Summer... graduations, weddings and Sunday evening trips for ice cream.

Oh, summer is also a good time to think about snowmobiling.

So let's all eat cake and celebrate the ride.

I'm thankful that vintage snowmobilers are so dang horny.

I'm thankful the buck stops here.

I'm thankful for Bambi, Bullwinkle and Rudolph.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, June 30, 2017

The 1971 Arctic Cat King Kat 800...one of the original musclesleds!

Powered by the 800 Kawasaki four-banger, this and the 800 3-cylinder Hirth version were the biggest and gnarliest Arctic Cats of that year, and that era.

Only 124 of these babies were produced. They are among the most sought-after snowmobiles to this day.

This King Kat is owned by the Ische family of Glencoe, Minn., who allowed my to photograph it for the 50th Anniversary of Arctic Cat book that we produced in 2011.

To this day, and to my eyes, there is nothing that screams "BADASS!" on a snowmobile with quite the same authority as four cylinders sticking out of a hood.

Once upon a time, there was a generation of youth who read comic books. There were all sorts of comic books, from Marvel super-hero stuff to satirical MAD magazine to car-culture stuff like CARtoons. And pretty much everything in between.

This generation of youth read (and sometimes purchased) these comics at drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, bookstores and even comics stores.

If you were a snowmobiler WAY back then, your heart absolutely RACED on those rare occasions when a comic book featured your favorite sport. It was kind of like hitting the jackpot.

Funny now, looking back on a few examples of these comics from the early 1970s. The writers surely identified the subtle nuance of what the snowmobile experience was like back then: that sleds were often a bit unreliable.

I love that in our modern age, we can make a few clicks to watch video or see images of every single aspect of snowmobiling that exists today. Snowmobiling is literally at our fingertips. We're damn lucky.

But there's a part of me that appreciates (and wishes for) the simplicity of yesteryear. Of Archie, Dennis the Menace, Scooby Doo and snowmobiles that were tough to keep running a whole day.

Click to see a few more comics.

Roger Skime turns 74 years old today.

To celebrate this day and the immeasurable impact Roger has had on the world, snowmobiling, Arctic Cat and so many individuals, I'd like to share a story written about him a few years ago by his granddaughter Kylie Lehrer.

It's an awesome story that truly captures Roger's essence.

Thanks to Kylie for sharing this remarkable insight into the man who's made so many meaningful and impactful tracks.

And Happy Birthday, Roger!

Click to read read more.

A new, modern Arctic Cat Thundercat returned to the frozen battlefields of speed this past winter.

It had some mighty deep tracks to follow to earn the name "Thundercat," as the original is still legendary among those who experience it.

It also had the challenge of overcoming the outstanding performance the previous 9000-Series machines that had been powered by the Suzuki twin turbo.

I'm gathering info for a story that will appear later this summer about where exactly the new T-Cat landed compared to its predecessors, both in stock and mod form. 

For now, I'll leave you with a few pix that visually capture this Kitty's thunder.

Flashback. Feb. 22, 2012. Island Park, Idaho. Near Arctic Cat's mountain test facility.

(L-to-R): Todd Tupper, Rob Kincaid, Al Shimpa and David McClure. Each is a key member of Team Arctic's hillclimb race program. Tupper is the racer/engineer. continue reading ...

Controversy?!? Right now there's plenty of it when it comes to the new rule for Pro Open snocross sleds for 2017.

Ken Avann, president of the Canadian Snowcross Racing Association (CSRA) was one of the principal architects of the new stock-sled-based rule change.

Click for Ken’s perspective on the new rule and what it will accomplish.

Doug Hanson (aka "The Cat Kid") builds some truly wonderful custom Arctic Cat snowmobiles.

This ZRT/T-Cat mash-up featuring a bunch of Thundercat, ZR and performance goodies is a perfect example of his work.

Click to see some more of this fine sled.

Say “goodbye” to these stunning and tricked-out Pro Open mod sleds in snocross this coming season.

They’re gone, replaced by Stock sleds with raspier, slightly louder exhaust.

That sound you hear? Sadly, it’s not the howl of 160-hp mod engines and twin tuned pipes. Instead, it’s the proverbial road to hell, being paved with good intentions.

Click to read my rant.

Flashback to September 2014.

Inside the Arctic Cat styling shop in Thief River Falls, where Nathan Blomker and Corey Friesen worked their design and styling magic on what would eventually become the 2018 Next Gen bodywork.

Click to see and read a few nuggets from that.

In the three months since Textron announced its intention to buy Arctic Cat (and the six weeks since the sale was finalized), the brand’s loyal legion of riders, dealers and employees has wondered what the future would bring.

Last week I sat down with John Collins, Vice President of the consumer business for Textron Specialized Vehicles, and asked key questions about the future of Arctic Cat as part of Textron.

Click to read about Textron's plans for Arctic Cat, including its people and products.

This week at Arctic Cat in Thief River Falls, Minn., Gary “Duke” Johnson logged his last miles aboard a snowmobile (or ATV) as field test rider for Arctic Cat, a job he’s had since 1979. At the tender age of 64, the Thief River Falls native is riding off into the proverbial sunset called retirement, having ridden more than 1 million miles aboard snowmobiles during his career in the company's Field Test department.

Let that sink in for a moment. One. Million. Miles.

Yes, Duke has had a job that most of us would dream for: getting paid to ride snowmobiles.

I chatted with Duke this week about his career with Arctic Cat.

Click to read what it was like to become a million mile man.

I'm thankful for snowmobilers who dominate the terrain, no matter what the conditions are.

I'm thankful for the farmers who allow snowmobile trails to cross their fields.

I'm thankful for C.J. Ramstad (left), the original Mud Dog (and many other things).

And I'm thankful it's Friday, April 7, 2017.

After about 45 years of snowmobiling,

I’m over it. Done. Outta here.

Sorry, but that’s where it’s come to after the pure misery of the past four months.

Click to read how I arrived at this sorry state.

Last February, Jeff and Bruce Schroeder had an Arctic Cat-themed family reunion near Tomah, Wis., for their 10 siblings and their families.

One the day of the reunion, the family reprised the classic Johansson Family Reunion advertisement/postcard that Arctic Cat created for the 1987 model season.

If you ask me, I’d say they nailed it perfectly!

Click to read Jeff Schroeder’s REALLY cool version of the story.

The University of Minnesota-Duluth team finished third (with their Arctic Cat ZR 3000) in the recent SAE International Clean Snowmobile Challenge competition in Houghton, Mich. Plus they took home additional prestigious awards.

The team was featured HERE on ArcticInsider last year. They're a great group of passionate, smart people who seem destined to do cool and innovative things.

Click HERE to read a nice report on their experience at this year's CSC, and click HERE to watch a 2:31-minute video.

Congrats!

I love seeing a great sled restoration, especially one that adds a twist of customization to the final outcome.

Mike Miller's Patriot edition 2004 Arctic Cat F6 Firecat is a perfect example of a ground-up resurrection, as the resto magician from Michigan illustrates in the above video.

This isn't the first Arctic Cat that Miller has brought back to life. A few years ago I featured this stunning Crossfire restoration. Clearly, Miller's handiwork is as thorough as it is stunning.

Check out the video, then see where your imagination (and Craigslist scouring) might lead.

Two weeks ago I OWNED a piece of the backcountry for the first time in my riding career.

When I say "owned" I mean I carved, climbed and threaded my way through the trees and sidehills like I was an amalgamation of Brett Turcotte, Dave McClure and Rob Kincaid, only better looking.

The difference between this day in the trees and any other time I've ridden in the backcountry over the past 15 years?

This time I was on the Arctic Cat SVX 450 snow bike.

Click to read more.

Arctic Cat just took the wraps off of its 2018 line of snowmobiles, and there's a WHOLE BUNCH of new stuff.

Here are the 11 key things to know about it.

Click into next year.