The February issue of American Snowmobiler is arriving to our loyal subscribers as I type. In it, readers will find our special Vintage Section we run in that issue each year. It's one of my favorite issues to put together each season, as I'm always amazed at the cool sled finds our contributors unearth each year for us. Spoiler alert: This latest Vintage Issue has some of our most unique finds yet!
This issue always comes out right around the time of our club's (Hill and Gully Snowriders) annual vintage show and ride in southeast Wisconsin. Now we get to plenty of snowmobile shows, vintage and otherwise, as a staff, but this one was a little different for me because I wasn't "working". And it was the first time my daughter was old enough (at all of 3 years old) to enjoy a long afternoon of old iron. She loves snowmobiles, but she's only ever been around the new stuff. And I love that she loves new sleds.
I was not prepared for how excited she was about the vintage sleds. It wasn't the engines, it wasn't the suspension innovations on display. None of that. It was all the colors! Watching her eyes light up when she saw purple stripes with leopard print seat trim from Arctic Cat was awesome! Hearing her gush over the green and red sleds "with the sparkles" was priceless! Seeing a John Deere machine that was "just like Grandpa's tractors" brought a laugh from everyone. She wanted to ride one in the worst way! Luckily for her (and me), a friend and owner of a 1971 Arctic Cat Panther let us take a quick spin!
That 5-minute ride with my daughter was the highlight of our day. It reminded me how important events like this are (and also how far suspensions had come). To see these vintage machines draw the same reaction today from my kid as they did from a kid who's dad brought these machines home off the showroom floor 30, 40 or 50 years ago speaks volumes to the importance of vintage sleds and their impact on our sport. It gave my kid another reason to fall in love with snowmobiling, and that's really the best we can do as stewards of the sport.
It's also important to recognize the role clubs play in promoting our sport. Yes, the trails we maintain are a big part of a club's responsibility. But don't overlook events like these. A huge amount of credit and thanks goes to the volunteers from our club and other clubs who make events like vintage shows and rides, safety classes and chili dumps happen. It's another reason to love snowmobiling! Get out there, join a club, and help put a smile on some kid's face! The next generation of riders is not very far behind!
Our Vintage Issue hits newsstands January 26! Have it delivered to your mailbox by subscribing today!