Back to the 70s article

[MOMMA]

Hi guys, so here is the article I was working on when we were having that safety and common sense discussion last week. I want you to know how much I value some of the conversations here, and I'm thankful to be able to put much of what we talk about into the magazine.
I post up links on our Association of BC snowmobile Clubs facebook page, as well as our club page. Feel free to grab and share with your clubs. I'd actually super love that. Like we talked about, sometimes people simply do not know.. what they don't know..
when we Know better, we do better.

Back to the 70s.. Lets keep our kids safe as we introduce many families into the freakin amazing sport of
snowmobiling! Big hugs and a high five

Trish
create a strong family tradition of riding smart | SnoRiders

 

[RXN]

Great article. So very true.

 

[catinthehat]

Another great article Trish, starting to think you missed your calling and should have been a writer. jklol

 

[MOMMA]

Another great article Trish, starting to think you missed your calling and should have been a writer. jklol

Haa haa! I just kind of stumbled on the writing thing.. I wasn't finding what I wanted to read... and I was tired of snowmobilers and our sport being dissed by the media.... so I became the media... My kids laugh... and Today.. mom decided she was a writer.. and she started writing.. It's fun, and an awesome way to meet the peeps of our sport and have our voice heard!

Have a wicked day!

Trish

 

[Lund]

Good article but little real research went into it other then past experience.
Let me help.
The origin of snowmobiling came from Quebec (Sherbrook) were i grew up...actually. The sport it self was already strong and on its way in the 1960s with a VERY large portion of the population in the eastern town ships owning snowmobiles. It was part of being a Quebec'er.
Club's, bylaws and provincial laws were all coming into effect regulating the use of snowmobiles and YES they were recognized as part of our culture and a transportation mode in the province.
Though we today have come a very long way's in the safety aspect, already in these early day's in these area's this was recognized.
When i moved to BC in 1977, there were NO clubs to be found, snowmobile dealer's were far and few between with them being more of a small engine lawn mower shop.
Snowmobiles were concidered a farm tool or for a hunter who does his living tracking animal's. The very few using them as a toy had ZERO knowledge of safety or general respect for nieghbor's while they tore around the fields. But they were so few that most never noticed them and when they did. Viewed them as no better then biker's, tearing around drunk.
I remember going to school and doing a presentation to my school mates on snowmobiles and where i came from.
Most all of them looked at me as if i came from outer space, though a few knew what i was trying to relate but couldn't understand or comprehend the fun to be had.
BC and Alberta have alway's been behind in this sport in many way's and the growing pain's we see today are what happened back in the 70's and 80's in the east.
IMO we have alot of growing up to do before the social stigma we have gained in the population goes away.
Great article otherwise, thanks for sharing.

 

[*Esox*]

Was that research - or past experiance?

Good article but little real research went into it other then past experience.
Let me help.
The origin of snowmobiling came from Quebec (Sherbrook) were i grew up...actually. The sport it self was already strong and on its way in the 1960s with a VERY large portion of the population in the eastern town ships owning snowmobiles. It was part of being a Quebec'er.
Club's, bylaws and provincial laws were all coming into effect regulating the use of snowmobiles and YES they were recognized as part of our culture and a transportation mode in the province.
Though we today have come a very long way's in the safety aspect, already in these early day's in these area's this was recognized.
When i moved to BC in 1977, there were NO clubs to be found, snowmobile dealer's were far and few between with them being more of a small engine lawn mower shop.
Snowmobiles were concidered a farm tool or for a hunter who does his living tracking animal's. The very few using them as a toy had ZERO knowledge of safety or general respect for nieghbor's while they tore around the fields. But they were so few that most never noticed them and when they did. Viewed them as no better then biker's, tearing around drunk.
I remember going to school and doing a presentation to my school mates on snowmobiles and where i came from.
Most all of them looked at me as if i came from outer space, though a few knew what i was trying to relate but couldn't understand or comprehend the fun to be had.
BC and Alberta have alway's been behind in this sport in many way's and the growing pain's we see today are what happened back in the 70's and 80's in the east.
IMO we have alot of growing up to do before the social stigma we have gained in the population goes away.
Great article otherwise, thanks for sharing.

 

[MOMMA]

Rather than a history lesson in bylaws I chose to cover how to be safe. Growing up in the 70s in Alberta we used snowmobiles to fart around on, when we had family gatherings, went ice fishing and such.
The intention of the article was to provide safe riding tips for families to enjoy our sport. Mission accomplished! I seriously was going nuts watching the kids knowing what the potential dangers could be. The man I went to church with has a very difficult time communicating. His muscle control is very very poor, and his quality of life is forever effected from his scarf becoming entangled in the snowmobile. Perhaps we have a ways to go.. perhaps perception is all relative depending upon who the onlookers are. I feel, for the most part, we are a much more aware community than ever before. Each step that people take towards safety and stewardship makes a difference.

Cheers man!

Trish

 

[MOMMA]

That is a cool idea for an article though Lund!! The evolution of the snowmobile, and snowmobiler! Cool that you Lived where it all began. If you'd like to work together on that article, can you fire me off a Pm?

PS..Snow is falling!! wooo hooo!!!!!!!!!

 

[moyiesledhead]

Was that research - or past experiance?

Probably a bad memory.....or fabrication maybe.

Good article but little real research went into it other then past experience.
Let me help.
The origin of snowmobiling came from Quebec (Sherbrook) were i grew up...actually. The sport it self was already strong and on its way in the 1960s with a VERY large portion of the population in the eastern town ships owning snowmobiles. It was part of being a Quebec'er.
Club's, bylaws and provincial laws were all coming into effect regulating the use of snowmobiles and YES they were recognized as part of our culture and a transportation mode in the province.
Though we today have come a very long way's in the safety aspect, already in these early day's in these area's this was recognized.
When i moved to BC in 1977, there were NO clubs to be found, snowmobile dealer's were far and few between with them being more of a small engine lawn mower shop.
Snowmobiles were concidered a farm tool or for a hunter who does his living tracking animal's. The very few using them as a toy had ZERO knowledge of safety or general respect for nieghbor's while they tore around the fields. But they were so few that most never noticed them and when they did. Viewed them as no better then biker's, tearing around drunk.
I remember going to school and doing a presentation to my school mates on snowmobiles and where i came from.
Most all of them looked at me as if i came from outer space, though a few knew what i was trying to relate but couldn't understand or comprehend the fun to be had.
BC and Alberta have alway's been behind in this sport in many way's and the growing pain's we see today are what happened back in the 70's and 80's in the east.
IMO we have alot of growing up to do before the social stigma we have gained in the population goes away.
Great article otherwise, thanks for sharing.

Here's research for ya. The origin of snowmobiling didn't come from Quebec. It started with Carl Eliason in Sayner Wisconsin in 1924.

Eliason Snowmobiles

Here's past experience:

In 1977 where I live in BC we'd already had a club for a number of years, which is still going strong today. We also had local dealers for Moto-Ski, Skidoo, Arctic Cat, Polaris, Yamaha, Kawasaki/Sno-Jet, and John Deere. Only the Polaris dealer sold lawn mowers. The JD dealer did sell tractors though. We'd had snowmobile registration since 1970...same registration that's still in place today. Never used our sleds for farming, and by then it was illegal to use them for hunting. Did use them for ice fishing.

And, ya....we probably wouldn't have been able to understand or comprehend you either Lund.

Edit: And the BCSF had been in existence since 1965!

 

[Lund]

That is a cool idea for an article though Lund!! The evolution of the snowmobile, and snowmobiler! Cool that you Lived where it all began. If you'd like to work together on that article, can you fire me off a Pm?

PS..Snow is falling!! wooo hooo!!!!!!!!!

Most definitely.
Here is some experiences i lived through as a young person in the east.
In the 60's when snowmobiling first saw its beginning as a sport there was no regulation's and safety was not even a thought, sledder's ripped around where ever they pleased and felt they had the right to do so, other then the safety aspect kinda similar to the west now. In a very short time there were snowmobiles of all kind's ripping around and by the late 60's club's started to emerge. One of the biggest reason's these club's started poping up was because of a brewing war between farmer's and snowmobiler's.
Something somewhat like today here in the west with skier's/eviromentalist and snowmobiler's......but far more serious.

Farmer's hated snowmobiler's cause they tore up their fields and snowmobiler's attitude toward's them was the same cause it was their right to ride. Eventually people got hurt and MANY even killed. As barbwire was being strung accross trail's and unexpected snowmobiler's would get decapitated thing's got out of control and the goverment got involved.
By the late 1970's early 1980's the Quebec goverment working with snowmobile clubs and farmer's pass legislation. Part of it was that designated snowmobile trail's are part of the provincial road network and NO snowmobile may be operated off the trail system, protecting both the farmer and the snowmobiler. With exception of private land with land lord consent.
The legislation has been revised many times to suit the times.

Today there is no real issues in the east and the sport is highly respected as part of a contributing industry in the province. It's also considered part of the Quebec heritage.
Now if you travel there you can see how they have used these experiences to their benefit with one of the most intensive trail system's in the world. Plus have expanded this to ATV's/UTV's. These trail's run side by side with the snowmobile trail's through out the entire province and fall under the same legislation's.

 

[catinthehat]

Good article but little real research went into it other then past experience.
Let me help.
The origin of snowmobiling came from Quebec (Sherbrook) were i grew up...actually. The sport it self was already strong and on its way in the 1960s with a VERY large portion of the population in the eastern town ships owning snowmobiles. It was part of being a Quebec'er.
Club's, bylaws and provincial laws were all coming into effect regulating the use of snowmobiles and YES they were recognized as part of our culture and a transportation mode in the province.
Though we today have come a very long way's in the safety aspect, already in these early day's in these area's this was recognized.
When i moved to BC in 1977, there were NO clubs to be found, snowmobile dealer's were far and few between with them being more of a small engine lawn mower shop.
Snowmobiles were concidered a farm tool or for a hunter who does his living tracking animal's. The very few using them as a toy had ZERO knowledge of safety or general respect for nieghbor's while they tore around the fields. But they were so few that most never noticed them and when they did. Viewed them as no better then biker's, tearing around drunk.
I remember going to school and doing a presentation to my school mates on snowmobiles and where i came from.
Most all of them looked at me as if i came from outer space, though a few knew what i was trying to relate but couldn't understand or comprehend the fun to be had.
BC and Alberta have alway's been behind in this sport in many way's and the growing pain's we see today are what happened back in the 70's and 80's in the east.
IMO we have alot of growing up to do before the social stigma we have gained in the population goes away.
Great article otherwise, thanks for sharing.

I don't know about the area of BC you moved into, but I have been involved with sledding since the early 70's (my first sled was a 1972 Elan). At that time snowmobiles were quite common around here.
If you moved to a more urban area of BC when you came there may not have been as many but I can assure you there were plenty of them in the rural areas. And Trish is bang on as to the attitude towards safety in those days, we started wearing helmets more because they were warmer than any sense of safety at the time.

 

[moyiesledhead]

Part of it was that designated snowmobile trail's are part of the provincial road network and NO snowmobile may be operated off the trail system

Oh ya.....that's what we want!

NOT!

 

[JungleJim]

Excellent article Trish! Well done. I particularly like the part about recommending chest protection for the kids. There is a big difference today ripping around on a sled that has 120+ hp vs the whopping 11 hp 1967 Snow Cruiser I started out on and the damage that can be done in an incident much more severe. Our boys have had the youth Tek Vests and its amazing the number of times it has helped. Whether it be from a sled roll-over or even a sharp branch in a tree well. I highly encourage everybody to get one as it's only a question of if you'll buy it "before or after you really need it"! Have fun and ride safe!

 

[DDrake]

Good article. So true about the dangers involved with today's high powered machines. Our 10 yr old rides an F5 with a 136 with a 2" lug and he doesn't even try to ride without his safty gear on. We use the same chest protector for his dirt bike and his sled and it works well. Thanks for posting and keep up the good work.