A snowmobile doing wheelies on water is something that never crossed my mind. The guys over at Stunt Freaks Team, however, make this look easy and a whole lot of fun. As the rider gets ready to start this amazing show, I wondered how many snowmobiles have sunk to a watery grave trying this?

From the moment, the Polaris Switchback Assault 800 hits the water the game is on. It is such a powerful machine that water becomes as though it is a solid to this beast. That is because of the combination of the super powerful motor that is combined with a chaincase drive system that propels the wicked propulsion track. The entire reason that this snowmobile can do wheelies on this lake is because of the power output of the engine coupled with the size of the track. The track on the 2015 Switchback Assault 800 measures 15 inches wide by 144 inches by 1.35 inches thick. Without the precision of the chaincase drive system, and the transfer of power from the engine to the drive track, it is very likely this beast would sink instead of trekking across water in a tenacious fashion.
The History of Snow Travel
Seeing the Polaris in action was amazing. A myriad of images came to mind in a connect the dots kind of way. One such though was about how people survived in the backcountry during winter. The old way was to strap on snowshoes and hoof it wherever you needed to go. If you needed to go hunting, you snapped on your snow shoes and slung a rifle over your shoulder. If you were lucky maybe you had a dog sled and could go mushing. Those are the very beginnings of where snowmobiling began. What we see is pretty much the pinnacle of where snowmobiling has gone.
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One of the coolest things about this Polaris is that it is perfectly balanced at the midpoint. The driver’s position determines how the sled is positioned. Lean forward for more bite on the sleds. Lean back for less bite on the sleds. The narrow back drive platform combined with the wide track allows the drive to lean to steer much like a rider on motorcycles does. This is one of the features that makes this machine a top predator in the world of white. It conforms to the environment while conquering it.
While the machine is amazing, it cannot be taken from the driver. It requires someone in top shape to be able to handle one of these machines without facing fatigue. Good job.
The Stats for the Polaris Switchback Assault 2015 model
- Price — Just under $12,500
- Single Rider, no passengers
- Length 126 inches
- Drive System — Chaincase
- Liquid Cooled Engine
- 2 cylinders with 795 cc displacement
- Estimated horsepower is 130-150
The Bottom Line
To expand this a little winter sports has become a huge phenomena and as an industry it is growing rapidly into one of the top seasons for sports. We are talking skiing, boarding and off road adventures with snowmobiles. However, snowmobiles are moving right up the ranks with skiing and boarding. This snowmobile was not designed for casual use. This is a performance machine that is designed for course work and off road adventures that our “outside” of the boundaries. Your about to get a short look at what extreme snowmobiling is all about in winter. It balances out the whole snowmobiling on water experience. So how many of you readers would take one of these across a pond? How many think you could make it?
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