“It took all season and literally thousands of miles ridden to determine what 2008 model represented the best the snowmobile industry has to offer.” Said SnowTrax Co-host Luke Lester. “We wanted 2008’s winner to be about more than just speed, handling or a smooth ride. The SnowTrax Sled of The Year award is meant to give credit to a vehicle that, at the end of the day, gives the rider a complete feeling of satisfaction, and at the end of the season, the confidence that this sled was a very good purchasing decision.
Host of the show, Jeff Steenbakkers had this to say about the winner, “All year the battle was really between the Shift and the TNT. Luke and I had more than one long discussion about which sled had more to offer the snowmobiling public. At first I felt the Shift simply gave the customer more value because of its price tag. But, after spending considerable time on this machine it became clear the Shift is more than just a killer deal. It’s also a credible performance snowmobile that’s easily worth thousands more than its price tag.”
The 4 finalists consisted of the Polaris Shift, Ski-Doo’s lightweight wonder the TNT, Arctic Cats 4 stroke cruiser the Z1 and Yamahas all new RS Vector. After the first round of side by side evaluations the numbers showed what the whole crew had speculated. “From the very beginning the TNT and the Shift were the two sleds that really stood out among the others” Said SnowTrax Director of sales and marketing, Vern Putzer. “The decision to put these sleds in the top two was the last thing we all agreed on unanimously, after that it was, well, interesting.”
Areas of evaluation the Polaris Shift was noted in were ride quality, ergonomics, physical appearance, under hood accessibility, reliability, ease of starting and of course, value. “One of the major factors in our decision, and one everyone agreed on completely, was that the Shift brings back simple enjoyment to the sport.” Said Luke. “Its crazy that you can purchase a sled this good, for such a great price, then go out and enjoy that sled so much every time you ride it. It’s something this sport has needed for a long time.”
Jeff had this to add, “The fact that the Shift is so good, even without all the bells and whistles we’ve come to expect on a snowmobile proves this sport isn’t just about technology. It’s about a good, old fashioned love of riding. Something I haven’t felt this strongly since the first time I pulled the trigger on my 1990 Indy 650, which, oddly enough, cost more than the Shift does now.”
When asked to comment on the latest award from SnowTrax, Pat Bourgeois Polaris’ Marketing & Communications Manager had this to say. “We are excited to receive the Real World Sled of the Year honors from SnowTrax Television. The Shift is exactly what the market needs right now, it signals a return to what really drives this sport and makes it so appealing to so many of us … the thrill of riding. The Shift is not about fancy new bells and whistles; instead it delivers what’s really important: incredible performance, great handling and comfort all at an incredible value. What’s more we know the staff at SnowTrax Television simply doesn’t ride a sled for a few hours in March and comes to this decision. Instead you guys ride these sleds all season long, just like our customers, before crowning a winner. That makes this award much more significant and meaningful and speaks volumes about the capabilities and performance of the IQ Shift.”
This is the second year in a row Polaris has taken home Real World Sled of The Year honors with their IQ Platform. The “Real World Sled of The Year is not about making an advertiser happy” said Jeff “It’s about giving credit where it’s due without prejudice. We congratulate Polaris on not only achieving their goal of making snowmobiling more affordable again but for also producing outstanding performance with the Polaris Shift.”
Celebrating its 14th year, SnowTrax Television is a magazine format show that is packed with editorial content that is tailored to every type of rider. Each episode features in-depth product evaluations, instructional tech tip’s, destination features along with the latest news in the industry. Affiliated with national broadcasters TSN in Canada and the Outdoor Channel in the United States, SnowTrax Television is the most watched snowmobile show in North America. For more information visit the SnowTrax Television website at www.snowtraxtv.com
To view archived video segments of this years 2008 Real World Sled of the Year evaluation log onto www.snowtraxtv.com and then click the “Arctiva Video Portal”.
For more information contact Vern Putzer
(905) 332-7223 ext. 5 // (905) 478-1999
vern@snowtraxtv.com
