How the Sport Grew
Over 75 years ago, many dreamed of a power-driven sled that would move over snow with ease for faster and more effective transportation, especially in areas where snowfall was heavy. This sled would help to make a tremendous difference between life and death when attempting to transport an ill person to emergency care.

In 1935, the basics of the snowmobile were created. The snowmobile was built with skis in front, a sprocket wheel, and tracked system in back, which seated 12. Although snowmobiles have increased in sophistication since their inception and down-sized to one or two passenger snowmobiles, this laid the foundation for all snowmobiles built from then on.

Family doctors, veterinarians, ambulance drivers and taxi drivers used early models, and they were even used for transportation of troops during World War II.

In the 1950s, with the development of smaller gasoline engines, snowmobiling became a recreational sport. In 1960, the first small, fairly inexpensive snow machine was available for personal use. Soon there were dozens of manufacturers producing snowmobiles and selling them for a few hundred dollars.

Today, there are four manufacturers, producing almost 200,000 snowmobiles to sell annually in the United States, Canada and Europe. With more than 4 million riders, snowmobiling is a major winter activity and contributes greatly to tourism in Canada and the United States.