Today’s prospective snowmobile buyers need to see a thick blanket of the white stuff on the ground before they commit to buying a sled. That represents a big change in the business from the time when Bill Christianson began selling snowmobiles in 1985.

Christianson is the owner and proprietor of Royal Sports Sales & Service, a Clarks Grove-based dealer of Arctic Cat snowmobiles and ATVs. Christianson said that when he first opened his business in the central Freeborn County town of 704 people snowmobile sales tended to be seasonal in nature.

“Fifteen years ago most of our sales took place in the spring, when the new models came out. Now most sales occur in the late fall and early winter, and the market is totally driven by whether we get snow or not,” Christianson said.

Snowmobiles are selling well right now, Christianson said, continuing a trend that began with the area’s heavy snowfall in December 2007. Projections of heavy snow this week have stimulated interest from snowmobile riders, but there is another side of the coin.

“If we get a January thaw, we might as well lock the doors,” Christianson said.

Royal Sports has a staff of six employees, three of them involved in the service department. Sixty percent of the business involves sales, 30 percent is service, and the final 10 percent involves sales of garments, parts and accessories. Royal Sports sells Arctic Cat vehicles exclusively. The Thief River Falls manufacturer produces 28 different models of snowmobiles, ranging in price from $4,000 to $13,000.

Royal Sports sets up the snowmobiles for buyers at one of the two buildings it occupies on Clarks Grove’s Main Street. Used snowmobiles can also be purchased, but all service work is done at the Clarks Grove facility.

Christianson acknowledged that it had been a tough task selling snowmobiles for the past seven or eight years, until last winter’s heavy snowfalls sparked renewed interest in driving the fast, powerful sleds as a prime wintertime recreation option. He said he also believes improvements in snowmobile technology and changes in riding patterns have contributed to the increase in sales.

More stable suspension systems and better safety features have become standard equipment on snowmobiles in the past few years, Christianson said. Riders are not as likely to be out crashing road ditches in the middle of nowhere, as they did years ago. The presence of groomed, well-marked trails has made snowmobiling a safer and more family friendly outdoor hobby.

“Riders who stay on the trails tend to have fewer obstacles. Snowmobile accident rates have fallen dramatically in the last few years,” Christianson said.

There are more than 200,000 registered snowmobiles in Minnesota, Christianson said, with only nine fatalities resulting from snowmobile accidents last year, according to statistics from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. That’s down from 14 fatalities during the winter of 2006-2007.

Christianson has served as county trail coordinator for the past 18 years, leading a group of volunteers who mark snowmobile trails and secure easements from landowners. The work is done in cooperation with the DNR. Volunteers also remove trail marker signs in the spring.

Safety programs for snowmobilers from ages 13 to17 are available through the Minnesota DNR, in combination with local snowmobilers associations. Last Saturday, 29 young snowmobilers took part in the first of a two-part training program at Green Lea Golf Course. This Saturday the course will conclude with a driving proficiency test, which if passed, will result in the young drivers receiving a certificate allowing them to operate snowmobiles when accompanied by adults.

All-terrain vehicles manufactured by Arctic Cat are another important part of the business at Royal Sports. The ATVs are available in 18 models ranging in price from $2,300 to $10,500. Utility trail vehicles are a bigger version of the ATV. They have become popular recently, particularly with area farmers, who can attach a sprayer tank or a sprayer boom to the UTV for spot spraying of crops and road ditches.

As he observes the retail trade of Clarks Grove, in which he has built his professional life, Christianson said he is glad to be where he is. He noted fewer highs and lows than business owners in other parts of the country. He said he plans to keep his business in Clarks Grove. He admitted to having considered moving his business to a bigger market a few times over the years but said he has found more reasons to stay than to leave.

“A bigger market would be tougher to compete in, and the overhead costs would be higher,” he said. “I like the fact that our business stays pretty steady throughout the year.”