Snowmobile Club Affiliation

[The Fourth Wolf]

Curious to see how many SW'ers are also members of their local club and or State/Prov association?

I've been riding since 2002 and a member of a local club since then. Currently, I'm the Vice President of one, and an at-large member of two others, as well as a member of the Alaska State Snowmobile Association. Our Anchorage club is very active. We brush trails all year, mark trails, organized group rides and we do a fair amount of testifying befor various state and federal land agencies to ensure that sledders and other motorized users get a fair shake when new management plans are discussed. We have been successful in expanding the trails network is some areas and getting more funds for grooming but we've lost other fights too. The important thing is not to give up.

If you're not a member of a club would you be willing to state why? Not looking to lecture anyone just curious to know why your local club is not attractive enough for you to want to belong?

 

[Tempest]

Past club president for two years, vice-pres for one year, board member for six years, curently just updating our club page on the ISSA(Idaho State Snowmobilers Assc.) web page. I'm letting the younger generation have a turn. It's alot of work, but it's worth it. Glad to see other involved. Our club has lost alot of members over the last few years. Nobody seems interested in clubs anymore.

 

[suitcase]

Our club has lost alot of members as well over the past few yrs. I also am in my fist yr. as VP. MY family and I have been a member of ours for around 10 yrs. We think it is very critical to be enovled in some kind of club, just due to the fact that it is #'s that help keep our public access, to our trails and our land.
IMO I would think that there would be alot of poeple on here that would be members of one club or another. I guess we will see.

 

[volcano buster]

Member of my local club for 10 years. Past Prez, past VP, past treasurer, act as ride leader, initiate club travel trips, get involved with our shelter maintenance, wood cutting, trail clearing, liaison with the USFS, attend land use meetings, write letters promoting sledding, and most recently put on a movie night at the local theater to raise money for our grooming program.

I also like to take new folks out for a ride. It is entertaining to see them light up when they have a good time.

 

[av8er]

i'm a lifetime member of the Cutbank Snowgoers, my old nearest club

I have always joined the local club, if nothing else to help pay for the local grooming

 

[turboless terry]

I am the vp of a club and my wife is the treasurer. We keep it going to keep on with grooming funds so the forest service doesn't say it is not getting used and try to shut it down. Our club is dying. Nobody wants to get involved and nobody shows up for meetings. The group thing doesn't seem to work. Everyone does things but they just go their own way.
I have never really been a club person myself. I have never seen a club that wasn't a big fight. A few people do all the work and a few just beotch. Can't seem to get any younger people involved. If you don't get younger people involved it will eventually die out. Not sure what the answer is.

 

[sdsnocop]

Current President of out local club and member of SD Snowmobile Association since 1985. I also have been struggling keeping the club alive. We have lost many of the older members that sold their sleds and do not ride anymore and it is difficult to recruit younger riders.

 

[The Fourth Wolf]

I echo your concerns that younger riders are not getting involved. We have tried to be creative in our approach to staying relevant. We have a monthly meeting during the season and we try to get good guest speakers. We've had Iron Dog racers, state park directors, USFS guys and every year at our Jan or Feb meeting the Alaska Avalanche Center puts on a mini avy awareness clinic.

We have also set up a safety education scholarship fund. We reimburse members up to $250 a year if they take an approved safety course. Anything from first aid to formal avy training. We've actually drawn in a few younger riders with this and hope to expand the program.

The negative side is we get a few grumbles from older riders who are more interested in new and improved fire starters and fabing up field repairs for their old Tundras.

 

[TIM]

I have been a member of a couple of clubs for over about 15 years. Never been to a club meeting or club ride. volunteered a few hours every year. But basically most clubs have big trail rides to a barbque.

that is just not my stlye of riding. And i would bet that most who don't join a club are the ones who hate trail rides and just don't do them. Most clubs are family oriented and the boys don't want to be family riding when they can go climbing. I have yet to see a local club put together a hardcore off trail ride.

 

[HammsRMK]

Current Pres of the GCC in central ND as for the younger guys I am 27 and there are alot of member around my age. I have been a member for 4 years and we just finished marking the culverts on our trail system last week and are going to put some finishing touches on it this weekend. We also just held the State Snowmobile Convention here and our club was the host. The convention was a blast but a lot of work. I hope you guys can get younger riders to join. Goodluck and have a great year.

 

[POLZIN]

No! None and I probably won't .Just not my thing.

 

[Tree Boss]

Good thread.

I am currently the President of our club here in SE Idaho which is the Franklin County High Markers. It was started by Bret Rasmussen 20+ years ago. I enjoy being involved in anything to do with sleds so when I was nominated 2 yrs ago for VP I was excited to meet new people and being able to push my riding level up 10 notches from what it was. Our club is mainly families who all ride together, but in those families there is some very technical riders so I see it as we have rides all the time but only 1 is official. We only have 2 events per year and our first is the opening social which is next week and the 2nd is what we call the "Fun Run". It works for us having 2 events and have even talked about doing a 4 wheeler run in the summer but have never quite got there yet.

We also have a young Presidency and that seems to help get young ones involved. Our VP is mid 40's and to me that is still young. Past Pres. is around 33 and I'm 29, that really makes a difference in the younger generation getting involved seems how we have the same desires as they do when it comes to riding and pushing ourselves every time we are up there.

It doesn't seem like we are short on young riders here, seems how I'm only 29 I feel young myself and I am always inviting the younger riders out to our 2 events.

One thing that we have really pushed on to get people involved is good prizes for raffle at the opening social and a good dinner. The guy who was Pres. before me goes by Motoman on here and he really pushed to have great prizes for the social and I feel like it has gone a long way with getting people to join and have a chance at winning some sweet gear.

If you build it they will come. That's my 0.02 worth anyway.

 

[beamslayer]

I am a member of the ST Joe snow riders have been for 5 yrs and also have seen # decline. Our club has three winter rides and does a grass drag in july.
Tim I am sorry you feel like that all clubs need new blood in order to stay alive get involved but on a hard core ride.
St joe riders used to but on a ride called the Iron ball 5 man teams cross country, shortest distance,fastest time and last place.One ride went from Avery to Fernwood Idaho shortest was 45 miles, longest was 90 miles take a look at a map and tell me thats not hard core I think the youngest quy was in his late 30s. It was a good time to bad we could not get any new riders to compete.
Keep our riding areas open join and be active in a club.

 

[TIM]

beam

that sounds like a fun ride. The cda club just seems to trail ride, same with the sandpoint. I am a member to belong and to help them show numbers.

I do believe the clubs are good, just not my style of ride.

tim

 

[The Fourth Wolf]

beam

that sounds like a fun ride. The cda club just seems to trail ride, same with the sandpoint. I am a member to belong and to help them show numbers.

I do believe the clubs are good, just not my style of ride.

tim

TIM, our club faced the same dilemma with just doing trail rides and for several years now we have 3 grades of rides Family, Intermediate and Advanced. We try a tailor different rides to what people want to do and most of our rides are well attended.

Can I ask if you ever thought about getting more involved as a way of expanding the CDA club's outlook? Systems change from the inside.

 

[suitcase]

I feel alot like you do Tim, im not a trail rider either and I am the VP of our club, I joined and have helped as much as I can just for the fact that we need these clubs, and members to help keep our sport alive in our own Land. I do get some enjoyment out of helping and trying to put together rides for people that do like more of a trial ride adventure. Everything that we do big or small is a help.

All you guys keep up all the great work, I thank you from one club member to another....

 

[AndrettiDog]

Sounds like we are all in the same boat. Trying to make our clubs endure and keep people involved. I'm our club president and I tell people that they don't have to be active but being part of the club is huge. Our sport is at risk more and more every year!

We have been trying to get the younger crowd as well. For the last four years we have had Chris Burandt come down. This attracts some of the younger crowd. We have also starting working on having sled events (parties, sled fests, etc) versus snowmobile club parties. I know how strange that sounds but the truth is that "club" is associated with old people. We are working on image to make our club evolve.

We have to do something or the clubs will die. Our kick off party this year was the biggest we have had in the last 10 years. It's a lot of work and I don't have to tell you guys that it can be exhausting. Some days I think about walking away and just riding my sled.

 

[m8sandman]

I have been a member of a couple of clubs for over about 15 years. Never been to a club meeting or club ride. volunteered a few hours every year. But basically most clubs have big trail rides to a barbque.

that is just not my stlye of riding. And i would bet that most who don't join a club are the ones who hate trail rides and just don't do them. Most clubs are family oriented and the boys don't want to be family riding when they can go climbing. I have yet to see a local club put together a hardcore off trail ride.

x2!!! my idea of a good club would be one that never groomed a trail one, nothing like 3 feet of fresh pow being ruined by a groomer!!! i find bumpy roads just keep the masses out. not into politics. not into the see and be seen crowd. my club would only mark the places to bail off into the trees and would use a scuff on the bark of a tree made with a carbide to do it a trail to my club would be the trench coming out the back of a sled. an organized ride would be a few good buddies unloading in an undisclosed location and heading where there are no roads. my clubs idea of trail improvements would be digging out a stuck sled so the next guy can make it through. would promote good relations with other wintertime recreationist by staying as far away from them as possible. dues to be paid with blood, sweat and the occasional injury. would be open to anyone with the skills, or the willingness to aquire them and the drive to keep up. our motto would be "YOU GOTTA WANT IT" no wait i guess i already am a member of that club

so go ahead and flame me, not saying anything bad about anyone elses idea of what they are looking for in a club. everyone has a right to his or hers opinion. think its great that some peeps are into large organized groups and like to have a structured way to do it. i'm not into the "all are one and one are all" concept. the world is made up of individuals and each has a right to thier own opinion, even it if doesn't agree with yours...

 

[LoneViper]

M8 apparently has the right idea just say thr h.ll with everything, every man for him self. There is strength in numbers my friend and the environmentalists have alot of them and they love your style.

On the board of the Great Falls Snowmobile Club and the Kings Hill Grooming Association.

 

[beamslayer]

Well since we are talking about club affiliation our club is putting on a ride on Jan 15th it will consist of 60 miles of some beautiful back country. Your choice trail ride or cross country ride lots of playing along the way.There will be five check stations and bomb fire and food at the end and usually a mid way food stop and fire.
M8 come along we will give you gps readings to all the check points that way you will not have to touch a trail I would suggest a chain saw winch tho.
Please bring your clubs news letter so we can exchange ride dates we are always looking for new riding areas and new people to ride with.
Thanks BS