilometer (2,734-mile) snowmobile expedition across Antarctica. 

Led by renowned Finnish explorer Patrick “Pata” Degerman, the men will be travel to the South Pole and back in one of the longest snowmobile expeditions ever made in Antarctica. The adventure is scheduled to start on Dec. 21, and the team’s goal is to celebrate the New Year at the South Pole.

The idea for the expedition began with Pekka Ojanpää’s dream to reach the South Pole.

“Pekka expressed his will to reach the South Pole and his determination really convinced me,” says Degerman, a seasoned explorer. “It will be my sixth expedition to Antarctica, and my motivation is to conquer a mountain in an unexplored area."

The mountain Degerman refers to is a remote unconquered peak in the Wohlthat Mountains, which the team will attempt to ascend for the first time ever. The year 2017 is the centenary of Finland’s independence, and the expedition will honor this by naming the mountain Mount Suomi (the Finnish word for Finland). Mika Listala and Jón Ólafur Magnusson will complete the team with their technical and exploration experience. Not one of the men is an experienced snowmobiler.

The expedition will be equipped with BRP’s Lynx Commander Touratech snowmobiles and Lynx riding gear.

“At Lynx, we design our products for resilient performance even in the fiercest conditions," says Valto Ristimella, marketing director at BRP’s Finland subsidiary. "Going to the South Pole and back is the perfect way to showcase this, and we were immediately excited when the team presented the idea. The Lynx Commander Touratech model was chosen for this trip since it is the ultimate adventure sled, and hence the best match to the expedition’s requirements."

The Lynx Adventure series consists of snowmobile adventures that push riders and equipment to the limits.

“The original idea with the Lynx Adventure series was to offer an online live experience," says Ristimella. "The previous Lynx Adventures already reached a worldwide audience, and this time we are taking the online experience to a new level."

You can follow the team's progress online at www.lynxadventure.com.

(Please visit the site to view this video)

A tale of two seasons… last year at our New York Shootout it was 55 degrees and sandy. This year was the exact opposite, and just about the most impressive start to the snow season we have seen in 20 years. It was an idylic setting, with over a foot of snow and perfect 20-degree weather with light snow falling. The track and setup could not have been better, even if we had bribed the snow gods!

Each year, American Snowmobiler and DynoTech Research host the New York Shootout, a perennial "winter kickoff" event in the snowmobiling mecca of Inlet, N.Y. (close to Old Forge). The track is prepared by our resident expert Heinrich Kirschener, and Chip and Cindy Sauer have one of the most pristine 1,000-foot snowmobile testing venues in the Adirondacks. Snowmobilers from across the northeast and around the country flock to the incredible Inlet area trails, which literally lead right to the front door of the Shootout.

Yes, this is a national caliber event that you can actually ride your sled to. And for just a few more dollars, you can run your sled down the same track that the professionals use! After watching all of the newest stock snowmobiles and some of the most impressive aftermarket sleds, you can warm up at the The Ole Barn restaurant and bar, or "run what ya brung" and find out just how fast your sled actually is.

The New York Shootout also kicks off a huge snowmobiling weekend in this area of the snowbelt. Another highlight is Snodeo, a festival in the town of Old Forge. At this event, there are demo rides, vendors of every kind, a vintage show, and even fireworks! It was in this setting, during a beautiful snowfall, that the Shootout occurred. It was a stark contrast to last year, the most awful snowmobile season ever. It was so bad that we don’t even mention that season in the office anymore.

Like every year, DynoTech Research prepared each of our stock sleds for our independent and unbiased first review of the production versions of the 2017 snowmobiles. We test the 600cc (or 120hp) class, the 800cc (150hp class), and the turbo stock sled class. We chose to add a fourth class this year, as Ski-Doo's new 850 motor didn’t really compare to the others on an apples-to-apples basis on the dyno.

After we dyno the sleds, they are put under lock and key until we run them down the 1,000-foot acceleration test track. Our own independent driver (engine builder Jason Owens) drives each of the sleds to control for rider variability. Each stock sled is allowed two runs down the track to get their best speed and elapsed time.

After the stock runs are completed, the dealers that supply the sleds are finally allowed to touch them and "prep" them with their own suspension, clutch, and speed setups. Next, the sleds are allowed two more runs to see how the small dealer improvements help. An average of the best ET and MPH from the totally stock runs and the dealer-improved runs are then calculated.

To see all the results of this event, check out our upcoming February 2017 issue, which will have all the new stock sled independent results as well as all kinds of mod sled info. To reserve your copy, subscribe now!

Thanks to all our sponsors and participants, including DynoTech Research, FXR, Woodys, D&D Racing, Sports Unlimited, CJ Motorsports, Billy Howard and Speedwerx, Bikeman Performance, Boyd McGarry and BCM Performance, Curve Industries, Boyesen, JJ's Outlaw Photography, The Ole Barn, The Town of Inlet, Chip and Cindy Sauer, Heinrich and Molly Kirschener, Bill DeFranco, and so many more folks that help put this event on each year.  

According to a report by The Globe and Mail, BRP Inc. has vowed to keep its factories in Mexico if president-elect Donald Trump pulls the U.S. out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Polaris, in partnership with Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, is working to make the holiday season a little brighter for more Canadian children.

On behalf of Polaris, the legendary Levi LaVallee will present a 120 Indy youth snowmobile to Children’s Wish on Dec. 15, through The Weather Network’s Get Out This Winter segments. The segments, which begin at 6 a.m. EST and run throughout the day, will be broadcast live across Canada from Polaris dealership Peak Powersports in Barrie, Ontario. LaVallee also will talk about snowmobiling for the whole family. 

“Polaris is honored to provide this special gift to Children’s Wish,” said Chris Wolf, vice president of Polaris’ Snowmobile Division. “We hope the snowmobile will provide some extra joy this holiday season.” 

Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada is the authority in Canadian wish granting for more than 30 years and nearly 25,000 wishes. The foundation is dedicated to granting wishes to Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17 who are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. 

For more stories about snowmobile philanthropy, sign up for the American Snowmobilere-newsletter. It's FREE!

BRP Inc. reported its financial results for the three- and nine-month periods ended October 31, 2016, and the report includes increases in revenue and gross profit over the previous year. 

"I am proud of our excellent third-quarter results for fiscal 2017. We are on track with our plan despite the global context of political and economic uncertainties and a competitive market," said José Boisjoli, president and CEO of BRP. "We ended the Sea-Doo season on a very strong note with a record market share worldwide. In addition, our off-road business is providing solid retail numbers around the world, led by the Can-Am Defender and Maverick X3 side-by-side vehicles and mid-cc ATVs."

This past weekend, Tucker Hibbert returned to the top of the podium and took control of the ISOC National Snocross Pro Open Championship in Winter Park, Colo. Hibbert adapted quickly to Colorado Adventure Park’s wild weather, high-elevation and clockwise track to win three of the four qualifying races and both final events.

Heavy snow and high wind gusts forced officials to shorten Friday night’s final from 16 to 12 laps. After an 11th place start in the 15-rider race, Hibbert had a tough road to victory. He wasted no time to start moving through the pack, making many of his passes on the steep uphill section of the track. With five laps to go, he took the lead and continued to lay down fast laps to finish nine-seconds ahead of second place.

Weather once again proved to be a major factor Saturday night, with subzero temperatures creating heavy clouds of snow dust. Hibbert pulled third off the line in the 15-rider, 15-lap race and within in two laps, moved into first. With a clear track in front of him, he opened a 13-second gap over second place and rode smart to the finish to complete the weekend sweep.

“I think when things are different, I seem to adapt and overcome challenges as good or better than the other riders," said Hibbert of racing in Colorado at higher altitudes. "That has a lot to do with my experience. I’ve spent a lot of time in Colorado riding, training and racing. I’m comfortable racing at high elevation and know both my fitness and equipment will be tuned-in.”

The third stop of the ISOC National Snocross tour will be in Shakopee, Minn. (Jan. 6-8). The Canterbury Park National will feature three days of racing to include the fog make-up race from the season opener in Duluth. For more info, visit www.snocross.com.

Photos by John Hanson

The "Go Snowmobiling" campaign has been a great success. Clubs, groups, and associations across North America have held military rides and political rides, and many often just have fun snowmobiling with friends and family. Winter is starting strong this year, and there is still a good bit of the season left. Trails and riding areas in many parts of North America are already in phenomenal shape.

As we get further into the season, increases in daylight hours and temperatures improve opportunities and riding comfort.

The Go Snowmobiling campaign highlights the “wow factor” and the pure enjoyment that people have when they first ride a snowmobile. First-time snowmobilers often can't quit talking about how much fun their first ride was and how they can’t wait to do it again. With a little prior planning and thought, we can shape our friends’ snowmobiling experience and maybe even inspire another convert to the sport.

When you take a friend snowmobiling, remember that your friend may not be experienced. Keep the ride slow, short, and simple. Chances are that your normal ride would seem like a marathon to an uninitiated friend. Don’t show off, push the envelope or challenge your friends to ride beyond their capabilities or their comfort zones. Let your friend enjoy that first day of snowmobiling. And remember that it is always a good idea to feed them well.

The Go Snowmobiling campaign has also partnered with the Safe Riders! Campaign to product this safety video found here. It's a great tool when introducing a friend to snowmobiling, and it can help make the ride more enjoyable for everyone.

You can also visit the Go Snowmobiling Facebook page, where you'll find a short survey, snowmobilers posting pictures of their experiences, and many other informative posts.

Recent research shows that on a scale of 1 to 10, people who don't own snowmobiles rate their level of interest in the sport at a 9. In other words, you may know many people who don’t snowmobile but would like to.They want to enjoy snowmobiling for the same reasons you do:

1. To enjoy the scenery;
2. To get outdoors to have fun with family and friends;
3. To go to unique places that they can’t reach any other way to see amazing sights;
4. To have fun in the winter outdoors and be able to go home tired and be ready for a good night’s sleep.

So please, go out and have fun, take a friend snowmobiling, and enjoy this wonderful winter.

The International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA) contributed to this post.

Hillclimb competitions are not just for the mountain sledders out west! If you enjoy speeding up steep inclines in the northeast, then you may be excited to learn about two Sled Peak Hill Climb events scheduled for 2017 in Quebec.

The first event will be held at Mont Orignal in Lac Etchemin (March 25-26), and the second event will be held at Mont Grand Fonds in Charlevoix (April 7-9). As of right now, there are 80 confirmed racers for Lac Etchemin and 90 confirmed racers for Charlevoix. Sled Peak is in search of more riders from Ontario and the U.S. who are interested in competing at the hillclimb events.

Sled Peak 2016 attracted 75 racers and a crowd of more than 6,000 spectators, and organizers and volunteers hope to make the events even bigger in 2017. There will even be a live webcast of the event for those who are unable to attend in person.

In the long term (5-year plan), Sled Peak would like to host a full season of five events and expand to locations outside of Quebec. Each event would feature racing, concessions, music and more.

For more info, including instructions for registering in 2017, visit www.sledpeak.ca, or contact Eric Turgeon: (514) 830-2735, eric@shiftsolutions.ca. Spectator admission costs $25.

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Timbersled snowbike athletes fared well in the first ever X Games bikecross qualifier held at ERX in Elk River, Minn., Dec. 17, 2016.

Timbersled racers claimed three of the four available automatic qualifying spots with Nolan Heppner taking the win. Jake Scott and Harris Huizenga finished second and fourth respectively.

This week, ESPN also announced they have invited three additional Timbersled racers to compete at X Games: Pro Extreme Enduro Rider for Redbull/KTM Factory Racing Alfredo Gomez, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Colton Haaker, and fellow Rockstar Energy and Husqvarna rider Ronnie Faisst. These racers will join Timbersled team racers Ronnie Renner, Reagan Sieg, Brock Hoyer, Axell Hodges and Jackson Strong when snow bikes make their inaugural appearance at X Games Aspen on Fri., Jan. 27, 2017.

“We would like to congratulate all the snow bike racers who qualified for the Winter X Games,” said Chris Wolf, vice president, Polaris Snow Division. “Our representation at X Games proves Timbersled’s dominance in the category and we are very excited about the future of snow biking.”

For a full list of qualified athletes for the 2017 Winter X Games visit www.xgames.com

We capped off an early-season ride in Munising, Mich., earlier this week. We racked up about 530 miles as we put  four of our demo sleds through their break-in paces. One thing is for certain. It's a great time to be a snowmobile consumer. None of our demo sleds this particular trip disappointed. Here's a quick report of the snow and the sleds.

First, the snow. If you're riding out of the Munising area, stick along the Lake Superior  shore or close to it for the best snow. Pretty much everything to the east of Munising is in great shape. We rode to Grand Marais, and the south around through Pine Stump Junction and on to Seney before turning back north to complete our 200-mile loop on Tuesday. There is some logging as you go south of Grand Marais, but in general, the trails were groomed to perfection.

Heading west towards Marquette on trail 417 has OK snow. It was not groomed when were rode it, but it very well could be by this weekend. It's a long, straight haul with very few stops for about 60 miles. Watch your fuel! The snow was not nearly as good going that direction beyond Marquette, but it was rideable. Just be prepared for a few rocks in the trail and poor to fair trail conditions.

This was our first ride on our production Sidewinder and Thundercat. By all accounts these are every bit as good as we experienced on our pre-production test rides. The Sidewinder was especially impressive. Everything from the engine to clutching to suspension wowed us on this particular ride. It'll be interesting to see if our good feelings about these sleds continue when we get into the tighter, more technical trails of the Wisconsin Northwoods next week.

We also had Arctic Cat's XF 8000 Cross Country. It's got a very playful suspension that's suited perfectly for off-trail riding. It's fun on the trail too, but doesn't offer a lot of wind protection if you're cruising at high speeds.

The Polaris 800 Rush XCR is everything Polaris set out to build in a sled that can take a beating. It's strong, confident and very lightweight. We wet weighed it before we left, and were surprised just how light it was. You'll find all those numbers in our upcoming Spring Issue of AmSnow (Subscribe now so you  don't miss out!). Handling was great on the short 120-inch track. This is definitely on a similar level as Ski-Doo's X-RS sleds and Cat's RRs.

So there you have it. Our early takes on the trails and a few of our demos. We'll update more as we get reports in from our test riders. Our crew is scattered throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, the UP and Canada over the holidays. Safe riding and Merry Christmas from the AmSnow crew to you and yours!

[caption image="/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-02-65/1731.Pro-Champ-440-Podium.jpg" position="left"]The Pro Champ final podium: Cardell Potter (1st), Matt Goede (2nd) and Matt Schulz (3rd).[/caption]The TLR Cup Tour kicked off the race season this past weekend with Round 1 at the Buffalo River Race Park in Glyndon, Minn. A new venue on the tour, the 1/4-mile banked track was well received by drivers, and the indoor heated seating accommodated a slew of fans.

The event, sanctioned by the Oval Racers Alliance, got underway on Friday and featured a full day of racing, ending with a 20-lap Pro Champ final. Nick Van Strydonk came away with the win and went on to finish fourth in the points race on Saturday.

After failing to qualify for the Friday night feature due to engine problems, Cardell Potter came back with a vengeance on Saturday to claim a win and two second-place finishes in qualifying, setting him up for a great starting position in the feature. Potter quickly took the lead and remained out front until the checkered flag waved 15 laps later.

Matt Goede, a relative newcomer to the class, turned heads by posting a second-place finish in both night's features, aboard a sled he rode for the first time the day before the race. Matt Schulz rounded out the top three, coming back from handling issues that led to a ninth-place finish the day before.

[caption image="/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-02-65/5141.Factory-Stock-600.jpg" position="right"]The new Factory Stock 600 class in action.[/caption]The weekend also featured the first round of Factory Stock 600 racing, the newest class to join the TLR Cup Tour. The class is designed to encourage new driver participation on stock sleds with limited modifications allowed. Ross Erdman, driver of the #311 Arctic Cat, was the guy to beat all weekend, winning the features on both nights. During the points race on Saturday, Chad Lian claimed the number two spot and Dalton Fredrickson earned third - both on Cats.

In the Outlaw 600 class, Bob Richardson took the feature win, besting Trever Spokely and Joe Schneider, who finished second and third, respectively. The racing was filled with spin-outs and lead changes - making this class a fan favorite.

[caption image="/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-02-65/8715.Outlaw-600.jpg" position="left"]Outlaw 600 class, comin' at ya![/caption]Next up on the schedule is Round 2 at the Ironwood Snowmobile Olympus in Ironwood, Mich., this weekend (Jan. 7-8). At every round of the Tour, fans are invited to attend the Woody's Meet & Greet to get autographs and talk to drivers.

For more info on the TLR Cup Tour and a full schedule, visit www.tlrcup.com.

Brad Malmgren Photography