Sledding with your family

[Quicksand]

I love this thread, that's what its all about, sleds, toboggans, kids, fires, hot dogs, hot chocolate, spending the winter days outside when most kids are sitting on the xbox.

I'm fortunate enough to live where I can ride from home and we put 3x the miles on around home with kids and family as I do in the hills. I'm also fortunate enough to have a wife who loves the sport as much as I do so nobody get left at home(most days)

Mountain riding is where my heart is though and I try to take as many people with me as I can. It's the greatest feeling to be on top of a mountain, but it really is a dying sport, If we can't find a way to get our kids and friends involved, the greenies are gonna take it over and shut it down.

I'm not sure how a family of 4 would ever get into the sport. Sledding (mountain sledding especially) is about the most expensive hobby out there besides crack cocaine. And unless you know how to turn a wrench you're screwed. I maintain a fleet of 7 sleds (and do the major jobs on 3 more) so my friends and family don't have to pay a dealer every time something happens. Not many could afford it otherwise.

I Started in 2007, one trip to Revy with my uncle and I was hooked. After that I knew I wanted to share that feeling with as many people as possible starting with my wife, bought her a sled in 2009, she was hooked after one trip out too. Now she'll follow me pretty much anywhere. A bunch of trips later, renting sleds and stealing the wife's to take people out gained and lost a few along the way but now we have a group of 12 or so who come love out. 13 years, 1000's of ski pulls, 100's of stories and about a million smiles, all started with one nice uncle who loaned me a sled and took me to Revy! Be that Uncle!

Life only allowed us to have 1 kid, she got her first sled when she was 2 and has been loving it ever since. She's 8 now and we took her to the mountains on her 200 for the first time last year, see my post on snowest for that story... https://www.snowest.com/forum/threads/my-daughters-first-mountain-sled-trip.453733/#post-4384900 Was such a good day and she'll remember it for the rest of her life.

The next 10 years are gonna be really fun and I'm really excited for all the days we'll get to spend behind bars together.

Take a newbie sledding, it might save the sport! And take LOTS of pictures

 

[Billy Boy]

Both boys cut their sledding teeth on a 1980 250 (t) Polaris Gemini (which I basically rebuilt). There where a lot of trips out to the foothills of central Alberta. Some days when it got a little warm the Gemini would start vapor locking, so off to the side of the trail, pop off the hood, leave it their and pick it up on the way back to the truck. It was amazing where that little sled would go!! Wish I had some pics to show.

 

[Turblue]

Lots of awesome stories fellas...I love it !!!!! Especially some guys who posted who are new or haven’t posted much. Awesome!!

yeah I wish there was a bare bones sled similar to the Yamaha venom. That’s just to pricey. Keep it simple !!!!

what they need to build is a modular sled that can be upgraded easy enough as your rider grows. Long track, narrow ski stance, power up parts etc. That would be sweet.
sell the sleds cheap mark up the parts. Sell a pile. I even have a picture of it in my head. Lol

 

[Quicksand]

Remember the shift from polaris? was supposed to be a low budget new sled. not sure how sales went with it but it didn't last long

 

[ferniesnow]

Lots of awesome stories fellas...I love it !!!!! Especially some guys who posted who are new or haven’t posted much. Awesome!!

yeah I wish there was a bare bones sled similar to the Yamaha venom. That’s just to pricey. Keep it simple !!!!

what they need to build is a modular sled that can be upgraded easy enough as your rider grows. Long track, narrow ski stance, power up parts etc. That would be sweet.
sell the sleds cheap mark up the parts. Sell a pile. I even have a picture of it in my head. Lol

Sounds like a business opportunity for you. Better get at it!!

 

[brian h]

I'm older and went thru this, the days of when the kids were young only made mountains generally once a year. The rest was going around local with wife and kids. It was alot of work with older sleds and open trailers with straps for securement (no super clamps) ,repairing the sleds between trips etc. But getting out with the family and riding till lunch time and having a wiener roast was always a great time with memories. No actual trail system just looked for cutline to unload and go. Do feel that the market has changed and there isn't the variety of sleds out there for kids to have as they progress . imo the if the manufacturers had more variety of sleds to cover the family with different age and skill level then more families may get into the sport instead of kids having individual activities. This in the long run imo would get more people riding in the future keeping sled sales,clothing etc stronger. I was raised with sledding as a family and did that with my kids. But does seem to be getting less and less. Why? Is it do to laws , cost of sleds, where to ride etc?? I do hope my kids continue with this sport with there kids .
I have taken riders with ditch banging experience to the mountains for there first experience and generally they get into it and continue. Took a person from down east who had many miles of riding to mountains last year,he was very surprised at the different experience and how different riding is in the mountains. Says he will have a sled for this year.
Maybe having more family ride events would help and dealers possible having demo rides at these events, but that is alot of work to plan and organize, and getting volunteres to help is always a difficult part.
Glad to read about people trying to keep it a family sport

 

[Luke The Drifter]

I recently found out that my wife and I are expecting a little boy in February. I'm pretty excited to share my passion for sledding, adventure and the mountains with him in the future! Now I just gotta start stashing some money away for a 120cc sled for his 3rd bday

 

[skegpro]

I recently found out that my wife and I are expecting a little boy in February. I'm pretty excited to share my passion for sledding, adventure and the mountains with him in the future! Now I just gotta start stashing some money away for a 120cc sled for his 3rd bday

Year and a half my first son was riding a 120 by himself. Save faster lol.

 

[800tundra]

Great thread. Been taking kids out snowmobiling since they were little . As long as they are warm than everybody is happy. Hoping to take them to the mountains some day.

 

[Rotax_Kid]

View attachment 229613View attachment 229614View attachment 229615Great thread. Been taking kids out snowmobiling since they were little . As long as they are warm than everybody is happy. Hoping to take them to the mountains some day.

Great pics!! I'd like to know more about that Elite with IFS???

 

[vanislerev]

Wow, what the heck are those little Yamahas? Never seen one before. Those are cool!!

 

[Bnorth]

Wow, what the heck are those little Yamahas? Never seen one before. Those are cool!!

Snowscoots. I believe the OP actually built the one with the longer tunnel.

 

[NoBrakes!]

Soo much want.... I love the scoots. was my first sled

 

[longtrack 156]

Old, old, old school.

 

[Turblue]

Wow, what the heck are those little Yamahas? Never seen one before. Those are cool!!

I did a custom build on my daughters Yamaha snosport. Lol. Lots and lots of hrs. Custom fab the boards, fox float for rear suspension. Almost bailed on the project but glad I finished.

 

[NoBrakes!]

I honestly think replying to your build thread may have been the reason I originally joined Snow and Mud. that white sled build was awesome! ^^^^

 

[tmo1620]

I honestly think replying to your build thread may have been the reason I originally joined Snow and Mud. that white sled build was awesome! ^^^^

Ya that was one of the coolest builds in my opinion as well

 

[800tundra]

Great pics!! I'd like to know more about that Elite with IFS???

Elite has polars front ifs . And currently a polaris triple 600 in it . Have a Skidoo 600 SDI engine that I am hoping to get swapped into it this fall . Have taken it on poker rallies and pulled kids on the tubes all over the countryside with it. Lotsa fun.

 

[longtrack 156]

Morfee Mountain 1971

 

[longtrack 156]

Morfee;