Duane Hicks
While snowfall may elicit groans from those who have to shovel their driveways, the hefty helping of white stuff so far this winter is good news for district snowmachine dealers.
“It’s been a better winter. The snowmobiles are coming around a bit,” said Jim Badiuk of Badiuk Equipment, the local Ski-Doo dealer.
“We’re busy and I’m happy with that,” he added. “The snow has helped and actually this cold weather has helped, too, because the lake is good. People will get out on the lake right about now and be snowmobiling.
“This is the beginning of the snowmobile season, actually, because the lake’s frozen, everyone’s going, and we’ve got good ice and good snow early. So that’s very good,” noted Badiuk. “We’re off to a good start, instead of waiting [for snow].
“It should be okay.”
Badiuk also said he’s glad to see area mills seem to be doing well, and that the biomass boiler will be starting up soon in Fort Frances “because hat helps the whole economy.”
“And the dollar went [down], which is another help, because people aren’t outshopping as much. People are noticing that. It’s all helping,” he continued. “It’s been difficult in the past, so we’re thinking maybe we’ve turned a corner here.
“It’s coming around,” Badiuk stressed. “There’s people talking about [snowmobiling] more, and there’s more excitement in the air about them—we’re hoping it will remain that way.”
Christina Goodman, with Arctic Cat dealer Borderland Esso (Dave Goodman Automotive Ltd.), agreed sales have been up recently.
“It’s been absolutely nuts around here,” she remarked. “This year and the last year have been very good years for us. The last two years have been really busy.
“We’ve had quite good sales because of the strong Canadian dollar,” added Goodman. “All of our product last year had big rebates on it, and then this year, we had the same thing. All of our products was bought at par dollar, which greatly helped with sled sales.
“I think last year Dave [Goodman] said he picked up five extra loads of sled from the Arctic Cat factory, which is what he’s doing again today.”
She noted that while the exchange rate has turned around and helped curb outshopping, the soaring loonie from earlier this year “helped us because we still have all of our product at that par dollar. Right now, we’re in pretty good shape.”
Tom Jackson, with Yamaha dealer Tompkins Hardware, said there hasn’t yet been big difference in sales, but the buzz among sledders is building.
“A lot of people sit on their heels until we get that early snow, and then when it does come, it kind of fires everybody up. So it’s made a bit of difference,” he noted, adding the interest level in the sport is probably about the same as the past few years, but “it’s amazing when the snow comes, it’s just like turning a switch on. It’s night and day.”
Jackson expected a high demand for used snowmachines again this year.
“That might be based on the economy, but a lot of people are going to only use their snowmobile five times a year and they can’t justify spending that $7,000-10,000 to ride fives times a year.
“But if people are going to do a little ice-fishing, a little bit of family riding, the $2,500-3,000 sled works just fine,” he remarked.
Jackson said that while many are firing up their sleds and “there’s lot of action up and down the river already,” the best conditions are yet to come.
“Unfortunately with the snow and the lakes not really being froze really well, the lakes are extremely rough right now, with all kinds of slush,” he noted. “That will impede quite a bit of lake travel right now, especially for the grooming and stuff.
“The lakes, I was on them [Sunday] and they’re certainly passable, but very, very slushy,” he warned. “Any kind of riding you’re dong this time of year, you’ve got to be conscientious of what you’re riding on.
“Lots of times the lakes don’t get better until you get that good January or February thaw, where it pushes the snow down and brings the slush up and it freezes good. Unfortunately that’s about a month away,” he added.
Jackson noted the snowmobile trails from Emo to Fort Frances already have been groomed this season, and expected the trails north to Clearwater and west to Stratton to be done soon.
