The X Games are an annual action sports event organized, produced and broadcast by ESPN. Coverage is also shown on ESPN's sister network, ABC. The inaugural X Games were held during the summer of 1995 in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island, United States. Participants compete to win bronze, silver, and gold medals, as well as prize money.
A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not require a road or trail, but most are driven on open terrain or trails. Snowmobiling is a sport that many people have taken on as a serious hobby.
A personal watercraft (PWC), also called water scooter or jet ski, is a recreational watercraft that a rider sits or stands on, not within, as in a boat. PWCs have two style categories, first and most popular being a runabout or "sit down" where the rider uses the watercraft mainly sitting down, and the watercraft typically holds two or more people. The second style is a "stand-up", where the rider uses the watercraft standing up. The stand-up styles are built for one rider and are used more for doing tricks, racing, and use in competitions. Both styles have an inboard engine driving a pump-jet that has a screw-shaped impeller to create thrust for propulsion and steering. Most are designed for two or three people, though four-passenger models exist. Many of today's models are built for more extended use and have the fuel capacity to make long cruises, in some cases even beyond 100 miles (161 km).
Polaris Inc. is an American automotive manufacturer of RZR, motorcycles, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and neighborhood electric vehicles headquartered in Medina, Minnesota, United States. Polaris was founded in Roseau, Minnesota, where it still has engineering and manufacturing facilities. The company's corporate headquarters is in Medina, Minnesota. The company manufactured motorcycles through its Victory Motorcycles subsidiary until January 2017, and currently produces motorcycles through the Indian Motorcycle subsidiary, which it purchased in April 2011. Polaris produced personal watercraft from 1994–2004. The company was originally named Polaris Industries Inc. and was renamed in 2019 to Polaris Inc.
Joseph-Armand Bombardier was a Canadian inventor and businessman who was the founder of Bombardier. His most famous invention was the snowmobile.
BRP Inc. is the holding company for Bombardier Recreational Products Inc., operating as BRP, a Canadian manufacturer of snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, side by sides, motorcycles, and personal watercraft. It was founded in 2003, when the Recreational Products Division of Bombardier Inc. was spun-off and sold to a group of investors consisting of Bain Capital, the Bombardier-Beaudoin family and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Bombardier Inc., was founded in 1942 as L'Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée by Joseph-Armand Bombardier at Valcourt in the Eastern Townships, Quebec.
Ice racing is a form of racing that uses cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, or other motorized vehicles. Ice racing takes place on frozen lakes or rivers, or on groomed frozen lots. As cold weather is a requirement for natural ice, it is usually found at higher latitudes in Canada, the northern United States, and in northern Europe, although limited indoor events are held in warmer climates, typically on ice hockey rinks. Tracks in North America vary from 1/4 mile to several mile-long circuits.
Skijoring is a winter sport in which a person on skis is pulled by a horse, a dog, another animal, or a motor vehicle. The name is derived from the Norwegian word skikjøring, meaning "ski driving". Although skijoring is said to have originated as a mode of winter travel, it is currently primarily a competitive sport.
Aktiv Grizzly is dual-track snowmobile manufactured by Aktiv Maskin Östersund AB in Sweden. The snowmobile is equipped with dual 38 x 384 cm tracks and single front ski. Also dual front skis has been available for XP. Tracks cover area almost 1 m2, making it well suited for deep-snow operations. The Grizzly is powered by a 497 ccm Rotax 503 Scandinavia, producing 38 HP (28 kW) at 5700 RPM. The carb is a VM 32, supplied by Mikuni. Earlier Grizzly have 1+N+1 gearbox and last model (XP) (1989–1991) have 1+N+2 gearbox. The Grizzly was produced from 1979 to 1991. It is still recognized one of the best dual track snowmobile in the world. Both Bombardiers Ski-Doo Alpine, Ski-Doo Alpine 2 and Ockelbo 8000 are similar dual-track snowmobiles. In the mid 80's, the Grizzly switched from the traditional wheelbased bogie to a flexible joint-bogie, which made the ride smoother and the passability much better.
Blair Morgan is a multi-time CMRC Canadian National championship-winning motocross racer who was racing for Ski-Doo Racing. He is also a multi-time World Snocross snowmobile champion and a 5-time X-Games gold medalist. He has made several comebacks from devastating injuries and is credited with pioneering the modern snocross riding style.
Yvon Duhamel was a French Canadian professional motorcycle and snowmobile racer. A six-time winner of the White Trophy, the highest award in Canadian motorcycle racing, he was one of the most accomplished motorcycle racers in Canadian motorsports history. Duhamel was a versatile rider competing in numerous motorcycle racing disciplines including; trials, motocross, ice racing, drag racing, flat track racing and most prominently in road racing as a member of the Kawasaki factory racing team. His motorcycle racing career spanned the transition from the 60 horsepower four-stroke motorcycles of the 1960s, to the 100 horsepower two-stroke motorcycles of the 1970s. Even when Duhamel's motorcycle had a top speed advantage, he never slowed to conserve his machine, which led to spectacular crashes or mechanical failures as often as it led to race victories. Duhamel's reputation as a tenacious competitor with an aggressive riding style earned him the respect of other racers and made him popular with racing fans.
The World Championship Snowmobile Derby is the World championship snowmobile race. It is held at the World Championship Derby Complex, formerly known as the Eagle River Derby Track, along U.S. Route 45 in Eagle River, Wisconsin on the third weekend in January. Eagle River is known as the "Snowmobile Capital of the World" because it hosts the Derby. Eagle River is located in the same county as Sayner, Wisconsin, the place that Carl Eliason invented one of the first modern snowmobiles.
Snow River Mountain Resort is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Wakefield Township, Gogebic County. Indianhead Mountain is in an area called "Big Snow Country", so named because of the annual 200-inch (5.1 m) average snowfall, courtesy of the lake effect from Lake Superior. It consists of the Jackson Creek Summit, formerly Indianhead Mountain, and Black River Basin, formerly known as Blackjack.
Winter X Games XII were held from January 24 to January 27, 2008 in Aspen, Colorado. They were the 7th consecutive Winter X Games to be held in Aspen. Television coverage of Winter X Games XII was broadcast on ESPN and ABC, primarily hosted by Sal Masekela and Todd Harris. Final attendance for the four-day event was 72,500.
The International 500 Snowmobile Race, commonly known in Michigan as "the I-500", takes place annually in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. It is known across the country, and is also known to be the largest, longest single-day snowmobile race in the world.
The USCC Racing Association (USCC) is a group and sponsor for cross country snowmobile racing in the United States. Its races primarily take place in the midwest: Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Michigan. The USCC was founded in 2002 by former ISOC professional snowmobile racer Pat Mach. The USCC currently hosts the famed International 500 which is by far the most publicized cross-country snowmobile race in the circuit and the lower 48 states of the United States.
X Games Snocross is a snocross racing video game from ESPN and 2XL Games that was released on January 18, 2010, for iOS. It was the first game demoed on the Apple iPad on stage January 27, 2010 by Scott Forstall.
Tim Bender is an American former snowmobile and NASCAR Busch Series race car driver from Colden, New York. He raced snowmobiles in the 1970s to 1990s and was inducted in the Snowmobile Hall of Fame. He had spot starts in the Busch Series from 1990 to 1996. He joined the tour full-time in 1997 before suffering a career-ending injury after the eighth race.
Winter X Games XXI were held from January 26 to January 29, 2017, in Aspen, Colorado. Thomas Wilson won his 16th consecutive Winter X Games held in Aspen. The events were broadcast on ESPN.
Sled Storm is a snowmobile racing video game published and developed by Electronic Arts. It gained critical acclaim due to its original concept of being one of the first snowmobile racing titles.
