Is our sport dying? Why we need PR and why we need it now!

Modman

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The last few years have not been kind to sledders. We are caught in pressure traps from regulators wanting to close riding areas, environmentalists who say that our sport is dirty, and other backcountry user groups who call our sport "dangerous", not to mention those individuals who do not belong to any of these groups but who hate our sport just because they've never tried it. Public policy is swayed by public opinion. Public opinion is swayed by media.

The last few years have seen declines in sleds sales, and overall, sled sales have been in a general decline since about the mid-90's. Whether or not we like it, our sport is in danger. Some people are hoping for the complete collapse, and we need to stand up to them.

Media take stabs at us all the time, apart from the very rare good news story, we only seem to garner the bad press. They report what they have, and if we only give them positive PR, they'll have a hard time reporting on the negative. I personally have invited reporters out to come sledding and see what sledding is actually all about, I've always recieved a decline to the invite..... These are the same reporters who slammed us in news articles days before. Funny that they can write such an article with bias and never have even participated in the sport they supposedly know so much about.

I'm starting this thread to generate some ideas and discussion on what we can do as a user group to change our image. This needs to come from us, internally, no one else is going to do it for us. Up until now the majority seem to have buried their heads in the sand, and kept the attitude that if we don't say something, it will all blow over and everything will be fine. That's a chickensh!t attitude and it needs to stop. If you want to have an area to ride in 15 yrs, you better start fighting for them now, otherwise by the time you wake up and smell the coffee, they will be long gone.

There are those that are fighting to keep areas open, but they cannot do it alone or without financial support. Sledders spend thousands annually on toys/fuel/trips/ etc, and we can't contribute $100 a year to an organization that will ensure the future of our sport?

There are already 2 governing bodies in the west that are fighting for riding areas, however there is no cohesive voice that responds to media attacks. These organizations have struggled to do this on their own it seems, due to lack of structure, formal training, lack of manpower, whatever etc. I am in no way condemning any of the work they have done. Sledders as a group, need to help them out to accomplish this. They also need to work together to provide the unified voice.

This is more what I'm referencing when I say PR - an actual person that stands up on the evening news and says all the good things that snowmobilers do, not just a press release onto a website that can be ignored by the mainstream media. A voice and a face staring at the camera is a much stronger presence.

To achieve this, IMO several things are needed:

1) Funding - This can come in multiple forms, however I do think there is a need for a user pay system. People might not want to hear it, but there it is. $15,000 for a new sled? I think you can spare $100/year, because after all, what good is a new sled without anywhere to ride it? I cannot speculate on what it costs, I think that as sledders we could do much of the leg work (discussed later) and just feed that information to someone trained to talk to the camera. Grants etc are available as well I'm sure.

2) Spokesperson - Obviously we need someone to actually BE a spokesperson. This person could be hired from an external firm and obviously needs PR/media relations training. This person should not be an industry "insider" (i.e. someone from one of the big 4 manufacturers or an aftermarket company) as the optics just look like they would be trying to sway public opinion to reduce financial loss (or increase it). IMO, this spokesperson should not be affiliated with either the BCSF or ABSnow. Facts and figures (I'm sure a lot have already been collected over the years) from both these organizations or generated from sledders, could be funnelled to the PR firm, instead of 2 smaller voices, we'd have one unified voice.

3) Facts - This is the "leg work" that is discussed above. We need something tangible to discuss and support our argument that its not as bad the "Negative Nancy's" of the world will have "joe public" believe. The manufacturers have increased the fuel mileage and lowered the emissions, its not as dirty as it was in the late 1960's. We need to conduct polls to determine how many hrs the average sledder rides a year, multiply that by the # of sledders on the hills on any given weekend and demonstrate that comparatively by the exposure hours, sleddings is a safe sport. While I'm sure that everyone is aware....obviously like anything, sledding as a recreation, is not without it's risks.

That exposure to risk is where sledders can generate the facts to save our sport. How many sledders go out on a given weekend and ride, without incident? Just like highway stats, the more hours of exposure to any given set of hazards, the higher the likelihood of an incident. Without hard data and facts to present - the fight is useless. There will always be tragedies because the exposure to risk is greater, especially in the mountains, and there isn't one of us who wants to see any sledder die in the mountains.

4) Support - This is going to be needed from the manufacturers, aftermarket, local businesses and establishments that sledders support. We as a group, contribute huge amounts of $$$ to these individuals and organizations, and it's time they starting supporting us, in reciprocation. That support does not have to be financial, although the majority of it probably can/will be, it can simply be the restaurant waitress that overhears comments by patrons and makes a comment that "not all sledders are loud mouth jerks", even if a table of loud mouth jerk sledders just left the restaurant, because she does know that we are not all like that and that we leave big tips The manufacturers spend tons of $$$ driving around on demo tours, hocking new sleds, how much more would a donation to a local charity and quick mention to the radio station cost them while they are in town? It would advertise their cause and support the sledders that support them.

The aftermarket guys selling safety gear (like SOS, BCA, etc) have sales figures from 10 yrs ago compared to now, and could lend us support by releasing thost and demonstrating that while the # of sled sales has decreased, safety gear purchases have increased, contributing to the facts that we, as a group, are heightening our awareness of safety.

There are 100's of ways that we could be supported by these people, we need to let them know and get them involved. The more they realize they are part of the team and the success or failure of the sport, the more they will realize just how much they have at stake if we don't succeed. Camoplast is not going to be selling a whole lot of tracks if our sport fails.....

5) Internally - I've said it before and it needs to be said again - we as sledders need to respect others and they will respect us. Keep up with the trucker mouths in family restaurants, disrespect in the hotels, etc and these individuals will choose to specifically not support us, and without that support, we are going it alone. You ever tried to roll a rock uphill? Trying to get good PR is going to be twice as tough unless sledders clean up their act a little. Having a PR person say good things is totally negated when the local newspaper editor writes an editorial article condemning sledding.

This is an idea that I have had in the preliminary stages for a long time. It's time to act on it now. There are many ways we can make this happen, and I know that we have dealers and manufacturers reps on this site who can help us. I know they are watching. Feel free to add thoughts and comments or PM me, but if there are any negative posts then they'll just be reported and asked to be deleted by the Mods. We don't need another "My sled is better than your sled" thread. If we spent as much time fighting for our sport as we do arguing about who's got the most HP, we'd be riding on the moon by now. If you know where some of the these facts discussed above are kept or have been generated already (so we are not re-inventing the wheel), please link them, if you know someone or if you work at a PR firm, please let me know, this is designed be the start of many good ideas. Keeping sledding alive is the point of discussion here, any thoughts outside that can be kept to yourself. I realize the "plan" is not perfect, but we need start somewhere. Pointing out loopholes in the "plan" is only a reactive measure, not a proactive solution.

You can show your support by positively contributing to this thread, which will hopefully improve sledding and the education of others. We'll see where it goes and how much sledders really want to save their sport.
 
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~Rowdy~

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I'd be happy to help doing anything I can. I know a few people in the PR industry who have ZERO ties to the sport. Would be willing to help organize fundraisers and contact media to bring them on an open media day into the sledding world. Perhaps have a "Media" day out on the hills where sledders volunteer time to show media around. Maybe even have a project that takes a media personel around for a year creating a documentary sort of program and running it for an hour over a show like 16:9 or something.

Anything I can do, let me know. I'm new to this sport, love it and the last thing I want is to see the media kill it.

~Krista~
 

~Rowdy~

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1-877-835-5169, 16:9 phone number. LM for story idea. Will keep trying. The more people that call in this idea, the better chance we'll have of them choosing it. CALL!
tips@global16x9.com email address
 

maxwell

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i say create a single snowmobile aliance with certain reccomendations...code of ethics type deal that everyone pays into.canada and US. wouldnt be a large amount but enough to say we follow these rules as best we can and to pay the PR person and maybe setup a website.

the problem is avalanches and other media grabbers will still happen within an aliance and how the PR deals with it will need to be discussed.
 

~Rowdy~

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I was just given a VERY good idea.

We should look at mass compiling a YouTube Chanel dedicated to showing the good of snowmobiling and the sport. Showcasing all the good we do and FILMING it all. such as:

-gear checks in the morning (beacon probe shovel, first aid kit etc)
-checking weather channels, avalanche reports, calling locals, browsing forums to find out conditions and things of that nature
-us doing a walk around of our machines making sure it's not leaking oil, gas, or other liquids
-when there's an avalanche, showing the messagesm, phone calls and other signs of concerns from people asking and making sure that you are ok. I know myself, I got an immense amount of calls and messages in all forms after Big Iron to make sure I was ok, even from people just on these sites. This will show the sense of community
- show that if your riding up the trail and someones stopped how most people will slow down and make sure that person is ok and doesn't need our help
- showing groups riding on high avalanche days and discussing prior to heading out why they made the choice to still go out riding, why they selected the area that they did and the caution they use while out riding. Sticking to trees and lakes as opposed to hitting that fresh pow on the awesome hill off in the distance.
- and show when a death or injury does occuer, the overwhelming support, condolences and hurt in general accross the sport. Film the page after page on the forum of people wishing the family the best as well as the discussion amongst our groups regarding it

If we showcase and highlight these POSITIVES of the sport, show the sense of community, the pride, the dedication and that we aren't just some hillbillies riding up, shooting guns, and drinking beer in a wreckless nature, THIS could be a turn around point.

One person or a "group" of people of course would have to be at the receiving end of the footage to do the editing and posting. But I feel that this would get some very positive attention and people would be able to SEE the time, attention and care that is put into a sled trip.

Just an idea. I will try to film an example of what I mean this weekend. :D
 

maxwell

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renshaw horse rescue was the best thing for the sledding community....but those type of things dont come along all the time and we certainly hope they dont. its those type of things that need to be brought to light aswell.
 

my mod

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I know this will not be a simple task. With 50 people you will have 50 different idea's
I think you are right, but we already have the basic structure in place.
Some possibilities are:
1) an additional minor fee added to memberships and collectively we all pay to promote our sport in a professsional manor by each provincial governing body employe a proper media,lawyer type spokesperson
2) again, a minor fee added to trail passes so each club can defend the actions of sledders by employing this same type person. This would make each area have the local spokesperson available on the spot to defend/support every area for any event

I know that most will grumble as soon as they see "additional fee" but that is reality. We can not accomplish this without a cost associated with it but if we do nothing, all the money we have invested in sleds and equipment will be worthless and we will be driving/following each other around in designated area's and trails like go carts
 

NosRX1

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great topic Modman, I agree 100% in the need for something like this to take place. There are different ways on which this can happen, there are over 26000 users on this site ranging from all walks of life. This representative like you say needs to know the sport and be a person that know what this sport brings to local communities, other then the few that openly use the trucker mouths in family restaurants, and other public areas. Something like this could start from this site alone, and over time the business involved in the sport would see that it would be worth while contributing to this cause. The snowmobile clubs would need to direct any media to this one focal point to be the voice to the cameras and the papers.
When a mishap takes place there needs to me a support system in place where this guy/firm get the info needed quickly to make an educated response to any media attention.
Would I throw a 100 down on this absolutely.
 
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BrownEyes420

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I was just given a VERY good idea.

We should look at mass compiling a YouTube Chanel dedicated to showing the good of snowmobiling and the sport. Showcasing all the good we do and FILMING it all. such as:

-gear checks in the morning (beacon probe shovel, first aid kit etc)
-checking weather channels, avalanche reports, calling locals, browsing forums to find out conditions and things of that nature
-us doing a walk around of our machines making sure it's not leaking oil, gas, or other liquids
-when there's an avalanche, showing the messagesm, phone calls and other signs of concerns from people asking and making sure that you are ok. I know myself, I got an immense amount of calls and messages in all forms after Big Iron to make sure I was ok, even from people just on these sites. This will show the sense of community
- show that if your riding up the trail and someones stopped how most people will slow down and make sure that person is ok and doesn't need our help
- showing groups riding on high avalanche days and discussing prior to heading out why they made the choice to still go out riding, why they selected the area that they did and the caution they use while out riding. Sticking to trees and lakes as opposed to hitting that fresh pow on the awesome hill off in the distance.
- and show when a death or injury does occuer, the overwhelming support, condolences and hurt in general accross the sport. Film the page after page on the forum of people wishing the family the best as well as the discussion amongst our groups regarding it

If we showcase and highlight these POSITIVES of the sport, show the sense of community, the pride, the dedication and that we aren't just some hillbillies riding up, shooting guns, and drinking beer in a wreckless nature, THIS could be a turn around point.

One person or a "group" of people of course would have to be at the receiving end of the footage to do the editing and posting. But I feel that this would get some very positive attention and people would be able to SEE the time, attention and care that is put into a sled trip.

Just an idea. I will try to film an example of what I mean this weekend. :D

If you need any help this weekend with that let me know. This sport in just like any other, there are risks and some we have control over, some we don't, just saying...
 

~Rowdy~

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If you need any help this weekend with that let me know. This sport in just like any other, there are risks and some we have control over, some we don't, just saying...

Let's chat this weekend and maybe film a mock up of what I'm talking about. I'll PM you my phone number
 

snoqueen

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Awesome, awesome post, Modman. That was very well written, and touched on so many issues that we as sledders are facing right now.

We really do need someone to be our voice, to fight for us when we are being slammed by the media. I agree that there should be some sort of fee attached when we buy our memberships.....that go directly to this cause.

Maybe the manufacturers could put a portion of their sales into a type of "defense fund." After all, if we lose our riding areas, the big 4 will lose millions in sales as well!!

Anyway, nice to get a thread like this started.....we need to collectively agree that support for our local club in the form of buying memberships is only a small step. There is so much more that needs to be done.

What really makes me see red is that some people still don't get it when it comes time to buying their $100 memberships.....nothing in life is free, so why should some sledders think they should belong to the "ride for free club"??
 

bhowes

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The last few years have not been kind to sledders. We are caught in pressure traps from regulators wanting to close riding areas, environmentalists who say that our sport is dirty, and other backcountry user groups who call our sport "dangerous", not to mention those individuals who do not belong to any of these groups but who hate our sport just because they've never tried it. Public policy is swayed by public opinion. Public opinion is swayed by media.

The last few years have seen declines in sleds sales, and overall, sled sales have been in a general decline since about the mid-90's. Whether or not we like it, our sport is in danger. Some people are hoping for the complete collapse, and we need to stand up to them.

Media take stabs at us all the time, apart from the very rare good news story, we only seem to garner the bad press. They report what they have, and if we only give them positive PR, they'll have a hard time reporting on the negative. I personally have invited reporters out to come sledding and see what sledding is actually all about, I've always recieved a decline to the invite..... These are the same reporters who slammed us in news articles days before. Funny that they can write such an article with bias and never have even participated in the sport they supposedly know so much about.

I'm starting this thread to generate some ideas and discussion on what we can do as a user group to change our image. This needs to come from us, internally, no one else is going to do it for us. Up until now the majority seem to have buried their heads in the sand, and kept the attitude that if we don't say something, it will all blow over and everything will be fine. That's a chickensh!t attitude and it needs to stop. If you want to have an area to ride in 15 yrs, you better start fighting for them now, otherwise by the time you wake up and smell the coffee, they will be long gone.

There are those that are fighting to keep areas open, but they cannot do it alone or without financial support. Sledders spend thousands annually on toys/fuel/trips/ etc, and we can't contribute $100 a year to an organization that will ensure the future of our sport?

There are already 2 governing bodies in the west that are fighting for riding areas, however there is no cohesive voice that responds to media attacks. These organizations have struggled to do this on their own it seems, due to lack of structure, formal training, lack of manpower, whatever etc. I am in no way condemning any of the work they have done. Sledders as a group, need to help them out to accomplish this. They also need to work together to provide the unified voice.

This is more what I'm referencing when I say PR - an actual person that stands up on the evening news and says all the good things that snowmobilers do, not just a press release onto a website that can be ignored by the mainstream media. A voice and a face staring at the camera is a much stronger presence.

To achieve this, IMO several things are needed:

1) Funding - This can come in multiple forms, however I do think there is a need for a user pay system. People might not want to hear it, but there it is. $15,000 for a new sled? I think you can spare $100/year, because after all, what good is a new sled without anywhere to ride it? I cannot speculate on what it costs, I think that as sledders we could do much of the leg work (discussed later) and just feed that information to someone trained to talk to the camera. Grants etc are available as well I'm sure.

2) Spokesperson - Obviously we need someone to actually BE a spokesperson. This person could be hired from an external firm and obviously needs PR/media relations training. This person should not be an industry "insider" (i.e. someone from one of the big 4 manufacturers or an aftermarket company) as the optics just look like they would be trying to sway public opinion to reduce financial loss (or increase it). IMO, this spokesperson should not be affiliated with either the BCSF or ABSnow. Facts and figures (I'm sure a lot have already been collected over the years) from both these organizations or generated from sledders, could be funnelled to the PR firm, instead of 2 smaller voices, we'd have one unified voice.

3) Facts - This is the "leg work" that is discussed above. We need something tangible to discuss and support our argument that its not as bad the "Negative Nancy's" of the world will have "joe public" believe. The manufacturers have increased the fuel mileage and lowered the emissions, its not as dirty as it was in the late 1960's. We need to conduct polls to determine how many hrs the average sledder rides a year, multiply that by the # of sledders on the hills on any given weekend and demonstrate that comparatively by the exposure hours, sleddings is a safe sport. While I'm sure that everyone is aware....obviously like anything, sledding as a recreation, is not without it's risks.

That exposure to risk is where sledders can generate the facts to save our sport. How many sledders go out on a given weekend and ride, without incident? Just like highway stats, the more hours of exposure to any given set of hazards, the higher the likelihood of an incident. Without hard data and facts to present - the fight is useless. There will always be tragedies because the exposure to risk is greater, especially in the mountains, and there isn't one of us who wants to see any sledder die in the mountains.

4) Support - This is going to be needed from the manufacturers, aftermarket, local businesses and establishments that sledders support. We as a group, contribute huge amounts of $$$ to these individuals and organizations, and it's time they starting supporting us, in reciprocation. That support does not have to be financial, although the majority of it probably can/will be, it can simply be the restaurant waitress that overhears comments by patrons and makes a comment that "not all sledders are loud mouth jerks", even if a table of loud mouth jerk sledders just left the restaurant, because she does know that we are not all like that and that we leave big tips The manufacturers spend tons of $$$ driving around on demo tours, hocking new sleds, how much more would a donation to a local charity and quick mention to the radio station cost them while they are in town? It would advertise their cause and support the sledders that support them.

The aftermarket guys selling safety gear (like SOS, BCA, etc) have sales figures from 10 yrs ago compared to now, and could lend us support by releasing thost and demonstrating that while the # of sled sales has decreased, safety gear purchases have increased, contributing to the facts that we, as a group, are heightening our awareness of safety.

There are 100's of ways that we could be supported by these people, we need to let them know and get them involved. The more they realize they are part of the team and the success or failure of the sport, the more they will realize just how much they have at stake if we don't succeed. Camoplast is not going to be selling a whole lot of tracks if our sport fails.....

5) Internally - I've said it before and it needs to be said again - we as sledders need to respect others and they will respect us. Keep up with the trucker mouths in family restaurants, disrespect in the hotels, etc and these individuals will choose to specifically not support us, and without that support, we are going it alone. You ever tried to roll a rock uphill? Trying to get good PR is going to be twice as tough unless sledders clean up their act a little. Having a PR person say good things is totally negated when the local newspaper editor writes an editorial article condemning sledding.

This is an idea that I have had in the preliminary stages for a long time. It's time to act on it now. There are many ways we can make this happen, and I know that we have dealers and manufacturers reps on this site who can help us. I know they are watching. Feel free to add thoughts and comments or PM me, but if there are any negative posts then they'll just be reported and asked to be deleted by the Mods. We don't need another "My sled is better than your sled" thread. If we spent as much time fighting for our sport as we do arguing about who's got the most HP, we'd be riding on the moon by now. If you know where some of the these facts discussed above are kept or have been generated already (so we are not re-inventing the wheel), please link them, if you know someone or if you work at a PR firm, please let me know, this is designed be the start of many good ideas. Keeping sledding alive is the point of discussion here, any thoughts outside that can be kept to yourself. I realize the "plan" is not perfect, but we need start somewhere. Pointing out loopholes in the "plan" is only a reactive measure, not a proactive solution.

You can show your support by positively contributing to this thread, which will hopefully improve sledding and the education of others. We'll see where it goes and how much sledders really want to save their sport.


Wow Bart i am impressed but this would be a monumental undertaking i have more time to pound keys these days than do much of anything else so i would be in any capicity required:beer:
 

my mod

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great topic Modman, I agree 100% in the need for something like this to take place. There are different ways on which the can happen, there are over 26000 users on this site ranging from all walks of life. This representative like you say needs to know the sport and be a person that know what this sport brings to local communities, other then the few that openly use the trucker mouths in family restaurants, and other public areas. Something like this could start from this site alone, and over time the business involved in the sport would see that it would be worth while contributing to this cause. The snowmobile clubs would need to direct any media to this one focal point to be the voice to the cameras and the papers.
When a mishap takes place there needs to me a support system in place where this guy/firm get the info needed quickly to make an educated response to any media attention.
Would I throw a 100 down on this absolutely.

This is good, and I agree, but the media will head straight to any tragic event and want reactions from people right there (and they will get it) The media will not go to such an event, then travel somewhers else ( another town or province) to get the reaction from a spokesperson. I think this will take the effort of several local professional spokespeople. Starting at this site would be a good beginning, but the cost must be shared with all snowmobilers and this can only be done at the trail heads or individual clubs. If every snowmobiler had to pay an additional fee the money generated would be HUGE and any extra money could be donated back to the Canadian Avalanche Center as they need more funding as well.
How many sledders actualy donate to the CAC. I bet this percentage is very low but we all use it
 

007sevens

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The Hells Angels had some of the same problems and in most instances they should have, after all they were drug dealers and murders. They also believed in the right to ride as we do. They managed to do some good such as toy runs and others I can't think about.

I also believe that you can't argue the right for freedom if you don't respect the freedom you have, stop giving the media a reason to talk. Don't litter, get Avy Training, stop drinking and riding, don't act like douche bags in town, ETC, ETC. Yes I know we don't all fit that Bill but some do.

Yes Maxwell your are right the Renshaw Horse Rescue was good for sledders, but we don't have to wait for these kind of things to roll along. We too can have toy runs, or get a bunch of sledders together and do something at the childrens Hospital, or whatever else may come to mind. The biggest thing is that we have to put ourselves in the light when we do good.
 

Summiteer

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Our club has held "VIP-Media" rides for the past three years. The first one,
Gord Steinke showed up and featured the event on a segment of My Town or Our Town, whatever it's called.
We also have all the local media and town and county politicians as well as the local MPs and MLAs, SRD reps and the ASA brass. We also offer the opportunity for non riders to come out and try the sport by lending out members gear and sleds to participants. The more people exposed to the sport and it's participants, the better the understanding will be.
One thing that we, and the general public, need to realize as well is that mountain riding makes up a fairly small segment of the sport. The vast majority of sleds are sold to trail riders in the eastern States and Canada.

I don' think there needs to be any additional surcharge added to club memberships, we just need to get everyone that rides to join up, there'd be lots of money to go around.
 

Mongrol

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The pesimist in me says that things will just keep backsliding due to the "Jerks" in any motorized sport. Do 10 good things and it goes unnoticed but let one "idiot" screw up and its national news. It'll keep deteriorating cause we love to keep shooting ourselves in the foot.
 

badss

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totally agrree on most of this...shedding a positive image truly is paramount. You know its a positive thing when the Prime Minister goes on National TV giving out large sums of money for trail improvement. That speaks volumes in itself....joining and participating with local snowmobile clubs in ones area is also another great way to promote the sport. ASA (Alberta Snowmobile Association) and its many clubs and joining them ...is also another way of bringing strengh in numbers....all great idea's from everyone.
 

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I was just thinking about this the other day after reading some of the reports and posts,
We need a collective voice to counter the negative publicity and attacks on our sport with some positives. Similar in thought to how Stelmach is countering attack ads on the oilsands etc.
A designated PR rep that would speak for the ridership and actively lobby and educate the various groups trying to shut us down and also educate the public.
A lot of people don't understand anything at all about mountain riding, they think it is all just cliffs and avalanches. I have explained to many people about all the beautiful meadows, trails and tree riding areas that account for the majority of riding experiences as well as all the effort we put into being educated and prepared for what we do.
Mainly I believe that showing stats comparing our sport to other similar high risk sports ie:skiing such as revenue and tourism impact, education and skill level of ridership, injury and fatality stats etc. Would deter continued attacks on us.
To say hey this is how large of a group we are and how much we contribute and show how dedicated we are to improving all aspects of the sport in so many different ways.
Perhaps a new association should be formed (you could call it the "Western Canada Snowmobile Association" or "WCSA") or something like that. It's mandate would be to educate and inform. This would go a long way I think in generating positive results.
Start a website, elect a council and start accepting donations. Even voluntarily I think many people would start paying because a LOT of us recognise the value in it.
I'm first in line for membership, just let me know.
 

retiredpop

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As has been said countless times we need all riders to join their local club or at the very least to join their provincial snowmobile organization. Also it would be nice to get the idea out to the media somehow that this started as a family sport back in the 60's and it still is one today. I don't know how we can get the media to show footage from a poker rally or jamboree etc. that shows we are just normal people who like the outdoors but choose to ride sleds. It is not just about mountain riding and avalanches.
 
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