TGIF: The Sept. 6, 2013 Edition

I'm thankful for the gumption of snowmobile club members whose passion for the sport compels them to host summertime events.

I'm thankful for the heat, dust, swap, races, unveilings, porta-pottys and controlled chaos that has occurred this time of the season for nearly 50 years.

I'm thankful for Sno-Baron's Hay Days.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Sept. 6, 2013.

Flashback: Arctic Cat El Tigre 6000 in February 2013

Flashback: Friday, Feb. 8, 2013.

Inside the Arctic Cat snowmobile engineering shop, engineers Greg Spaulding (left) and Larry Coltom inspect the APV exhaust valves on the Arctic Cat C-TEC2 599cc engine that Coltom will take for a test ride in short order.

It's late enough in the afternoon that these two racing veterans are asking the photographer questions about what happened during the second leg of the USXC I-500 cross-country race that had concluded a couple hours earlier.

They're interested in the stories about eventual race winner Ryan Simons soaring over approaches with a speed and severity that brings gasps, but they're mostly concentrating on inspecting the engine in this pre-production snowmobile. There is still much work to squeeze in, before the phone calls from home wondering about dinnertime.

Click to read more.

Guess Which Sleds Cat Will Reveal at Hay Days Contest

Arctic Cat sent an email blast with the above information.

Two new sleds will be revealed at Hay Days!

So let's have a quick contest: Guess The New Arctic Cat Sleds!

A special care package to the winner!

Extra Goodies: 2014 Arctic Cat Snowmobile Accessory & Reference Guide

Arctic Cat just released their 2014 Accessory Reference Guide for snowmobiles.

The reference guide features updated/new products (as well as older products for previous generation snowmobiles) not featured in the color accessory catalog.

New items include skis, tunnel straps, tunnel packs, clutch guard updates and more (to see the items and page numbers of the new products, click for the full story).

CLICK HERE to download the PDF. The guide is 3.3MB, so the download takes a moment.

TGIF: The Aug. 30, 2013 Edition

I'm thankful for snow.

I'm thankful for four-passenger roominess available with so many different automobiles.

I'm thankful the human spirit is infused with a sense of humor.

I'm thankful for door locks.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

Vintage Radio: Year After Year it's Arctic Cat in the Stock Classes

Below is a 1-min. radio advertisement that Arctic Cat produced for the 1975 season. It highlights the success of the Team Arctic race program.

The Team Arctic race program is still exceptional today... but the years of having radio ads about the race program are waaaaaaay in the rear-view.

I suppose the upside is that we can play such vintage spots on our comp-u-tators as frequently as we wish...

Princeton Swap Meet: My 2014 Snowmobile Season Begins

I hit my first snowmobile show/swap event of the 2013-14 season this past weekend in Princeton, Minn., where the 20th Annual Outlaw Drags unfolded in perfect opposition to a blasted heat wave.

It's awesome how trailer loads of sleds and parts combine with conversations about snowmobiling to put you in a winter state of mind.

Click to see some pix.

TGIF: The Aug. 23, 2013 Edition

I'm thankful for water. I'm thankful for snowmobiles.

I'm thankful the human spirit compels us to occasionally throw caution to the wind, hit the gas and hope for the best.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Aug. 23, 2013.

Aug. '13 Trip Report: (Some of) What I Saw at Arctic Cat This Week

I was at Arctic Cat in Thief River Falls this week, where the engine of progress was humming along at 8100 RPM and the people who make it happen opened up the doors for all of us to see.

Click to read about (some of) what was going on at my favorite place in the world.

Flashback: Testing Arctic Cat ProCross Prototypes in the Spring of 2010

Flashback: Tuesday, March 30, 2010.

The springtime ice on the Lake of the Woods near Warroad, Minn., is dark, with 10-ft. gaps between it and the shoreline where Arctic Cat engineers Larry Coltom (left) and Ryan Hayes are testing prototype ProCross and ProClimb snowmobiles.

The deteriorating ice conditions will soon force the various engineering crews to move to Colorado’s Grand Mesa and to Thompson, Manitoba, to continue development of the prototype machines.

But there are still a few days worth of testing in Minnesota, and on this day Coltom and Hayes are comparing and calibrating the F800 and XF800 prototypes...

Click to read more.

New Hydration Pack and Tool Pack from Arctic Cat

The options for carrying gear while riding various toys have grown exponentially in recent years. The quality and versatility have moved in-step, resulting in an array of packs of all sizes, styles and features.

Click to read a bit more about these made-by-OGIO packs from Arctic Cat.

New Products: Catgirl Glam Coat

For the last handful of years, Arctic Cat has pushed the fashion envelope with its Gatgirl Glam coat, and 2014 is no exception.

Here are the two latest versions of this snowmobile fashion coat.

TGIF: The Aug. 16, 2013 Edition

I'm thankful for the humor and confidence that infused so many Arctic Cat ads over the years.

I'm thankful for the 1970s.

I'm thankful for the mighty good feelin' that comes with the Cat.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Aug. 16, 2013.

A Mighty Good Arctic Cat Radio Spot from 1977

The year is 1977... after you hear the last rocking notes of Meatloaf blast through the single speaker of the clock radio in your bedroom, an ad from Arctic Cat is broadcast during which you hear this great line:

"Owning an Arctic Cat feels like you can lick the whole world."

Yep, it really happened.

Click below to hear it for yourself.

New Products: Cat Wraps for Arctic Cat Sleds

Back when Edgar and I were designing the Panther, nobody ran decals on their sleds.

Later, when Roger and I were tweaking the first prototype El Tigre, people ran the square registration decals purchased from the hardware store.

It was during the early 80s when I was helping Z put the final touches on the first AFS Cats that going full-custo with painted pinstripes and registration numbers signified that you were a serious sledder.

And when Kirk and I were imagining the Torque Sensing Link for the ZR line, die-cut vinyl became the new standard for sled sweetness.

These days, you gotta have a wrap.

So after that history lesson, it's time to click to see the new Cat Wraps from Arctic Cat.

New Products: Arctic Cat Garage Collection of Casual Threads

I have a feeling that the new Garage Collection of portswear from Arctic Cat will be pretty popular.

Click to see these fancy new threads.

2014 Arctic Cat ATVs and Side-by-Sides

Arctic Cat recently pulled the wraps off of most of its 2014 line of ATVs and side-by-sides.

Click to read the highlights, a few ride impressions and see some cool pix.

TGIF: The Aug. 9, 2013 Edition

I'm thankful for snow. I'm thankful for the rubber track.

I'm also thankful for skis.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Aug. 9, 2013.

(Super-thankful to Minnesota Rob continuing support of TGIF.)

Don't Be Shocked! FOX Racing Shox Files $120 Million IPO

Starting tomorrow, you can own even more of FOX Racing Shox than the units on your snowmobile or Wildcat.

The company completed an IPO yesterday and will be offering 8,571,429 shares at ~$14 per share.

Former Arctic Cat Pres. Lowell Swenson to be Inducted into ISHOF

On Sept. 13-15, former Arctic Cat President Lowell Swenson will be postumously inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame in Eagle River, Wis.

Swenson was a key figure in Arctic Cat history, guiding the company through the tumultuous decade that began in 1966.

Click to read his bio.