Poll, How long have you been sledding?

[SnoKing]

First time I drove a sled was4 th of July weekend 1972 on the grass.
My in laws had retired and moved to northern Wisc. He became interested in sledding and a local plumber had a 1971 Polaris 488 Charger he was selling. Father in law ended up buiyng it for $600.oo and it included the matching Polaris pull behind sled. Been driving ever since, (39 years)
1970 433 Polaris.Mustang
1974 530 Custom II
1975 SS250
1975 TX 340
1976 TX 440
1978 TXL 340
1979 TXL 340
1979 Centurion 500
1980 TXL Indy
1981 Indy 500
1984 Indy 600 LE
1986 Trail Indy SP
1986 Indy 600 SE
1988 Indy 400 SKS
1989 Indy 650 (bought 3)
1990 Original RXL
1992 500 EFI SKS
1993 RXL SKS
1995 RXL
1997 Ultra Touring
1998 Indy 500
1998 500 Classic touring
2001 800 XC/SP (2 )
2002 550 Classic
2002 800 XC/SP
2002 800 Vertical Edge
2005 900 Fusion
2006 600 H.O Fusion
2006 900 Fusion
1974 440 Electra
2008 600 CFI LX
2008 FST LX
2008 D7 RMK 163

Current sleds
2009 D6 Switchback
2011 PRO R 600

 

[Tempest]

I was a late bloomer. Started on a 1999 Powder Special. I got my Dad into sledding, instead of the other way around.

 

[cbc24]

i started around 2000 ish with a 1992 polaris sprint 340 !! started mountain riding 2 yrs ago

 

[Engine Pro 5x]

Been sledding since 1980 as that is when I purchased the Rupp Nitro that we still own. We now own 3 Mountain Sleds with the family riding 3 times a year in the mountains. Great Family Sport to get involved in !!! >>>>.

 

[snowrider 151]

1972 Arctic Lynx 292
1978 Kawasaki Invader 340 Liquid Cool
1985 Ski Doo Safari Luxe 521
1995 580 Powder Special
1998 600 Powder Special efi
2002 800 Summit X
2005 800 Ski Doo Summit X 159 (Best Sled I have owned)
2009 800 Ski Doo Summit X 163
2012 Polaris 800 Pro 163

40 years and going strong ;;;

 

[lognomore]

39 going on 40 years! With a few years that I didn't ride, raising a family.

First sled was a 1968 Arctic Cat panther with a JLO engine. I really thought it was fast, a whole whopping 30 MPH! That's on a good day.

1974 Arctic Cat 440 Cheetah- bought new
1972 Arctic Cat 340 Puma- for whoever wanted to go along.
1999 Polaris 500 short track- Just getting back into it, wish I had bought a long track.
2000 Polaris 700 RMK. 136 Great sled!
2007 Polaris Dragon- Just keeps running.
2011 Polaris Pro-RMK- Best sled ever!

I plan on riding until I can't no more!

 

[stcatman]

looks like a tie for first place

45 years, started on a 67 Mcullough, my son on it;

also 45 years started on my dads 67 fox track he is 72 and still rides

 

[sdsnocop]

Personal Sleds
69 Boa Ski
72 Skiroule RTX
74 Chaparral Firebird
84 Polaris Trail Indy
97 Arctic Cat Powder Special
01 Arctic Cat Mountain Cat

Patrol Sleds
93 Polaris Indy 500
95 Arctic Cat Cougar
97 Skidoo Formula 500
99 Skidoo Formula 500
01 Yamaha SXR 600
03 Skidoo Rev 600
05 Skidoo Renegade 600
07 Skidoo Renegade 600 SDI
09 Skidoo Summit 600 Etech
11 Skidoo Summit 600 Etech

All of my patrol sleds were turned in with 6500-9500 miles except my current 2011 etech which has 4700 miles.

Visiting family over Thanksgiving and found some old pictures of me and my Skiroule RTX. The one is from the mid 70's with my Skiroule and my dad's Chaparral (the only new sled our family ever bought). The other picture was from about 1980.

 

[Calvin42]

38 years

1970 Swinger
1972 Yammi SL292
1974 Polaris Colt SS250
1976 Polaris TX 250
1980 Doo Blizzard 5500
1980 Cat Eltigre 5000
1979 Cat Pantera 5000
1991 Poo Indy Trail
1996 Yammi Vmax 600st
1992 Poo Indy 500 sks
1996 Poo Indy Ultra RMK
1995 Doo Mach 1
2001 Doo Summit 800
1992 Yami Exciter
2001 Indy Trail RMK
2002 Poo Pro X 440
2003 Cat 600 M1
2004 Summit 800
2004 Summit 600
2005 Summit 1000
2007 Summit 800
2008 Summit XP800
2009 Yammi Nytro Turbo
2012 Poo Pro RMK 163 Retro

 

[milehighassassin]

Been doing this as long as I can remember. Although a lot more now than even 10 years ago.

 

[justpinit]

Riding for 38 yrs! First sled was a '73 Elan 250 twin at 5 yrs old!

Dad bought it for me for christmas after i hit a couple of apple trees in our orchard with his brand-new TNT 440. Was supposed to stay in the flat areas on the track he had made for me around the house. I did that for about 1/2 an hour, then headed for the hills out back to do some climbin'!

.......it was a very long walk back to the house. My Dad was so hot that the snow was melting to grass when he walked out to get his new sled. HAHA! Good times!!

 

[enis750]

whoa...I'm pretty green compared to you guys
I rode sleds a bit when I was younger, mostly my cousins or friends
but never more than once a winter or every couple years

2007 (late spring) I purchased my first sled.....a 2007 Crossfire 6
before i even took it home, I decided to bring home the M8 instead
my bro in law bought a 2004 REV 800 159....so i needed somthing to hang w him!! LOL!

have since owned:

2007 M8 153
03.5 REV 800 144
06 REV 800 151
08 Nytro 144 converted to an XTX
and now my 2012 Pro Ride 600 144

so basically a sled a year!! hahha!

and i didnt ride last year at all
love the sport, hope I can do it the rest of my life and get my kiddos into it as well

 

[Clarke673]

I've been riding (driving) since 1971..

But there are a lot of young riders out there with less years and lot more time on the hill.

When you can ride 40+ days per year... you really step up your game.. some young guns are already better riders than I have been/will ever be.
Practice and time on the sled is what builds experience IMO.

My first sled... a 1970 Elan 250E

mine was a 72 elan... but that was back in about 1997 lol. My dad gave me a chice between one of those and the new little sleds with 5 hp. I chose the one with more power!

 

[windsock]

I was on one around 4 years old in 1971. Parents had a couple of Polaris machines.

 

[Chief]

41 years here..

 

[Himark]

Some awesome pics you guys!!


I am REALLY REALLY surprised at the demographics on this. I had no idea we had that many veterans in our sport. I knew it leaned a bit heavy on it givin the factor of costs etc. but to see 51% was amazing.

 

[PhantomCat]

LOL...72 Elan one lunger was my first at 6 years of age riding by myself!! So that puts me at 30 plus years! Crazy when you actually think about it!!

 

[m8sandman]

ttt

 

[smokenjay]

The "converts" of the 90s went from skis to snowboards.
The "converts" of the 2000s went from snowboards to snowmobiles.

I started in 2007 I believe. My friend had his old mountain max stored at my house during the blizzard a few days before christmas in 2006 (or 7, dont remember exactly). So I took it out on the local golf course and was hooked. Had a sled of my own within a month.

I just wish I had discovered it earlier, like before I had kids and was snowboarding 70-80 days a season.

 

[CatRpillar]

42 years starting on my Dads 1969 Nordic 399E.