The 'Ol Bubbletops - > From Rick Herter - on the fond memories of the 'ol bubbletops

"It was a dark and windy night;....... O.K. O.K. I know it's supposed to start out a dark and stormy night, but anyway's here goes.

It was a blustery mid November night in 1971 when my father, a construction worker and farmer, brought home my first sled, a 1969 Ski-Doo Olympic 12/3 "bubble top. We'll it really wasn't "MY" sled but rather one that my 9 yr. old sister and 5 year old brother could all ride together because the seat was about twelve feet long. I was 11 at the time, and that was 33 years and 18 sleds ago.

The first inkling I had that my dad had brought something unusual home with him was when I heard the old one lunger out our living room window. I peered into the darkness I could see the light of the old Ski-Doo, a cloud of blue smoke and my Dad riding in the proven "stand up" position as he rode it from front yard to back yard to front yard again. I was running back and forth from the living room to my bedroom back to the living room trying to keep my nose pressed to the glass and an eye on the blunt nosed yellow rocket (hey, 12 horse was a lot to a kid at that time) From that night on I became a certifiably snow crazed, sled loving, sorry son but if I hadn't spent so much money on snowmobiling through the years you'd be going to a better college, snowmobiler!

Many great memories were made over the next 3 winters. I especially enjoy this memory. There's snow up the yin yang, it's colder than a witch's mammary gland and my sister and I are cruising across the back 40. ( about a half mile from the house) My scarf gets sucked into the carb killing the motor. As you might know this single cylinder engine made about eleventy-million pounds of compression, way too much for me and my sister to pull over. So, you guessed it we trudge up to the house, share the happy news with my dad, of course try to find a way to blame it on my little sister, and hope dad wouldn't ground me from the "yellow rocket"

Dad slipped on his buckle books, slapped me upside the ears and walked out the door spouting off words I had never heard of in the English language.......Mom, what does........ Mother @#**#% mean?....... OUCH! .......Mom why did you slap me?

That old Ski-Doo got quite a workout over the winter's until I bought my very first sled with my own money. (sorry Sis go buy your own) That sled was a used 72 Oly 335 which eventually gave way to a 78 RV. I may not have had the nicest car in high school but that RV was the nicest sled in my high school!

I took the RV to a rural college campus with me in 1980 and what a chick magnet! It was such a great chick magnet that it eventually was traded in for an engagement ring for my wife of 22 years. As newly weds our first major purchase?......2 slightly used 77 Polaris TX-250's. My wife may not have had the nicest refrigerator in the neighborhood but she had the best looking sled!

I'm now a semi successful artist. My wife and I and our three kids all have ridden thousands of miles through the years and we've made memories as a family that I will have to my dying day. It really doesn't get better than that!.......and it all started with a "Bubble Top"...........Thanks Dad.

PS Larry thanks for my favorite site on the web. Thought You'd enjoy knowing I own four vintage sleds. 76 El Tigre 5000, 78 RV 340, 78 Polaris TXL and 79 Blizzard 7500 Cross Country. Currently purchasing 77 SRX. I love em all!
RickHerter.com"