Snow Goer celebrates 40 years

Forty years ago this month, in December of 1966, snowmobiling’s first national magazine was launched out of a small printing firm in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
Its name was Snow Goer, and it called itself “The International Snowmobile Magazine.”
The first issue featured a note from the publisher inside the front cover that read, “The Publishers of Snow Goer are proud to announce the newest, most complete, comprehensive, informative publication in its field – dedicated to the users, the industry and the unlimited future of the snowmobile. Our primary interest is to promote and increase the development of the snowmobile for family and sporting enjoyment.”
“Some things never change,” said the publisher of Snow Goer today, John Prusak. “Exactly 40 years later, we’re still dedicated to the sport of snowmobiling and all of the fun it brings.”
That first issue of Snow Goer features spec charts on the newest models from Ski-Daddler, Rupp, Polaris, Scorpion, Larson, Ski-Doo and Bolens. There are pictures of the previous winter racing action featuring images from Wisconsin, Wyoming, Colorado, and Minnesota. And there was the first ever column from the Snow Goer Susie – the pen name of Joyce Scholwin, one of the founders of the magazine who died four years ago.
Through the years, Snow Goer has gone through several ownership changes and stopped being published for a few short years in the late 1980s. It was brought back to life in December of 1990 by its current owner, Ehlert Publishing Group of Maple Grove, Minnesota, and is today the largest paid circulation magazine in the sport of snowmobiling.
To celebrate the 40 year anniversary of the start of this historic title, images from the first year of Snow Goer will be posted on the snowgoer.com web site throughout the winter.