Closeted snowmobiler comes out in the South

updated 1:54 p.m. ET Feb. 1, 2007

RICHMOND, Va. - It’s a cruel irony of climate, attitude and geography.

When I lived in western Massachusetts, home to Red Sox Nation, the culturally rich Berkshires and rarified colleges such as Smith and Williams, I was a closeted snowmobiler. I rode my machine (the preferred nomenclature) at speeds of 60 mph over snowy fields and dodged trees through twisty wooded runs.

But it was not a sport I openly celebrated.

While not universally reviled, snowmobiling was viewed by the Tanglewood set as the province of a boozy class of speed freaks. The machines fouled the pristine woods with their gassy, oily fumes and terrorized cross-country skiers solemnly gliding through virgin snow.

Now I live in NASCAR Nation, where the combustion engine and fossil fuels are celebrated and speed rules. The attitude is in place but the prime ingredient — snow — is not. (Of course, this winter, there’s even been a shortage of snow in colder parts of the country.)

But the greater Richmond Yellow Pages doesn’t even list a single snowmobile dealer. And several inches of snow can cripple this city of 200,000 for days.

Ed Klim isn’t troubled by either attitude or climate. The president of the International Snowmobile Association lives in snowy Michigan, which ranks as the No. 1 state for snowmobiling with 381,157 machines registered there, and he has four snowmobiles from which to choose: Arctic Cat, Polaris, Yamaha and BRP, the big four in the business.

Klim said the snowmobiling I recall — mixing oil and gas, screaming two-cycle machines and back-wrenching pull cords — have been replaced by a new generation of sleek, high-powered sleds. Much of the engineering is based on motorcycles.

The price of a snowmobile ranges from $5,500 to more than $10,000. They have quieter, cleaner four-stroke engines, heated seats and hand warmers and outlets for cell phones and other gadgets. Some even come equipped with global positioning systems, a great feature for riders who prefer to explore deep woods.

The tracks — deeply grooved rubberized belts — are wider, more pliable and quieter, and metal skis have been replaced by space-age compounds.

High-tech snowmobile suits come with heating elements and helmets with just about every feature NASA could cook up.

Despite the creature comforts, worldwide snowmobile sales have been in a steady decline, according to Klim’s association. Since 2001, snowmobile sales have declined from 208,297 units sold to 164,860 in 2006. In the U.S. in 2006, 91,670 units were sold. Worldwide sales peaked at 260,735 in 1997.

“The snow conditions have not been good,” Klim said of declining sales. “There’s no snowmobiling if there’s no snow.”

A bright global spot: Sales have increased in Scandinavia.

Klim acknowledges a certain elitism among winter enthusiasts and their views of snowmobiles and those who enjoy them.

“They think the only way to enjoy the outdoors is their way or the highway,” he said. “That’s fine.”

MORE FROM WINTER TRAVEL

Winter Travel Section Front

Mountain resorts redline the fun meter Top 10 black diamond ski runs Amazing adventures America's most dangerous slopes Celebrity winter hideaways Top 10 cities for shopaholics Winter Travel Section Front   Add Winter Travel headlines to your news reader: