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sania se IT'S SKI-DOING | THEY'RE DOING By iCHRIS DENNETT Of Oshawa Times Staff It's the greatest thing since snow. It's cheap, it's fun and, above everything else, it's dif- ferent. The sport is called ski-doo- ing, and it is catching on in 'a big way all over Canada. In Quebec, where the speed- happy French Canadians started the whole craze, no home is complete without one of these snow-buzzing ma- chines. Basically the idea is very simple. One sits on a comfort- able, padded seat. Up ahead, concealed by a neat, stream- lined cowling is a 10 horse- power motor. Underneath, the whole outfit is kept moving by a continuous tank-track with deep cleats, Steering is arranged through a set of ski-runners which also incorporates a cleverly design- ed leaf spring system. Controls are no more com- plicated than a garden mower. One steers with a set. of handlebars. The throttle is on ber right and the brake on the eft. Claimed top speed is very close to the 30 mile an hour mark. Out on the slopes this feels very much like 100 miles an hour with trees, snow banks and solid looking rocks all shaving past at an incred- ible speed, TEST RUN Through the courtesy of the brothers Barrie and Bruce Davis of United Rent Alls here in the city I had a chance to test one of these machines the other day. After an afternoon of bomb- ing around the slopes of the Dagmar Ski Club I soon be- came a confirmed -- ski-doo addict. The sport is as safe as houses. The machine definite- ly won't jump off the lip of a ravine, but, on the other hand, the maker doesn't claim that it will, so it is best not to chance your arm. The mind boggles at the thought of running headlong into a massive boulder which, from a distance. looked like a smooth snow bank. But you are not going to hurt yourself too badly, what- ever you do. Let's face it, nothing much is going to hap- pen in soft snow at 25 ot so miles an hour. FAMOUS STORY There is the famous story in ski-doo circles of the French ' Canadian enthusiast who missed a corner and smashed through the plate glass win- dow of a house. He didn't get a scratch. He apologized profusely, paid for the damage, and drove his machine right out of the front door, As with all things that move at speed, if you see trouble looming, slam on the anchors. The ski-doo, I can tell you, comes to a very quick stop. It is in the hills that the ma- chine really shows its worth. The thing roars up the steep- est slopes. It's a noisy beast, being almost unsilenced, but who cares about this when you can barrel through the snow, ricocheting off trees and diving off mountain tops. The first trip down a long, sloping ski hill is a bit of an experience. All it takes, though, is a bit of nerve. LIKE MOTORCYCLE The sensation of riding a ski- doo is a bit like riding a motorcycle. The idea is to lean with the machine. This way you keep moving in the direction you intend. The real fun of the machine is the long distances it can travel. A full tank of gas will last the best part of a day or more. Just strap the girlfriend on the back (it's a two-seater), attach a spare tank of gas (just in case) and Algonquin Park here we come, I can think of no better way of spending a day than rush- ing through the countryside. The machine will go almost anywhere, And if you can't go over it, you can always go round. - In the long run ski-dooing isn't any more expensive than a weekly jaunt to the ski hills. The machine I tried cost around $800. The mechanics are simple and it is the sim- plest thing in the world to strip the engine down during the summer and do a decoke job. BIGGER MODEL If you are a little more am- bitious there is a bigger model available which wili bump the top speed to around the 50 mile an hour mark, .If you have technical lean- ings, and would like to see just how fast a ski-doo will go, there is plenty of work to be done. One gentleman in Quebec slotted an outboard motor into his ski-doo. Claimed top speed is around the 100 mile an hour mark. At this kind of speed, however, you need a jong flat bit of land and plenty of snow. To my way of thinking the small ski-doo is just right for most everything. It won't exactly turn on a dime; but with the whole of Algonquin Park to turn round in, who cares. Ski-dooing is fun, a lot of fun. So if- you feel like head- ing for the hills without the bother of working up a sweat buy one and see for yourself, FLYING THROUGH the air with the greatest of ease is Barrie Davis who dem- onstrates the versatility of the ski-doo. Driven by a small 10 horsepower motor the machine is a_ winter- time run-about. The ski-doo will turn a top speed very close to the 30-mile an hour mark. In second picture: Here brother Bruce joins Barrie to chug up a hillside. such LCA NRL AL ALAR LAS LLS RSM oe stretiittisersertenniviet renee TIME, NGED! 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