Back to the good old days. One-lunger snowmobiles, mono suits with a fuzzy hood and good family fun. The 70s were alive with snowmobile culture. That excitement is still around today, as many families are realizing the enjoyment snowmobiles can bring to the winter months.
I have four children, and they've all been raised with snowmobiles. I’ve played chairlift to my little tobogganers and skiers many a time. My children are the envy of many of their classmates, and we're dubbed “the cool family.”
Boxing Day this year was quite eye-opening for me. Several families congregated together on a local pipeline to celebrate the holidays. Bonfires, pots of chili simmering, and about 30 children enjoying the day. So much fun—but I was full of anxiety. There were snowmobiles everywhere for the kids to enjoy, but rarely a helmet to be seen. My husband urged me to relax, but I just couldn’t. Head injuries are a reality, even if you're “going slow.” It only takes once.
A grandfather turned to me, noticing my distress. As I explained my worry, he said, “You know what? You"re right. From the time I was a child we really didn’t wear helmets. But when I go riding with my friends, I wouldn’t dream of not wearing one."
Culture back in the 70s and 80s was far less focused on safety gear than we are now. Head injuries are a very real concern for any sport, but especially motorized sports.
Watching the kids lining up for their turn to ride the machines, I raced to intervene when I noticed a potentially deadly situation: A young girl approached a snowmobile with her scarf dangling down to her hips. With so many moving parts on snowmobiles, including the spinning track, strangulation is a very real concern should that scarf become entangled in the machine. There is a 40-year-old man who lives in our town who was the victim of near strangulation when his scarf did become entangled in his snowmobile. I used to go to church with him. Forever brain damaged. I would hope we could learn from his mistakes.
Safety tips
Family snowmobiling is a great way to bond and enjoy winter. Here are some tips to ensure safety and epic fun.
- Helmet: Always wear a helmet and remember to always do it up! It’s of no use to you if it flies off your head. If your children are small, please don’t stuff them into an adult helmet with layers of toques on to make it fit. That helmet is made for adults, not children. Youth-specific helmets weigh far less than an adult's and will protect them from injury. GMax Kritter helmets are my favorite youth-sized helmets: fun graphics, light weight and not super spendy, these helmets simply work. I like the motocross style, as it provides chin protection. I also usually recommend Smith Optics youth goggles. Again, not expensive, but effective at shielding your child’s eyes from particulate matter.
- No scarves or dangling mittens. As I mentioned above, it only takes a moment for scarves or mittens attached by a string to become entangled in the moving parts of a snowmobile. Face tubes and balaclavas are wonderful alternatives to scarves.
- Chest protection. I believe chest protectors are a neccesity when participating in motorized sports. Most parents now double their children in squirrel position, so please have them wear a chest protector. Whether they are being doubled or piloting their own machine, one unplanned trip into the handlebars could result in a broken rib or worse. The same could happen in a rollover. Youth-sized chest protectors are light and comfortable and worth their weight in gold when it comes to keeping your child safe. My favourites are youth-sized TekVests and EVS roost guards.
- Keep a close eye on on children riding machines. At this Boxing Day gathering a cute and cheeky little four-year-old was racing around on his 120 cc snowmobile. He obviously had no fear and took off up a hill, ending up out of sight. Anything could happen. A rollover, a throttle stuck open spinning the track, or a collision could subject him to danger. I was very clear with my children: If ever they rode without safety gear or rode where I couldn’t see them, the machine was gone. They knew I was serious. Now in their teens they pay it forward and help younger riders understand safety and boundaries.
- Beacons. Even on a poker run, avalanche transcievers should be worn by children. Many clubs rent beacons to members, so please ride prepared. As careful as we want to be, the mountain holds no mercy when it comes to avalanches. Please use caution and ride prepared.
Embracing winter as a family is a gift, and it can also be cost effective. Using snowmobiles to transport kids up the mountain for skiing, boarding and tobogganing can prove to be thrifty. Let's create a strong family tradition of riding smart. This will help grow our sport safely and effectively.
Safe kids become safe adults.
