Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/437570
SNOWMOBILE Dealership, Ski-Doo, AMSOIL partner for Make-A-Wish Start with Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, which approaches thousands of kids who are battling life-threatening illnesses to make their wildest dreams come true. Add in some assists from industry com- panies, and the result was one of the coolest dealership events you're likely to find. At his Wish Granting Event at Cedar Creek Motorsports in Cedarburg, Wis., dealership staffers welcomed Collin Wilcox of Belgium, Wis., to remove the curtain from his 2015 Ski-Doo Renegade 600 Sport. Wilcox has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Make-A-Wish Wisconsin donated the snowmobile, trailer and helmet, while Cedar Creek Motorsports donated the snowmobile cover, clothing and trailer accessories. Ski-Doo donated snowmobile clothing, and AMSOIL rep Scott Swendson donated snowmobile oil. He's looking forward to bet- ter days ahead on the snowmobile trails with his family and friends aboard his new sled. "We found his cancer when he had a leg injury after Collin flipped his old snowmobile on some ice in our backyard," said Debbie Wilcox, Collin's mom. "So his thought is that the snowmobile saved his life, or we would not have found the cancer in time." "I'll always own a snowmobile," Collin said. PSB Teaming up to make a sled wish come true www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • December 29, 2014 • 29 Snowmobile Hall induction set for Feb. 7 The Snowmobile Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Germain, Wis., announced its four inductees for 2015: Bob Enns, Herb Howe, Pat Mach and Mark Zelich. Enns, of Oak Bluff, Man., was a star racer for the famed Enduro Team Deere in the 1970s and captured key victories in multiple ICCSF cross-country races during the first golden era of terrain competition. Howe, of Siren, Wis., won the inaugural Winnipeg-to-St. Paul International 500 cross-country in 1966, and later served as its race director. Mach, of Minto, N.D., was a racer- turned-organizer who founded the United States Cross-Country circuit that launched a renaissance of cross-country competi- tion beginning in mid-2000s. Mach will be inducted posthumously. Zelich, of Wausau, Wis., is a famed tele- vision personality famous for his in-depth coverage of the Eagle River World Champi- onships and other snowmobile racing events. The 2015 SHOF induction will take place Feb. 7 in St. Germain. All race and snowmobile fans are invited to the 32nd annual event. The event includes the annual Ride With the Champs, which features various modern and vintage trail riding events in the Wisconsin Northwoods that attract racing legends, SHOF inductees and fans of snowmobiling. Go to www.snowmobilehalloffame.com for more information. ANALYST: SNOWMOBILE SALES UP 20 PERCENT YEAR-OVER-YEAR In a conference call with analysts to discuss its fiscal third quarter 2015 results, BRP management noted that "North American snowmobile industry was healthy with retail up in the 20% range y/y in the season so far with Ski-Doo gaining some share," accord- ing to a research note provided to Power- sports Business by RBC Capital Markets analyst Joe Spak. Spak also reports that BRP man- agement noted that internationally, "snowmobile volumes were higher in Scandinavia but the winter/snow cover has been mild — similar to last year. However, Russia has been a worse than expected aided by currency headwind (RUB/EUR down >30% since F2Q15) leading BRP's distributor to cut orders by ~50%. This is something to look out for though we believe PII's Russian snowmo- bile business is low-single-digits as a per- cent of overall sales." PFANKUCH JOINS ROX SPEED FX IN SALES Matt Pfankuch has joined Cohasset, Minn.- based Rox Speed FX, working in sales and leading new product development. He brings 18 years of industry experience with Polaris and PowerMadd. Rox Speed FX has experi- enced recent growth, fueled by its line of pivoting handle- bar risers for snowmobiles, motorcycles and ATVs. Pfankuch's product design experience will allow Rox to broaden its product line and expand into other markets. "We're extremely excited to welcome Matt to the team here at Rox, and we're already hard at work on future products. Matt is the perfect fit for us, and he will allow us to continue our tradition of designing high-quality, American made prod- ucts that improve the rider's experience," Rox owner Chris Olin said. Pfankuch will be heading the Product Development division of Rox for the motor- cycle, snowmobile, ATV and UTV markets. "I'm a big believer in new ideas, so I'm thrilled to see what kind of new products our team will develop," Pfankuch said. "I enjoy looking at problems and coming up with solutions that aren't just well made, but that are unique in the market and something that we, as riders, would want to use ourselves." SKI-DOO UNVEILS RAS 2 FRONT SUSPENSION KIT BRP makes it easy for owners of older Ski- Doo snowmobiles to upgrade to the latest front suspension with the RAS 2 Front Suspen- sion kit. This kit delivers the RAS 2 benefits of better straight-line tracking in big bumps, lighter weight and great styling, with X Package calibration. The RAS 2 Front Suspension improves handling and lightens most 2008-14 Ski-Doo trail or mountain models by replacing the major front suspension components, and is a direct bolt-on to existing chassis mounts. Of interest to owners of older Summits is the chance to change to the 36-inch ski stance as well as upgrade to the RAS 2 at the same time. The special pricing of the kit also makes it very attractive for owners that may have front- end damage, allowing them to upgrade and repair at the same time for a low cost. The RAS 2 kit comes in two different widths, one for trail use at a 42-inch ski stance and one for mountain use at a 36-inch stance. Both kits come with everything needed for REVXP, REV-XS and REV-XM chassis snow- mobiles. Components included are upper and lower A-arms, both spindles, tie rods, both shocks and all hardware needed. The 36-inch (Summit T3) kit and 42-inch kit are $749.99 apiece. NEW HIBBERT SPORTSWEAR LINE FROM ARCTIC CAT The all-new Tucker Hibbert Sportswear line of hats, shirts and hoodies is avail- able from Arctic Cat. The 15 premium items include an assortment of knitwear, caps, shirts and hoodies for men, women and youth, all adorned with the iconic No. 68 made famous by the legendary Team Arctic racer. "My fans are the driving force behind my signature sportswear line," Hibbert said. "They're my inspiration to keep push- ing on the racetrack, and I wanted to create something they're proud to wear. It's really exciting to know my fans worldwide can stop by their local Arctic Cat dealer to get their 68 gear." The Tucker Hibbert signature line of pre- mium Arcticwear sportswear incorporates many of the unique design elements found on Tucker's 2015 ZR 6000 R SX race sled, on- track race gear and the 2015 ZR6000 Tucker Hibbert-Edition RR snowmobile. PSB MATT PFANKUCH Doo snowmobiles to upgrade to the latest front suspension with the RAS 2 Front Suspen- sion kit. This kit delivers straight-line big bumps, lighter weight and great styling, with X Package calibration. REVXP, REV-XS and REV-XM chassis snow- mobiles. Components included are upper and lower A-arms, both spindles, tie rods, both shocks and all hardware needed. The 36-inch (Summit T3) kit and 42-inch kit are $749.99 apiece. NEW HIBBERT SPORTSWEAR LINE FROM ARCTIC CAT The all-new line of hats, shirts and hoodies is avail- able from items include an assortment of knitwear, caps, shirts and hoodies for men, women (Main) Collin Wilcox is all smiles aboard his 2015 Ski-Doo Ren- egade 600 Sport. (Inset, from left) Emil And Sheila Orcholski, Make- A-Wish Wisconsin volunteers; Debbie and Kevin Wilcox, Collin's parents; and Collin (seated) on his new 2015 Ski-Doo Renegade 600 Sports snowmobile at Cedar Creek Motorsports in Cedarburg, Wis. The RAS 2 Front Sus- pension kit is avail- able for $749.99 DIGEST