Snowmobile Inventors Relive Glory Days; the Henry Fords of the Snowmobiles Begin Inspirational Trek Across Alaska
15 March 2000
Snowmobile Inventors Relive Glory Days; the Henry Fords of the Snowmobiles Begin Inspirational Trek Across Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska--March 15, 2000--With the Bering Sea Coast to their backs and the untamed frozen tundra of Alaska on the horizon, the two lifelong friends who invented the modern-day snowmobile left this morning to lead a trek across Alaska, recreating an adventure that launched an exhilarating sport for millions. David Johnson, 77, Edgar Hetteen, 79, and their ten-man team took to the trails today on an expedition to raise money to support a fellow snowmobiler and prove to the world you're never too old to go play in the snow.The journey commemorates a trans-Alaska trip Hetteen took in 1960 as a last ditch effort to save their little Roseau, Minn. company that had sold only a handful of Polaris "Sno-Travelers" since the first one was built in 1956. Hetteen risked his life on the belief that their clumsy, untested contraptions could withstand Alaska blizzards, windstorms and bone-chilling temperatures to travel 1,200 miles over 21 days. Onlookers called him crazy back then and they're calling him crazy today.
"I've been looking forward to this trip for 40 years," said Hetteen. "I am excited to see how Alaska has changed over the years and how our little invention has made life easier. Just as important, I'm excited to see if I can really do this at my age."
This time Hetteen is riding with David Johnson, his brother-in-law and Polaris co-founder; Mitchell Johnson, his nephew; and Tom Tiller, the new 38-year-old CEO of Polaris Industries Inc. The group is raising funds for ALS research. Wes Blakeslee, a young Polaris engineer and avid snowmobiler, was diagnosed with ALS, a degenerative disease commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in October, 1998. Blakeslee plays a major role in designing the company's snowmobiles, including the sleds the group will ride across Alaska. Polaris will match pledges from the company's 3,500 employees and dealers. If you'd like to help Polaris and the Breaking Trail 2000 team raise money to find a cure for this terrible disease, call 1-888-672-0484 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST.
The team will follow Hetteen's first journey and travel from Bethel, Alaska, on the Bering Sea Coast, through the Alaskan bush and finish the trip in Fairbanks. With today's advanced snowmobiles, the trip is expected to take only eight days this time, but could take longer if the team encounters blizzards or other severe weather. Internet users can follow the trip by logging onto www.polarisindustries.com/alaska. The site will feature an interactive map of the route, twice daily updates from the team along with photos and video from both the 1960 and 2000 trips. A live chat will be held on Sat., March 18 at 9 p.m. (ET) with Hetteen, Johnson and Tiller.
"I consider Edgar and David real American heroes," said Tiller. "Edgar's trip across Alaska in 1960 proved to the world that their crazy `Sno-Travelers' were not only a heck of a lot of fun, but also one of the few viable ways to travel during the winter in harsh northern climates."
Hetteen's first trip showcasing the invention of the snowmobile forever changed the way of life for Alaskans, who had previously relied exclusively on dogs and sleds to travel long distances. But the popularity explosion of snowmobiles wasn't limited to Alaska. Today, there are more than four million snowmobilers around the world and more miles of groomed snowmobile trails than miles of interstate highway in North America. Polaris, still the world's largest snowmobile manufacturer, is now a $1.3 billion company that used its heritage of innovation to become a leading manufacturer of other recreational and utility vehicles, selling products in 60 countries.
Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, Victory motorcycles, personal watercraft, and the Polaris RANGER for recreational and utility use. Polaris is the largest snowmobile manufacturer in the world, and one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of ATVs and personal watercraft. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Pacific Stock Exchange under the symbol "PII," and the company is included in the S&P SmallCap 600 stock price index.
photo can be found at: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.031500/bw2