The Antique and Classic Snowmobile Club of Canada (ACSCC) was created in 1982, arising out of a discussion between four vintage sledding enthusiasts at the Baldwin Inn in Windermere, Ontario. Their passion for collecting vintage sleds and socializing with other collectors brought these founding club members together, and the organization flourished from there.
“Ross Jewiss and I are long-term members of the ACSCC,” said Ed Long, current president of the club. “Ross is a founding member and a past president. I joined three years later and was elected president in 2003. When I first joined the club there were approximately 80 members. Over the years we have registered 1,400 members, and currently 400 (approximately) have joined the club for 2009.”
New generations
Club membership is growing despite today’s harsh economic conditions, and the new enthusiasts are coming from a younger age group than one might expect.
“Of late we have been blessed with the influx of quite a few young members of high school age,” said Long. “These young members show an amazing resourcefulness that knows no bounds.”
Individual enthusiasts may love vintage sledding for different reasons, but the cohesiveness of the club is one aspect that makes it a success in all instances.
“Just because you ride an old sled does not mean it has to look old and worn out,” said Long. “New riders tend to band together by brand loyalty whereas ‘vintage riders’ do not care what colour sled you ride but only how old it is and why you find it important. Others inherit their grandparents’ or parents’ sled and wish to honour their memory by repairing, maintaining and displaying their family treasure.”
An evolving passion
Over the years, Ed has witnessed the evolution of the sledding industry, and this has granted him a unique and insightful perspective.
“Personally I started riding in December of 1963 and have owned in excess of 300 sleds since that date,” said Long. “I have been blessed to have ridden almost every make and model sled built since 1963 and yet the ones dearest to me are those that I grew up on. This is a common bond among the membership. The sleds our members cherish were designed and built in welding shops and in cramped garages with woodstove heat in the hinterlands of the snow belt. In the beginning no two sleds were built identical…manufacturers changed engine suppliers, suspension designs and steering geometry during production on a regular basis. Thus the sleds are special in their own right.”
The club’s mission is to preserve both the history of sledding and the camaraderie and lasting friendships that arise from its membership.
“Vintage collecting is a unique common interest that ties people together,” said Long. “It’s immediately being a friend among strangers from the time you enter, whether a display or the club as a whole. (The ACSCC) is a place where members can meet face-to-face or online to toast the day’s successes, swap lies, bench race, trade restoration secrets/tuning tips or simply to relive the glory years of snowmobiling in a relaxed atmosphere of history and tradition. It’s also the snowmobiles themselves. Such a colourful era…there were so many brands and so many ideas. Who would have thought Bell and Howell, the projector people, would manufacture a snowmobile? We love the expertise that developed among even the most obscure brands of snowmobiles. History is not only preserved but also brought to life.”
