Kids’ racing opportunities expands as technology improves

Kids in the sport

Today’s young riders are tomorrow’s Iron Dog champions

COURTESY ANDY SWENSON Intermediate 200cc racers line up for Fairbanks Snowmobile Fun Lion’s Club races in Fairbanks. Club support of youth racing, and advancement in sled technology, is helping to develop tomorrow’s future Iron Dog racers.

Most parents will agree that they want their kids outside being active, not staring at a TV or computer screen. But “outside” can get boring – until you introduce a snowmachine into their winter recreation. There is nothing boring about it, and with the evolution of the snowmachine in recent years, some might say a kind of training ground for Iron Dog.

Snowmachine clubs across the state see snowmachine evolution as a way to introduce children to the sport of cross-country snowmachining at an early age. Not only does it keep kids active, but perhaps most important it also teaches them how to ride safely and responsibly from a young age. Early riding experience also can help usher in the next generation of riders, and maybe even racers. Who knows which of today’s 10-year-old riders are 2032’s Pro Class racers? Their love of the sport is being solidified now.

“The production of the ZR/Snoscoot 200cc machines have made cross-country racing possible for kids between ages of 5 and 12,” said Tim Gossett, race organizer for Alaska Cross Country Racing, whose mission is to develop Iron Dog’s future racer pool. “Now kids have the ability to level up from a chain-driven 120 to a belt-driven 200cc sled that fits their body size and youth frames.”

Gossett is part of a group of lifelong Alaskans who have been brainstorming ways in which they can grow the sport of snowmachining among youth. Traditionally, snocross track racing has been the most common form of youth racing options available, but in Alaska, where it’s all about the wilderness, ACCR felt cross country racing needed to be better represented.

“Many Alaskan families with talented riders will talk about having to choose between time in the backcountry as a family learning life lessons and survival skills, or standing around racetracks talking strategy and analyzing racers,” Gossett said. “We started wondering how to incorporate both into our winter lives while simultaneously reshaping what ‘could be’ for youth racing in Alaska.”

That is how one of Alaska’s newest – and most successful youth races – the Scary Tree 50 – came to be. The first race was held in 2021 and attracted 32 racers. This year’s race will be held March 12, and ACCR is offering three other youth cross country racing opportunities on its calendar as well.

In mini-Iron Dog Pro Class fashion, the Scary Tree 50 was a team race – only the pint-sized competitors were 6 to 12 years old, riding 200cc snowmachines. They rode in teams of two, accompanied by an adult escort. The 16 youth teams started on Big Lake and traveled 25 miles to “Scary Tree,” an infamous

Industry grows to meet youth demand

Kids snowmachining is gaining in popularity as more families embrace the “Families that ride together stay together” mentality. And industry growth is following.

“In a general sense we’ve been steadily increasing the amount of youth gear we build in accordance with how the market is growing,” said Lukas Eddy, communications manager at Klim. “Every year we continue rolling out more and more youth-sized products to give people options for what to get. We’re definitely excited to see parents get their kids out on sleds and enjoying the sport, it’s great to see that getting passed on to the next generation.”

Josh Estes, district manager of Yamaha Motor Corp., is seeing similar interest in the sport and positive signs that there is growth. Sales of Yamaha’s 200cc and 120cc almost doubled between 2018 and 2020, and industrywide 550cc and 400cc models, which are often sold to youth and new riders, are showing “extreme levels of growth,” he said. While the snowmachine industry has struggled amid the COVID pandemic the last two years, he said, these types of figures help keep the outlook rosy.

“When you lump in mid bore 400cc step up type models and you pull data from pre-COVID, I can tell you all four brands have doubled in volume in the last eight years in Alaska,” he added.

Eddy, with Klim, said that while the gear may be smaller in size, it’s still mighty in performance.

“We don’t ‘dumb down’ the kids gear in relation to our adult gear,” he said. “We use the same materials and construction processes for everything, so when parents buy their kids some KLIM gear, they know the kids are getting the same experience.”

IRON DOG FILE Young racers take part in the Iron Pup Race during the 2016 Iron Dog start in Anchorage. Kids’ racing opportunities are expanding as interest in the sport grows and technology advances to include more kid-sized gear.

landmark at the confluence of the Yentna and Big-Su rivers along the Iron Dog trail.

“Riders took a short layover before making the 25-mile return trip to Big Lake,” Gossett said. He said the kids encountered many of the same challenges Iron Dog racers navigate: fast river running, environmental obstacles, differing terrain, negative temperatures, a partnership dynamic and race strategy.

“The adult escorts included two freestyle riders Jed Walker and Zac Aragon, and 10 Iron Dog racers such as former Iron Dog champions Tyler Akelstad and Todd Minnick,” he said. “It’s important to note: Our success rested firmly on the shoulders of our tireless volunteers, and our appreciation for their efforts is never-ending and we will be forever in their debt.”

Across the state, clubs are embracing a more kid-centric atmosphere. Andy Swenson of the Fairbanks Snowmobile Fun Lions Club credits the introduction of the 200cc youth sleds in 2017 with the growth of the “between-the-ages” sled options that existed previously.

“Prior to that all four major manufactures had … 120cc’s, which like anything kid-related they grow out of quite quickly,” he said. “We would usually have 120 racers around for about three seasons before they outgrew the smaller machines. Then being too small for the larger junior class 500 and 600 snowmobiles, there was no option for them to continue racing. If we were lucky, they would return four years later and compete in the junior class.”

Now the Fairbanks club can offer racing options for those ages 4 to 17, keeping kids engaged throughout their childhood.

“We feel kids racing is the future of our sport, and we have lots of talent in all classes,” Swenson said. “It is very easy to see when you get to the junior level who has come up through the ranks, as they are now on full-size 600s at 14 years old and looking at moving on to backcountry and or cross-country riding and racing.”

Youth Racing schedule

Alaska Cross Country Racing

These races are open to youth 6 to 17 years old. Go to @alaskacrosscountryracing on Instagram, and alaskacrosscountryracing on Facebook for more information.

Feb. 5: ACCR 30, 30-mile singles race

Feb. 26: Iron Dog Invitational, for select standouts, at the Iron Dog finish.

March 12: Scary Tree 50, teams race

Aprril 2: Iron Pup, 70-mile teams race

Fairbanks Snowmobile Fun Lions

These points races are open to all youth. More information can be found by requesting to join the Fairbanks Snowmobile Fun Lions Club Facebook Group Page, or call 907-978-8032.

Points Race No. 4: Feb. 6

Points Race No. 5: Feb. 12 Night race Points Race No. 6: Feb. 27 Points Race No. 7: March 6 Make-up/Fun Day: March 13