Go Snowmobiling!

So, if motorcycling wasn't enough, Heather's dad Jim (Skid) has now encouraged us to experience snowmobiling. We thought that the best way to get introduced to the sport would be to attend the "Give It a Try Tour" organized by the OFSC which we found out about at the January motorcycle show. That's where we signed up for a February 21 session to be held at the Wasaga Sports Park in Wasaga Beach.

We started the day by having breakfast at one of my favourite local establishments, the Cedar Barn. Shortly before 10, we were on our way to Wasaga Beach. The GPS took us through the fine Ontario countryside. We arrived at the Wasaga Sports Park pretty much right at the stroke of noon.

The afternoon session of Snowmobiling 101 consisted of 15 participants and 5 instructors, sufficient enough for everyone to have some one-on-one training. All participants were provided with free gear (clothing, boots, helmets etc.) as well as a new 2009 sled. Heather was given a Polaris 600 IQ, while I was given a Yamaha RS Vector.

The training consisted of various hand signals, basic controls and finally a couple of laps on what we thought was too short of a practice track. Heather actually managed to handle the machine better than me. My first practice lap was awful as I had trouble with the throttle and it was pretty much stop-and-go all the way around. Subsequent laps were better and I felt confident on the hour-long ride on the trails of the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. Heather chose to be a passenger during the ride mostly due to anxiety than lack of skills. She received the thumbs-up from instructors to take part in the ride but in her mind she wasn't prepared enough to handle it just yet. The ride itself, which averaged about 25km/h with a high of 45km/h, was great with plenty of fresh snow and fabulous scenery along the way.

Once the ride ended, we retreated back to the clubhouse, cooled down a bit, picked up a bag of goodies (which included brochures, keychains, hats etc.) and, instead of going home, decided to finish our weekend with a night's stay in a Days Inn in nearby Barrie that allowed us to both relax and refresh.

Overall, it was a great experience and the event is a perfect way of introducing people to the sport at no cost. And it might keep our minds away from motorcycling during those long and cold Canadian winters.

Enjoying a little break during the ride