Learn how the Burke family instills safety, skill, and preparedness in their young snowmobilers, and find out how you can do it too!

Nov. 29 2023 Ski-Doo By Martin Motor Sports

That Ski-Doo Feeling isn't something you're born with; it's passed down through generations. Just ask the Burke family who enjoy snowmobiling in and around their hometown of Vegreville, Alberta.

As their family grew, they were keen to share their passion for snowmobiling with their young children in a way that encouraged them to fall in love with the sport on their own. Sledding is in their DNA, and we caught up with them for a candid conversation on how other parents can get their kids into the sport and continue raising the next generation of sledders.

Q: How old were you when you started snowmobiling, and how did you get started?

A: My wife and I had very different starts to the sport. While I always wanted to snowmobile from a young age, it wasn't until I moved to Alberta at the age of 19 and bought my first sled that I really got to experience what snowmobiling was all about. Needless to say, I've been hooked ever since. My wife, on the other hand, has been snowmobiling basically since birth. Her parents ran the local snowmobile club at the time and her exposure to the sport just fostered her lifelong passion.

Q: When did you decide to share your passion with your kids?

A: As much as we'd hoped our children would share in our passion for snowmobiling, we agreed early on that we would never push them into something they didn't want to do. We aimed to provide them with as many opportunities as possible to explore different hobbies all while supporting them in whatever they chose. While they are still young and still exploring, they always seem to come back to snowmobiling. Just before our daughter was a year old, we purchased a 1978 kitty cat. By 2 years old she was riding herself with Mom or Dad running alongside her. Our son on the other hand figured out the throttle much earlier and was riding for 18 months with Mom or Dad chasing after him. We assume they loved it because it was always a fight to get them off their machine when the ride was over.

Q: What type of riding do you typically do with the kids?

A: As our kids are now 6 and 4 we try to switch up our types of riding to give them as much experience as possible. Both our kids ride 200s. Our daughter a 2023 Yamaha Snoscoot and our son a 2023 Skidoo MXZ. When they are on their own machines, we usually ride on a quarter section of flat farmland with some treed trails. We have found this type of riding has greatly increased their skills as well as confidence in handling their machines. As we venture further out to our local snowmobile cabins or into mountain riding, our kids double with us on our machines. While they aren't physically driving, they are still learning valuable riding skills by taking in everything mom and dad do.

Q: How did you teach your kids about snowmobile safety?

A: Safety is the number one thing we focus on when raising kids in this sport. There is the physical safety side as well as the mental preparedness side that are both equally as important to review before any ride.

Physical Safety: It is imperative that kids are properly dressed for snowmobiling. This not only means warm, proper fitting clothing but also ensuring their gear does not have any dangers such as strings or tethers that could create a hazard. A properly fitting helmet is also nonnegotiable. Our kids know that no helmet means no riding, no exceptions!

Mental Preparedness: we talk about snowmobiling safety All. Year. Long. They may be little, but they take in every word you say. We practice our hand signs and signals, talk about potential dangers, knowing your surroundings, watching out for fellow riders, and what to do in different situations such as if you get separated from mom and dad.

Before any ride we review hand signals, talk about where we are going and what to expect, and we set boundaries on how far they can go from mom and dad on their own machines.

During a ride is the best time to teach safety! When a teachable opportunity arises, we stop all the machines and talk about it while it is fresh in their minds. We encourage them to ask questions and give them honest answers about what could happen if we don't follow the safety rules.

Q: When was your first snowmobile trip to the mountains? How did you prepare yourselves and your kids for the trip?

A: Our kids first snowmobile trip to the mountains was to Allen Creek in March 2023. While it was a lot of work to prepare for, seeing the joy on their faces made it all worth it. Before even planning a mountain trip we were sure to gauge their interest in it. We watched a lot of videos of mountain riding, shared pictures of my past trips, and got a feel of if this is something they really wanted to do. When they started asking every weekend if they were going to the mountains yet, we knew it was time to start planning. Our family then prepared by running through every situation that could arise. We made sure to plan our trip when avalanche conditions were low, we brought a lot of extra mittens for when little fingers got cold, and most importantly we packed ALL the snacks!

Q: What advice would you give to parents who want to get their kids into the sport

A: The best advice we could give parents who want to get their kids into the sport would be to just go for it. Surround yourself with other families who prioritize safety while also encouraging children to push their skills to become more confident riders. The idea of letting your child operate a motorized machine can be intimidating for sure, but with the proper safety and support they may just surprise you.

We’d like to thank the Burke’s again for sharing their experience with teaching their kids how to snowmobile safely. If you’re ready to take the leap and share your passion with your family too, bring your little shredder to our West or South Edmonton location and chat about getting them a snowmobile of their own.

We have two options available for youth snowmobiles: the Ski-Doo MXZ 120 and the Ski-Doo MXZ 200.