March 17, 2005 -Sunny skies greeted more than ten thousand snowmobiling addicts that took over the small town of West Yellowstone, Mont., last weekend. Arctic Cat's first annual Snow Blast drew riders from as far as east as New Jersey and brought a load of folks from the Western and Rocky Mountain regions. They were joined by plenty of hard-core Midwesterners (including the AmSnow staff) at an event that Cat hopes to turn into an annual "Sturgis on Snow" sled rally.
Demo rides were the biggest draw for riders during the day. Making due with admittedly poor snow conditions in town, local guides took groups into the mountains where the conditions improved dramatically. Potential Cat buyers, including beginners, families and long-time veterans were given a ton of seat time on any sled in Arctic Cat's lineup. At the end of the week over 85,000 miles had been logged on the demo sleds. Consumers were also given the opportunity to shoot questions at the Arctic Cat representatives.
Grant Reeves and his FSX tour freestyle riders added to an already high-flying event with their usual spectacular performance, though this time with mountains as their backdrop.
While there were plenty of other activities - including a 200 person poker run, exhibits, raffles, and a few vintage machines - mostly the crowd geared up for the nightly fireworks and concerts.
Two nights of fiery performances from country legend Trick Pony warmed up the town, while female vocalist and honkey-tonker Terri Clark led the charge on Saturday night followed by the second night of high-energy from long-time country mainstay Sawyer Brown. Both bands brought the crowd to their feet, leading into the rowdy sounds of new country superstars Big and Rich on a brisk Saturday night. Fireworks followed the concerts Friday and Saturday nights capping several hours of entertainment.
All $22,000 in profits from the event went to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Arctic Cat says it plans to hold the event again next year in hopes of an even larger turnout.
More info:
www.arcticcat.com