The thrill of ditch of ?ditch banging ? your snowmobile on the winter snowmobiling trail is that adrenaline ?high? that many winter sled drivers live for. Simply put these fanatical snow and ice divers are adrenalin junkies performing different feats in the ditch. , ditches and trails to challenge each and every other member of their close-knit group. They launch their sleds over approaches with speed then traverse the natural moguls in the ditches as fast as humanely possible. All of this with tighter and tighter corners on the trails. This they do for on end. Naturally this goes on for hours and the competition becomes more and more risky and even downright dangerous. Of course the stories get told later, rehashed and rehashed. As time goes on the feat becomes more and more dangerous and the trail more and more dangerous. Story telling is always about ?the fish that got away.?



The thrill of ?Sno-x? racing is also that adrenaline high, only more in magnitude and higher and much more intense. The ?Sno-x? experience is a rush that is only experienced by a relatively small and very fortunate group of snow sledders. Many people in the field look askance upon this form of sledding ad downright dangerous.

Riders do take risks. What is most important to consider, is that these risks are calculated ? calculated very carefully and not much out much forethought, planning and preparation. The challenge between Sno-x riders begins long before that big race ever begins. ?Trash talk: is the term given to it. It has also been noted and recorded that devoted Sno-x racers also tend to prolong and exaggerate their tales of racing and triumph.

The thrill and adrenaline high of hardcore ditch banging and Sno-x s winter time snowmobile racing are very similar. This ?trash talk ?and ?sled bashing? overall do not differ much at all. It's all the same story and stories, told and retold in different formats, and icy cold backgrounds and scenery. The differences do begin long before the challenge ever begins.

Sno-x racers wear a lot more protective gear than the vast majority of ditch bangers. Long before the racer even fires up his sled. protective gear is put on under their ?race suits?. The rider's knee/shin pads get braced and padded. Next in line is that their boots are a special boot with very rigid supports. In terms of upper body protection the Snox-x racer gets a vest for chest protection along with a substantial amount of upper arm padding. Finishing it off, many racers are now starting to wear a racing collar to support their necks.

The ditch bang challenge is much like that of the Sno-x challenge. Always, always, always their passion and goal is to be ?number one?. It is often said that ?there can only be one winner?. The biggest and most crucial difference between the two different forms of snowmobile racing is that while Sno-x racers will have qualified medical staff and attention within seconds of any accident whereas in ditch banging care after an accident is much more chancy and depends on location , logistics and basically just luck and chance.

In the end it can be said that even though Sno-x snowmobile racing would appear to be more dangerous and have more risks attached to it , that it safer in its own right for the snowmobiling race participants due to the preparation , planning involved as well as support staff and safety features and structures on the race course.

Lastly no matter how you choose to race your snowmobile, it is always best not to travel alone both for safety and companionship.