The 'Ol Bubbletops - > From Monty Teshio - Addidicted To The Bubble

"I grew up in Mid-Michigan, my parents both worked and owned a recreational related business on the side during the '60s and '70s next to one of the largest reservoirs Michigan, Wixom Lake just north of Edenville. We lived just north of the dam, that is almost one-mile long, and it was 40 feet out the back-door to 171-foot of water frontage that was my world. Needless to say I grew up fishing, boating, swimming, and snowmobiling.

When I was young I remember the first snowmobiles I seen traveling on the reservoir for fishing and pleasure. Polaris, Arctic Cat, Husky, and Fox Trac were the makes. When I seen a Bubble Nosed ski-doo, it was unreal! It was faster and way more nimble than the others. But, as a kid, it was the yellow that caught my eye first!

I begged my folks for years for not any snowmobile, but a ski-doo. In 1967 they bought our first sled, a 1968 ski-doo Olympique with a 247cc Rotax engine. I rode that thing hard and it never let me down! Then came the late '60s and early '70s snowmobile boom. I was in heaven!

Where we lived there were five snowmobile dealerships within 1/4 mile of each other! ski-doo, OMC, Chaparral, Eskimo, and Dauphin. In 1970, they bought Chaparrals and that was the only make of sled they bought from then on. I was heart broken. I still rode Old Yeller to it was just hammered and not cost effective to fix.

In the '70s snowmobiling was a big part of our family life: In the winter, mother used to take my brother and me to snowmobile events and races before I could drive. She thought snowmobile racing was a good thing (for that, I with the help of a good friend wrote a poem about snowmobile racing (see below)). Now at vintage events I see and talk to the people I remember that were racing back in the day. During the summer two of the biggest summer grass drag events were held in Hope, Michigan. I rode my bicycle from Edenville to Hope, not far, to watch the races on those hot, dusty, days. I remember Bill and Diane Miller. I remember Jim and Pat Adema. I remember the coolest looking sleds ever! My brother's best friend was Brian Mussleman (of woody's fame); my brother used to work at night after school at International Engineering Inc. (woody's). I worked at local Marina that sold ski-doos during the winter.

After high school was college and 21 years in the military before I was medically retired in 1999. I still was into snowmobiling while in the military. I was lucky enough to be stationed at Grand Forks, AFB, North Dakota from 1987-1992. Right in Arctic Cat's and Polaris' back yard. Been to Roseau and Thief River Falls many times. Growing up in Michigan I always wondered what the term ditch-banging meant. Well, if you haven't rode a sled at -20 below blasting through five to ten-foot drifts on the side of back country roads from Grafton to Ardoch (Smokey's for the best steak in the world and liquid top-off) to Grand Forks AFB you don't know what your missing (a ton of fun and 2nd degree frostbite on your face!). Wish I could of tried it with a Bubble Nose!

After I retired from the military I knew I was going to be back into the Old Iron. First on the list was finding a 1968 ski-doo 247cc Bubble Nose Olympique and building the oldski-doosleds <http://www.teshio.com/oldski-doosleds/index.htm> web site in honor of the Bubble Noses! Of note, we are having the first oldski-doosleds' Rendezvous on 2 Oct 04 in Tiverton, ON. More details can be found on the oldski-doosleds <http://www.teshio.com/oldski-doosleds/index.htm> web site. I have quite a few sleds now, but the '68 family sled is my favorite. Then I went to Bill and Diane Miller's A-1 Meet selling old magazine advertising, it's been full-tilt ever since. I quit selling advertising and got into this "vintage sleds" phenomenon. Larry's site is my favorite because it keeps me in touch with what's going on. I've met great people all over the world through vintage snowmobiling. But, nothing beats the thrill in the winter when I fire up my 1968 Bubble Nose and just ride all over Wixom Lake by myself thinking about where I've been and all the good times ahead.

Why "doo" I like (1968) ski-doo Bubble Noses? Unlike other teens all over North America who had to wait until they were 16 to drive (and taste freedom), I had the wind in my face in 1967 when I was only 8 years old! Also, because my mom and dad worked their butt's off to get me that sled!


YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT YELLOW (BUBBLE NOSE)!"