Much ado about Ski-Doo.The invention of the snowmobile is widely credited to Canadian inventor and businessman Joseph-Armand Bombardier in 1937, though some historians contend that similar machines were being tinkered with and prototyped earlier. Regardless, Mr. Bombadier continued to be fascinated by snow and the machines that could dominate it, eventually creating the personal 'Ski-Dog' in 1959, though a printing error in the marketing material accidentally changed that to 'Ski-Doo', and the name stuck instead of being corrected. Ski-Doo continues to be one of four brands dominating the snowmobile market (alongside Polaris, Arctic Cat, and Yamaha), but there's a reason Ski-Doo commands the largest market share of the lot, and in addition to tradition, it's also innovation.joe_2700 Ski-Doo took a group of novices and turned us on to what snowmobiling can offer.Despite living in some prime snowmobiling country here in Michigan, I have to admit that up until this event, I had never actually gotten behind the bars of a snowmobile -- Jetski? sure. Motorcycle? You betcha. But a proper snowmobile? Never. As it turned out, none of the other press crew brought along had much, if any, experience either... and that turned out to be kinda the point. By the end of the two days of riding the trails in the touring models, and hitting the drifts with their deep snow options, not only did I feel confident and comfortable managing some of the most high-end, powerful snow machines on the planet, but I also had a truly overwhelming amount of fun, and will be looking into doing more as soon as I can!joe_2677 No country like the Backcountry.Ski-Doo brought quite a few toys out into the woods of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho for us to play with, and the first model they let me get my hands on was the Backcountry 600RR, sporting their new Rotax 600cc E-TEC 2-stroke engine, though the Backcountry does come in more powerful engine packages too, if you're so inclined. The 600cc was more than enough for my first go; however, being a crossover and, in fact, the only one I got to ride for the event, I found it quite zippy and with acceleration superior to the other full-trail sleds. That being said, there was also a bit more skid-slide -- that's the tendency for the front skis to bounce and stutter as they fall into grooves from previous snow machines out on the trails -- and I felt like I bounced around a bit more than the others I tested. All in all, though, I think the Backcountry may have been my personal favorite, even though it was also the least powerful engine of the set. If you do want more power, the Backcountry does have a souped-up 850cc engine option that I sadly did not get to test this time around.joe_2617 Ride in comfort with the Renegade.Next up on the list was the biggest engine in our trail ride, a full 900cc engine on a sled that weighs far less than 600 lbs. With an insane power/weight ratio, wider front skis, and a larger body and drive track, the Renegade is a true trail sled compared to the Backcountry, and while a bit less nimble around corners and a bit slower to pick up speed, it feels like a dream even when you're going faster than you probably should on a straight-away. I was rather sorry to have to give this one up when my turn on it was up, as it was the only 4-stroke engine on our ride, and cruising along the trails was exactly what this machine is primed for. One thing you don't think about when out all day in the snow is thumb-throttle, but after a while, even with the hand and thumb heaters built into these Ski-Doos, it can start to get sore... but it never got sore for me on the Renegade.joe_2672 Make for the finish-line with MXZ.The other trail sled I got to play with was the 2-stroke, 850cc Rotex MXZ RS, built from the ground up with all the speed and racing heritage Ski-Doo's extensive institutional knowledge can bring to bear. This one was FAST, both in acceleration and in handling well at a high speed. I certainly did not max any of these machines out due to my own inexperience and unfamiliarity with the trails, but out of all of them, this one laughed at my pitiful top comfortable speed, and it barely felt like it was getting started, even when I started to get uncomfortable pressing any more on the throttle. I would love to give it another go once I've had a bit more practice, though.joe_2624 Snow's no problem with the SummitOur last adventure, courtesy of Ski-Doo, was a little different. Instead of trail sleds, we got to mess with their deep-snow Summit mountain sleds, designed to be smaller and narrower than trail sleds for better control and cornering, at the expense of some of the comfort and stability. That being said, we spent a good amount of time on the trails getting out to some fresh, untouched power on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) fields, and it certainly was manageable, if a bit rough when the moguls or trail 'whoops' got bad. Where the Summit shines, though, is when there is no trail, and the snow gets deep. While our guides assured us that the snow we got this year was 'lower than usual' and 'not much at all', I still managed to flip navigating some of the deeper drifts, and I'm pretty sure all the press people did the same at some point on our ride. I might leave the deep snow to the professionals until I've gotten a lot more experience, but if that is your thing, the Summit is clearly more up to the task than I was.joe_2766 Why Ski-Doo's 2027 offering is better than ever.So now that you, like I, have seen just how fun playing in the snow can be, you're probably wondering what makes Ski-Doo so great, especially their newest lineup for the 2027 year? Well, for starters, they are incredibly light for their power class, with several models, especially the deep snow ones, losing several pounds compared to last year. Several models, including the Backcountry, also feature a new basic chassis that Ski-Doo calls the 'REV Gen 5 Platform'. Without getting too into the weeds, suffice to say it's a new and improved frame that offers better handling and comfort than the previous version.The main attraction, though, is the new-to-this-year Rotex engines, which come in both 600RS E-TEC and 850 E-TEC two-stroke configurations. Not only do they feature exclusive 'silent-stop' technology that works much like idling-stop tech in cars, but they also offer the most powerful engine in the trail-ride class, with 130 hp. Ski-Doo claims it is also much more responsive and environmentally friendly, with 20% less oil consumption and instant acceleration, delivering a 20% overall boost compared to earlier Ski-Doo engines, which were already top-of-the-line. There's also the introduction of an Eco/Sport dual mode selection, which can further hone your needs depending on whether you're cruising or looking to eke out just that little bit extra performance.joe_2714 Get out and play in the snow!I truly had some of the most fun in any vehicle on this trip, and the views were nothing short of breathtaking. I hope that, in reading this article, you have been able to appreciate even a tenth of the fun we had out on the trails and in the deep snows. If the only takeaway you pick up from reading about Ski-Doo's new offerings is an itch to book a snowmobile trip for yourself, I will consider it mission accomplished. Whether you're looking for something suitable for beginners or a seasoned veteran who's up for a new sled, Ski-Doo has what you need, and they're an awesome choice for comfort, performance, and environmental consciousness. So don't be afraid, get out there and play in the snow!joe_2697