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Snow Cat Games

luvthemvws

Active member
OK, so let's have this discussion.
Whaddya say, we all pool our brainpower and create some snowcat contests that can be staged at the various get togethers.
I would like to see a few, maybe 3 to 4 contests, that test the operators' skill and the cat's capabilities.
The various contests would be weighted or scored for difficulty/time/distance and one overall "champion" with some over-the-top award that might be a "traveling" trophy that gets handed off each year/season to the next winner.
I think the games should vary in such a way as to allow the strengths of different types of machines to be displayed.
Now, because different venues and snowfall amounts can make some contests less practical or competitive from meet-to-meet we'll need to be creative and flexible in the formats.
I realize it's really easy for me to make suggestions, as I am 500 to 1500 miles from any of the current venues, and nearly anything we devise will require a fair amount of work, preparation and equipment. So this is where we all need to be creative and imaginative so no one person is saddled with all the work and none of the reward.
Some contests are obvious. Like quickest time over a given distance: quickest time to surmount the steepest slope, etc.
But what about contests that might let short, brake-steer machines show off? How about something that plays up the smooth ride of a 4-track machine? Maybe some kind of relay race or Survivor-esque challenge?
Let's hear some ideas and discuss the possibilities!
 

redsqwrl

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
The midwest clowder events:

Slow race. must remain moving. slowest time over fixed distance. torpedoes suck at this game....

varied terrain race with 180 degree turn and a fixed object stop (or) blow straight to the finish line with a 7 second adder. (if you can operate, it is a slow cat equalizer) torpedoes excel at this

high speed drag race..... ( bitch to do in ski boots)

the always fun CIdiot pull. city idiots though the groomed surface was a parking lot. a honda CRV is actually quite capable.

the summer clowder:

Drifting
Air cooled VW start up challenge, (you only get a flat Phillips and a vice grip, boat tank, engine oil, and random snow cat parts various batteries most in discharged condition) One mechanic sets the motors up, teams of three trouble shoot and the first one to fire off wins. swapping parts between teams is sometime necessary, functional charging wins bonus points.

unimog challenge ( that was just a bunch of smashed eggs, but we tried hard)
Drunk frog pond race was rigged.

a standard set of games would be fun. elevation challenges need to be capped at 1700' rise won't matter I think we start at 600 feet and can go up to 2300 ish
we are vertically challenged sorry.....

Oh I forgot the -34F fuel filter change challenge,,, oh wait that was only me

What did I miss, the beaver tail eating was straight gross....
 

luvthemvws

Active member
Great ideas! I'll take a pass on the Beaver tail though.
How about a really Large inflated Ball (or a couple of tractor tire inner tubes lashed together) that the cat operator has to push through some simple course/maze?
Could a Drone be used to drop some sort of Beacon on a sideslope and the operator has a certain amount of time to retrieve it?
I have seen a contest at Thresher Shows where a pair of steam tractors are tied to each other, back to back, with a few feet of string. The challenge is to see how far they can drive without breaking the string or letting it touch the ground.
Keep the ideas coming!
 

Pontoon Princess

Cattitute
GOLD Site Supporter
hey V-dub lover,

these games are a great idea, even better if they focus on operator skills, that would make more challenging for the Torpedo to win back to back to back to back to back championships
 

luvthemvws

Active member
Do those Human Hamster Balls stand up to cold weather?
How about a Snowcat with a blade create a snow "volcano" and the challenge is to push the Hamster Ball to the top and into the depression at the top?!
Probably different classes for Blade Cats and without...
Maybe mark off the volcano in halves and 1 or 2-cat teams try to put the Ball into the volcano on their half. If the ball bounces or rolls to the other half, then the other team tries to make the score.
 

GlacierSean

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
While grooming we had to do different tests to learn and get better. One was the serpentine course. Basically is was a course that wound up a hill with sharp left and right turns. The course was marked out with bamboo set at the width of a tiller, no extra. We drove up the course forward then backed back down the course. Could be a way to do something similar with the vintage stuff. And may be something that could challenge that speedy torpedo.
 

1boringguy

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Push the ball around the clover leaf barrels (like the rodeo gals use). Upside; Not to labor or material intensive. Downside; Could take a while.
 

luvthemvws

Active member
There you go! With the cloverleaf course on uneven, inclined terrain it would take an operator with some real skills to keep the Hamster Ball headed the chosen direction. If we keep the course fairly compact it might even be fun to watch!
I like the idea of going forward AND backwards through a tight, twisty course. That might be a real challenge for a Tucker with a large turning radius.
Keep them ideas rollin'!
 

luvthemvws

Active member
Does anyone else remember those old Ford/Lincoln commercials where they had jeweler cutting diamonds in the car while being driven around town? What kinda game can we devise that let's a smooth-riding cat Excel?
Could we have a bucket of water/antifreeze lashed down to the deck and have the operator navigate a course of moguls? The operator that spills the least or transports the most water in a given time wins!
 

luvthemvws

Active member
Is there a computer program or phone app that helps lay out Marching Band routines?
If we had a BUNCH of cats we could spell out words/names and have the drone operators take some video.
We might spell out LMC, BOMBI, KRISTI, SNOWTRAC, and there's probably another one or two...
 

KT3survivor

Active member
How about a side hill contest??. . . . nevermind. can't let those darn "kristi kids" win anything. they might prove the level of disinformation that has been spread for decades.
 

luvthemvws

Active member
A side hill contest is a Great idea!
How can we make it some form of competition?
The different venues and conditions will make it difficult to translate from one meet to another, but I see possibilities!
We would likely need to find locations fairly clear of stumps and stones. No one wants to strike those while skidding sideways.
Would we setup some kind of inclinometer that could be monitored remotely?
Oh wait. A Kristi can compensate for side slopes and defeat such a monitor...
I see potential here...just need to work out ground rules/formats.
 
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