Remember those old yellow Ski-Doo snowmobiles from the 1960s with the black stripe around the hood? You know -like the one Ralph Plaisted rode to the North Pole and Steve Ave won the Eagle River World Championships with? The kind that Grandpa had, or the one you took your very first ride on?

In 2009, the little yellow machine that made winter fun will celebrate an historic milestone. The light and maneuverable snowmobile invented by Joseph Armand Bombardier turns 50 years old.

His patented rubber sprocket, coupled with an endless rubber belt, provided the essential components in an amazing story of success, and became the enduring logo of L'Auto-Neige Bombardier, maker of tracked transport vehicles.

Bombardier's dream of producing a sin­gle person vehicle was held in check by motor size. He built a prototype in 1949. utilizing his own engine design. It was too expensive to produce.

The power problem was solved in the late 1950s with the availability of the Kohler four-stroke single-cylinder engine. More prototypes were constructed, and in 1959 the yellow, tin cab Ski Dog was intro­duced to the world.

The little machines became immensely popular, and production numbers soared to 5,000-plus by 1963, a year of transition.

Tin cabs were replaced by Fiberglass. The twin track, single Ski RD8, forerunner to the Alpine, was introduced. Rotax two-cycle engines became exclusive, and the tiny, 148cc lost Rotax appeared and disap­peared. Kohler engine options remained available by dealer or distributor.

Model names were first used in 1965.

The 165cc chalet had a short run, but the Alpine and Olympic would become stan­dards for years. The Canadian Postal Service even issued a commemorative stamp when the Olympic name was retired in 1979!

The largest selling brand in North America, Ski-Doo became synonymous with snowmobile. Whatever brand you rode, you were "Ski Dooing."

This popularity did not occur by acci­dent. It was the result of an excellent mar­keting scheme. An advertising budget of $32.000 in 1964 expanded to $5 million by 1970. Eighteen North American distribu­tors and 2,000 dealers provided sales and service.

Yellow was the trademark color. The first departure was the Nordic in 1972, with a black hood and yellow side panels. Imagine the chagrin of purists as the 1973 TNT Silver Bullet was introduced, having only a tiny strip of yellow on the side of the hood!

Much was done to keep Bombardier in the public eye. Plaisted's North Pole expe­ditions were sponsored by Ski-Doo. Dollars were pumped into a highly suc­cessful racing campaign, developing TNT, Blizzard, and other performance machines. Ave, Ferland, Duhamel and Karpik were winners on the race track as well as in advertising.

Joseph Armand Bombardier died in 1964, leaving the company to son Germain. While reluctant to remove funds from the industrial side of the corporation to finance the recreational side, his 1966 successor and brother-in-law, Laurent Beaudoin, was not.

In 1969, Bombardier purchased plastic parts manufacturer Les Plastiques La Salle, and Roski Ltee., a fiberglass compa­ny. Soon was added a foam seat facility, a chrome plating enterprise, and even a tex­tile manufacturer to produce their own clothing!

In 1970, they purchased Lohnerwerke Gmb H of Vienna, Austria, to obtain their subsidiary, Rotax. Another plant was secured by buying Moto Ski in 1971.

Producing 210,000 units and owning nearly 40 percent of the market, 90 percent of the corporation's profits came from Ski-Doo snowmobiles by the early 1970s.

Low snow winters and the 1973 OPEC oil embargo put a death grip on the indus­try. Bombardier, also in financial straits, survived by entering other markets. Diversifying enabled the struggling com­pany to become a global giant in aerospace and rail manufacture.

Bombardier produced their one mil­lionth snowmobile in 1974, a TNT Everest.

They very nearly acquired Polaris Industries in 1980, the sale blocked by U.S. Anti-trust authorities.

A 1994 Summit was then" two millionth snowmobile.

Many years after Outboard Marine Corporation attempted to buy out Bombardier in the 1960s, their Johnson and Evinrude engine division was obtained in 2001.

Elan, 12/3, Alpine, Olympic, TNT and Blizzard are names belonging to a glorious past, and will long be remembered and revered by the Ski-Doo faithful.

The little yellow machine that could become the little yellow machine that did, and in a resounding manner.

Happy 50th birthday, Ski-Doo!

Reprinted with permission from Iron Dogs Tracks, the official newsletter of the Antique Snowmobile Club Of America.

Here's the official details of the event:

Event Details
Event Date: 2011-06-01
Event Location: Milbank,SD

Event Description
Join us June 1st and 2nd at Lake Farley Park in Milbank, SD for our annual show. We will be judging on Saturday for awards in classes including Antique and Vintage Sleds, Customs, Cutters, Raced Sleds, Mini Bikes Peoples Choice and Longest distance traveled to attend our show. There will be a silent auction Saturday morning with proceeds going towards the show so bring any items you would like to donate. The Swap meet will be going both Friday and Saturday. Camping is available on site Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, the city has added a few full hookup camp sites which will be available. Saturday night we will again be having an awards banquet with a meal. Food Concessions Available Friday and Saturday.

Imagine walking through a park path lined with show sleds and swap items, stopping to chat with old friends and even taking time to make some new ones. This is a family friendly event, so bring the wife, kids and even the dog (on a leash) and you'll be glad you came!

For more information about the event contact:

Derrick Loeschke
Phone: 605-880-3277
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

May 27...The first summer show hits the ground running. Time to dust off the sleds, wander through the swap looking for hidden treasures. The Classic Sled roundup is a great spot to meet friends old and new, and a perfect excuse to ignore the yard work for a weekend.

Here's the official flyer:

For more info check out the officail Saint Germain thread

See you there!!

While millions of snowmobiles were produced by hundreds of companies in the 1960s and '70s, early manufacturers struggled to peddle their wares.

Regarded as folly, curious stares and ridicule often greeted entrepreneurs as they traveled to promote their merchandise.

Glen Gustzman of Trail-A-Sled headed cross country in the mid-1960s with a Scorpion snowmobile strapped to the back of a Volkswagen Beetle exemplifying the initiative required to create a market where none existed. His efforts secured a contract with mail order giant Sears and Roebuck.

By the end of the 1960s, this emerging winter sport was erupting into a lucrative industry, and bandwagon manufacturers were begging for outlets to market then-products.

A drive down main street in any snowbelt community fast revealed that the variety of businesses selling snowmobiles equaled the diversity of the brands being sold.

Unlike present day convenience stores, gas stations of the era sold service, not groceries. An attendant would pump your fuel, wash your windshield and check your oil. Most employed a full-time mechanic and many had a line of snowmobiles for extra income during winter months.

Sinclair, Skelly, or Standard stations may have a SnoJet, Ski Doo, or Polaris dealership. At Texaco, you could "Trust your car to the man who wears the star" and purchase a Ski Daddler or Sno Prince. Major oil companies pushed their own brand of oil.

The hometown marina selling Johnson, Evinrude, or Mercury outboards also sold their snowmobiles.

The local farm implement dealer had perhaps a John Deere or Massey Ferguson franchise.

Welding, motorcycles and chainsaw shops provided sales and service for Arctic Cat, Suzuki or Homelite.

Hardware stores and Fleet supply centers dealt Bolens or Wheel Horse to complement their established line of power equipment.

With a basic set of tools, individuals could set up shop in the garage and sell sleds right out of their home!

Auto parts stores began to stock common bearings, drive belts and spark plugs.

There were few mega dealerships featuring large showrooms for machines, clothing, and accessories. More likely, the showroom was a warehouse out back, or a row of crated machines along the side of a building.

The sheer number of snowmobiles viewed on a weekend outing was astounding, a cornucopia of different designs and makes.

Brand loyalty was associated with color. Arctic Cat was black. Ski Doo yellow, Moto Ski orange, Rupp red, and Polaris red, white and blue. Color was the only standard on early machines.

Stocking parts became a nightmare with the many engine choices and changes made each model year. Parts availability depended on the size of the dealer and was limited to stock on hand. There were few aftermarket companies and no same day shipping.

Chaparral, Scorpion, and Polaris offered an abundance of engines and models.

Arctic Cat alone in 1970 had six engine suppliers and a staggering 29 model and horsepower options.

Clutch and performance parts became essentials as racing grew in popularity.

A trip to a larger dealer, distributor, or factory was often the only alternative to a long wait for parts.

Some dealers tried renting snowmobiles, hoping to increase profits. Breakdowns and inexperienced riders combined for expensive repairs and high retrieval costs.

As the industry began to decline, small dealers were strangled out by factories imposing standards for shop, showroom, and inventory.

Dealers of today have diversified to survive in a fast-paced, competitive market.

Meeting environmental standards with increasing production costs has nearly priced the industry beyond the reach of the common man.

In 1969, you could have purchased a snowmobile and trailer for the cost of a helmet and riding leathers today.

It's no help that rampant and unregulated fuel pricing by the American oil cartel is rewarded with tax breaks and record profits, amounting to legal extortion at the point of a gas nozzle.

We can never return to the way things were, but we can at least escape to the past on occasion by attending an antique or vintage snowmobile event. Even in these times of economic challenge, we can still enjoy an affordable family sport.

So, fire up the old sled and load the kids in the cutter. Shove a spare belt and a six-pack under the seat, grab a handful of spark plugs and head out on the trail.

I'll be waiting for you.

Reprinted with permission. More of Steve's work can be found in Iron Dogs Tracks the official newsletter of the Antique Snowmobile Club Of America.