Snocross (Snowcross) is a racing sport involving high-performance snowmobiles navigating through natural or artificially-made tracks, usually featuring tight turns, banked corners, steep jumps, and various obstacles.
Riders can reach speeds up to 60 miles per hour, and perform jumps that can send them flying up to 130 feet through the air.
Snocross originated from the sport of motocross. The name itself is an amalgamation of "snowmobile" and "motocross."
Snowcross combines the high-speed excitement of snowmobiling with the challenging terrain of motocross. The sport gained popularity in the 1990s and became an official event at the Winter X Games in 1998.
Today, the sport is highlighted by several events. The AMSOIL Championship Snocross series is one of the most prestigious. It features multiple rounds across the United States and Canada. Key events include the Duluth National in Minnesota, held annually, and the X Games snowcross event at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. These events attract top riders worldwide and thousands of spectators.
Safety is a concern in snowcross due to the high speeds and challenging terrain. Riders must wear appropriate safety gear, including DOT-approved helmets, goggles, insulated gloves, and protective suits with reflective elements. It is also essential for them to be familiar with their snowmobiles and to ride within their skill levels to minimize the risk of accidents. Staying on designated trails and riding in groups may also be necessary.
Because competitors race high-performance snowmobiles at speeds of up to 60 mpg over challenging tracks, with tight turns, banked corners, steep jumps, and various other obstacles, with a significant risk of injury, snocross is considered an extreme sport.
This portion of our guide focuses on snocross. Topics related to the sport are appropriate for this category, with the exception of retail sites, which should be submitted to the corresponding Shopping & eCommerce category.
Recommended Resources
The AMSOIL Championship Snocross is the premier snowmobile racing series in the world. It features top riders from around the globe competing in various classes, including Pro Lite, Pro Women, Pro Snowbike, and the main event, the Pro class. The series spans eight race weekends, each showcasing intense bar-to-bar racing on challenging courses. The upcoming tour schedule, racers, sponsors, lineups, standings, news, and an online shopping area offering official merchandise are featured.
https://snocross.com/
Elias Ishoel is a renowned snocross rider from Norway. He won the Swedish Championship in 2014, which opened the door for him to compete in the USA. He has since been a dominant force in Snowcross, winning multiple pro-class season championships. After an accident, resulting in serious injuries, including a lacerated liver and a collapsed lung, he recovered and continued his racing career. Sponsors, several photographs, and social media links are published on the site.
https://www.eliasishoel.com/
Sponsored by Intermountain Snowmobile Racing, an organization set up to foster youth sports competition as a qualified amateur sports organization, to develop quality snowmobile programs, and to promote and support the character-building principles of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, and good citizenship. Event schedules, rules, results, news, and sponsors are set forth, along with a photo gallery, contacts, and an online contact form are posted.
https://www.imrsnocross.com/
The MWSS features twelve rounds of snowmobile racing at five different locations. Season memberships are open, and drivers can register online. The series also offers a banquet at the end of the season. Registration for race drivers, non-racing voting membership, and single weekend memberships are available online, along with sponsorships, season points, general information, officer contacts, and media information. Advertisers and announcements are featured on the site.
http://www.midwestsnocross.com/
SMMT was started in the late fall of 2016. Its team consists of board-certified ER doctors, certified athletic trainers, EMTs, Paramedics, and trauma nurses. The team operates a mobile medical trailer equipped to handle most emergencies, similar to a traditional ER unit. SMMT provides track-side medical care to athletes and crew members at all ISOC National Snocross events at no cost to the athletes and crew members, funded by sponsors and donations. Contacts are noted.
https://www.fxrmobilemedical.com/
Sponsored annually by the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), the Snowcross World Championship replaced the Snowcross World Cup in 2004. Over the years, the Championship has been hosted by Sweden, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, and Turkey. Its site includes a gallery of photographs and videos, a calendar of events, results, news, meeting schedules, and an overview of the events, including provisional calendars for each series of the upcoming Championship.
https://www.worldsnowcross.com/
