Tough Sledding

The Associated Press reports on hard times for the snowmobile business, noting that, "Warmer weather and thin snowfalls since the late 1990s have melted sales at Polaris Industries Inc. and Arctic Cat Inc., the only two U.S. snowmobile makers." According to the story: "Worldwide snowmobile sales peaked at 260,000 sleds in 1997, but are expected at around 160,000 this year." At Polaris, sales dropped from $373 million in 2001 to $157 million last year, while, sadly, Arctic Cat announced plans earlier in the month to lay off 65 employees. That 'sadly' may sound insincere, but it's not. It's no secret that the Sierra Club has fought for limits on snowmobiles in Yellowstone and other wilderness areas, but no one likes to hear about jobs being lost. As the story makes clear, lack of snow, not access, is the real culprit in the sales slump. As such, it would appear that enviros and 'bilers now have a common enemy; namely, global warming.