February 29, 2020
In the dead of Saskatchewan winter — that period between January and March when temperatures plummet to -40 C, making you forget what spring is like — vintage cars are tucked away under protective tarps, never to see the blinding light of snow.
Meanwhile, vintage snowmobile owners are hauling out their prized sleds for the racing season.
The Snow Leopards Vintage Family Snowmobile Club (and larger Saskatchewan Vintage Snowmobile Association) attracts dozens of racers from across the province who zip their rattlebox time machines across fields from small city (Prince Albert) to small town (Plunkett).
On a weekend in early February, racers are lined up on Gary Gibson’s land in Earl Grey. He got involved in the early days — some 25 years ago — and started offering up a section of his land for races not too long afterwards. He prides himself on “making the best track in the circuit” — not that the weather always co-operates.
Gibson rides the Junkyard Dog, which earned its name for being a hodgepodge of parts from a few sleds. It’s done him well, cinching him several titles over the years.
“Vintage” for this race means anything made in 1981 or before. Beyond that, there’s little to categorize the Crayola-bright vehicles that run in the races. They run the gamut of size and speed, from 65 km/h to 160 km/h.
The vintage snow gear many participants wear is equally bright.
The popularity and cache of vintage has turned some old snowmobiles from relatively cheap purchases to heavy hits to the wallet. Gibson said the tight-knit community in Saskatchewan makes for a good marketplace, with folks giving one another deals on sleds or offering to trade parts.
‘Community’ also extends to who’s involved: the races attract people of all ages. Gibson’s daughters started racing at age 10. The now-19-year-old is still a keen participant, following her dad to races around the province — not that she’ll dare race against him.
“I'm just here to have fun and race and make sure my girls have fun,” said Gibson.
"It's something everybody wants to do once they've done it,” said Gibson.
- From the archives: Olympic-sized snowmobile racing dreams in small-town Saskatchewan
"It's addicting — very addicting.”
