Ads Past: Sno-Runner, 1981
In January 1981, Chrysler’s Marine Division ran this ad in national publications for the Sno-Runner, a 72-pound snowbike powered by an eight-horsepower, two-stroke chainsaw engine. Its track and ski were only three inches wide, so it couldn’t float through powder but was apparently great fun on a packed-out snowmobile track. With a theoretical top speed of 25 miles per hour, the scooter could also function as a ski-joring tug on flat terrain. From 1979 to 1981, Chrysler appears to have manufactured about 28,000 Sno-Runners, selling them mostly through snowmobile dealers in the Upper Midwest—you could take one home for about a quarter of the price of an entry-level snowmobile. Would ski resorts have accepted Sno-Runner traffic on their groomed runs? The question never arose, because the 134cc engine couldn’t breathe at mountainous altitudes, and the Sno-Runner simply couldn’t climb hills unless you hot-rodded the motor with go-kart parts. But if you have one, you can still buy parts at snorunner.com. — Seth Masia
Coming Up In Future ISSUES
Cortina Olympic Redux
The Winter Games last hit Cortina, Italy, in 1956. Edie Thys Morgan explores the history of the Olympics in Cortina and details what’s new for February’s 2026 Games.
Robert Chamberlain Retrospective
Renowned photographer Paul Ryan provides an insider retrospective on the life and works of acclaimed Aspen artist and photographer Robert Chamberlain.
Skiing Presidents
Which commander in chiefs skied, and were they any good? Jeff Blumenfeld digs into the history of POTUS on snow.
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