Sept. 7, 2009 – Ample shifts in demographics

Everything from the percent of male/female snowmobilers to the number of miles the average snowmobiler rides per year changed this past year from the 2007-2008 season.
To better market to existing customers and attract new customers to the recreation of snowmobiling, Powersports Business is sharing the following information for the snowmobile industry. All data is courtesy of the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association.

The demographic
The average snowmobiler used to be a 41-year-old making $72,000 a year, riding about
1,000 miles per year and spending approximately $3,000 per year on the recreation.
Now the average snowmobiler is a 43-year-old making $75,000, riding about 1,400 miles per year and spending approximately $4,000 on the recreation.
There was also a considerable shift in the gender of snowmobilers. This year about 88 percent of all active snowmobilers are male and 12 percent are female. In the 2007-’08 season, there were considerably more female riders. They made up 30 percent of the snowmobile population. The percent of riders in different age groups have shifted significantly as well, according to the data from the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association. Last year only 40 percent of riders were 50 years old and up. During the 2008-’09 season, 55 percent of snowmobilers were 50 and up. About 18 percent were 60 years old and up, and 37 percent were
50 years and up.

Other key facts
During the 2008-’09 season, 54 percent of snowmobilers usually trailered their snowmobiles to ride, and 46 percent either snowmobiled from their primary residence or have a vacation home where they keep and use their snowmobiles. Those numbers increased from the
2007-’08 season. Sixty five percent of all snowmobilers used to trailer their snowmobiles to where they rode, and 35 percent rode from either their vacation home or main residence.
Approximately 80 percent of snowmobilers use their snowmobile for trail riding and touring on marked and groomed trails. Twenty percent of snowmobilers use their snowmobile for work, ice fishing or transportation.
There are more than 225,000 miles of groomed and marked snowmobile trails in North America that have been developed by volunteer clubs working with local government and private land owners.
There are more than 3,000 snowmobile clubs worldwide, involved in trail grooming and charity fund raising and family activities.
There are 40 registered nonprofit associations representing snowmobilers in the United States, Canada and Scandinavia.
Snowmobilers raised more than $3 million for charity during the 2008-2009 season.
— Karin Gelschus