Take a Friend Snowmobiling Week announced

Most snowmobilers have plenty of friends that have either never been on a sled or haven’t for a very long time. To help get those people interested in the sport, the Take a Friend Snowmobiling Week has been scheduled for Feb. 14-22, 2009.

This elongated week celebrates friends and family snowmobiling for nine days including two weekends. The snowmobile week was introduced to go hand in hand with the Take a Friend Snowmobiling campaign.

Just about every snowmobiler has had conversations, telling friends and families stories about how much fun it is to go snowmobiling. This event is a great way to finally get non-snowmobilers out on the snow.

It is recommended that non-snowmobilers have a little safety training before hitting the trails and the following six points should be covered.:

• Proper operation of the brake and throttle

• Shifting weight and slowing down in curves

• Staying on the right hand side of the trail

• Dismount the snowmobile on the right hand side of the sled

• Make sure the vehicle is in good mechanical order

• Make sure your friend is appropriately dressed and sober   A key ingredient to a good time for a first time snowmobiler is for more seasoned riders to make sure non-snowmobilers are comfortable when they first get on a sled. Ride slowly and be cautious when taking out a new rider. It is also recommended that the first ride be rather short and include a stop for a light meal or hot chocolate or coffee and a little camaraderie and storytelling at the local restaurant, clubhouse or outdoor barbecue area. Clubs are encouraged to participate in the activity and try to hold a special day or weekend encouraging members to bring non-snowmobiling friends to the clubhouse to go for a short ride and discover what snowmobilers do during the winter. Most non-snowmobilers don’t know where the trails are, really don’t know who builds and maintains and pays for the trail systems, and have no idea of the beautiful scenery that snowmobilers enjoy and the fun that can be had in the winter. Research also indicates that folks who don’t snowmobile rate their desire to go snowmobiling a solid nine on a 10-point scale. All you need to do is ask. We have all heard the stories of snowmobilers taking friends out, and much to their surprise the friends enjoy themselves so much, they end up buying a new or used snowmobile to join in the winter fun. What a pleasant surprise that is for all of us and why not encourage our family and friends to join you outside this winter on a snowmobile? As a special incentive to take non-snowmobilers snowmobiling, the manufacturers will give away a new snowmobile to a lucky individual who registers online and participates in the Take a Friend Snowmobiling Week event. Beginning in December, the Take a Friend Snowmobiling Week Registration Form will be prominently displayed on the Go Snowmobiling web site: http://www.gosnowmobiling.org/, the ACSA web site:  http://www.snowmobilers.org/ and the CCSO web site: http://www.ccso-ccom.ca/. Non-snowmobilers and their snowmobiling friends need to fill out the registration form to be entered in the drawing for a new snowmobile. If a club is interested in organizing an event, not only do all of their club members who participate get to register to win the snowmobile, but so do their guests and the club get to register to win as well.