The Heyday of Snowmobiling

The Heyday of Snowmobiling. Early 1970's. , By the late 1960's, snowmobiling had become the fastest growing winter sport. Each year, innovations and vast improvements in performance were showcased on race tracks across the snowbelt. By 1970, production topped 500,000 units with over 100 manufacturers. Wall Street predicted by 1975 production would top 1 million, instead just the opposite happened; plagued with poor winter conditions, over production, and economic problems the industry took a downhill turn. By the end of the 1970's, it was basically down to the few struggling manufacturers that remain today., There have been ups and downs over the decades but nothing like the heyday of the early 70's. In recent years sales in North America barely top 100,000., Displayed here is a 1970 Rupp 400 Magnum in original unrestored condition. It is an excellent representation of it's era and was a machine that made its presence in the heyday. However, like over one hundred other manufacturers, Rupp didn't make it through the end of the decade. These were sleds that were capable of being ridden all week and raced on the weekends. Machines like this made winter travel across Alaska from village to village a matter of hours rather than days., [Top photo caption reads] , January 1970 , The Midnight Sun 600 Mile Race | This was the longest, most grueling snowmobile race from Anchorage to Fairbanks, where temperatures dropped below minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Today, the 2,000 mile Iron Dog Race across Alaska takes its place., [Bottom photo caption reads] , As teenagers, the Binkley brothers were avid snowmobilers and soon started racing. Pictured here on their 1970 Rupp Magnums, each won the state championship in their respective class. John went on to become a professional factory racer for Rupp, while Skip and Jim were the statewide distributor for the company in the early 1970's.