With more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface covered by water and more than 100,000 lakes in the continental United States, Americans are never very far from water. In fact, 95 percent of Americans live within an hours drive of a navigable body of water.
More than 87 million U.S. adults participate in recreational boating and in 2017, 13.4 percent of the U.S. population participated in water sports. What’s more, 19.6 percent of millennials participate in water sports and in 2016, about 2.91 million Americans participated in wakeboarding.
Enjoying the water doesn’t have to be limited to just the summer though. In the winter time, climbing on an snowmobile offers plenty of enjoyment.
The first snowmobile was invented in the 1920s and since then it has gained a huge following in North America. There are currently more than 1.2 million registered snowmobiles in the United States and more than 600,000 registered in Canada. Additionally, more than 100,000 full-time jobs are generated by the snowmobile industry in North America alone.
On a global scale, snowmobiling has a $26 billion impact annual on the US economy, an $8 billion impact on the Canadian economy and a $5 billion impact on Europe and the Russian economy. In fact, last year, there were 118,657 snowmobiles sold worldwide; 50,659 were sold in the U.S. and 44,161 were sold in Canada.
Thanks to the popularity of televised snowmobiling sports like those in the X-Games, snowmobiling has grown even more popular. Since the inaugural X-Games in 1995, its audience has grown steadily, culminating in more than 200,000 people attending the 2017 games. The Winter X-Games were held in 1997 and the current lineup of events features for snowmobiling events including Snocross and snowmobile freestyle.
Companies like Polaris and Arctic Cat offer a wide range of snowmobiles for all types of terrain and your local Polaris dealer or Arctic Cat dealer can help you find the right snowmobiles for sale to help you enjoy the winter.
Chances are high that your local Arctic Cat or Polaris dealer will offer good financing and you might even get some extra perks depending on when you buy your snowmobile. Going for a ride an your snowmobile is a great way to spend a winter day, but there are other reasons to consider visiting your local dealer to check out the latest snowmobiles for sale.
It’s important to stay active during the winter months, but it can be a challenge. Snowmobiles can be a great way to stay active. In fact, the average person burns more than 200 calories per hour while snowmobiling. Many people go through seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the winter. Riding on a snowmobile can help combat that. The National Health Association estimates that 10 million people in North America suffer from SAD. Spending time outdoors on a snowmobile gives you plenty of exposure to light, which helps boost your mood and improves your immune system.
Whether you’re looking for a used boat for sale or a pontoon for the summer or snowmobiles for sale to ride in the winter, there’s no shortage of opportunities to enjoy time on the water. A visit to your local boat dealer or local snowmobile dealer allows to look at different boats and snowmobiles for sale and sets you up with the right machine for your needs.