Editor:
In 1949 on a closed public road near Santa Barbara, and with the blessing of the California Highway Patrol, North America defused the problem of hot rod street racing, and a remarkable new sport blossomed.
B.C. can grasp the opportunity to nourish a similar success story with snowmobiling. Just as hot rods cannot race on public roads without risking death and injury, so snowmobilers cannot max out their machines in competition on mountain slopes without the danger of avalanches.
But, given the opportunity, snowmobiles can and do compete in spectacular ways on other, safer surfaces and in regulated areas: flat snow, ice, grass and even water. They have raced and jumped in snow-covered sand and gravel pits. They drag-race on asphalt strips at over 150 mph, and a Quebec team holds the world speed record at an astounding 210 mph.
These enthusiasts are proud of their riding and engineering skills, and they deserve credit. They do not deserve sniffy sermons or condescension. These are good people, hungry to compete and excel, and if B.C. is smart, they will.
David Kipling
Gibsons
