This rare banner from 1968 depicts the epic Alaskan Endurance Ride that occurred in February of 1967. In that month, three men (with no support system of any kind) traveled 3,800 miles from the Trail-A-Sled, Inc. factory in Crosby, Minnesota to Anchorage, Alaska – solely upon Scorpion snowmobiles. Trail-A-Sled, Inc. provided the machines (stock 1967 model Scorpions) and bright-red company-branded snowmobile suits. Braving extreme conditions, including blizzards, Chinook winds and –70° windchills, the trio pressed onward while hundreds of well-wishers and dignitaries encouraged them along the way. In several instances the group was forced to travel several hundred miles, in a single day.
Finishing without a break-down was a shock to some, but the success of the ride did much to bolster the young firm’s reputation. The Alaskan adventure helped to put Minnesota’s Cuyuna Range on the map as a snowmobile powerhouse, and was widely covered by the international media. Completely unprecedented for its time, the adventure was a public relations coupe and became the cornerstone of the following year’s marketing campaign … “Scorpion, The Proven Snowmobile.” And the company’s unique patented rubber track was now, a proven winner. Sir Edmund Hillary (conqueror of Mount Everest) was so impressed that he chose Scorpion snowmobiles for his upcoming expedition to the Antarctic.
Pictured also is one of the three Scorpions, piloted by Duane Parks. Well worn, but still intact, 57 years later!
Celebrating the lasting legacy of Trail-A-Sled, Inc. and Scorpion Snowmobiles, hometown creators and manufacturers of the legendary Scorpion Snowmobile. @scorpionsleds #ScorpionSnowmobiles
