AS SEEN IN THE MARCH 2023 ISSUE OF SAM MAGAZINE
2023
GROOMER
REPORT
BY PATRICK TORSELL
Technological advances continue to refine the snow surface quality and sustainability of today’s powerful snowcats.
the science and complement the art of slope grooming.
to provide neutral handling at all angles with a pulling force up to 4.5T. The Bison X model is designed with terrain parks in mind, outfitted with the Park blade and tiller for increased range of motion. Incli- nometers for the machine and blade are built-in, along with a sliding swivel seat, distance meter, improved LED lights, and rearview camera. PRINOTH reports increasing inter- est in the larger and more powerful Leitwolf, which offers better pushing performance and production with its 530 hp MTU inline six-cylinder engine that delivers more than 1,900 ft-lb of torque. The Leitwolf also features an adjustable suspension for increased control in vary- ing conditions and PRINOTH’s patented parallel tiller offset. The Leitwolf is also available with the Automatic winch and the X park package. PRINOTH head of product portfo- lio management, Andreas Muigg, says the burgeoning interest in the Leitwolf isn’t limited to large resorts. Smaller ski
Early in the days of the commercial ski industry, the skiing surface was at the mercy of Mother Nature, topog- raphy, and previous skier traffic (and maybe the occasional boot packing efforts of dedicated staff). Choppy snow, unwieldy rollers, inconveniently placed moguls: these were part of the sport. Then along came grooming, from the Bradley Packer up to today’s tech- nologically advanced snowcats. Skiers of the modern era have come to expect nothing short of seamless corduroy and smooth carving across a significant por- tion of any ski area’s acreage. While the salient elements of 21st century grooming tech haven’t changed dramatically—namely: the flex tiller and 12-way blade, driven by a powerful snow- cat—the technological advances are real and tangible, as are the manufacturers’ increased presence in operator and man- agement training and consultation, and software development to further refine
THE MACHINES
PRINOTH PRINOTH’s lineup includes the Husky, Bison, and Leitwolf. A recent focus on fleet unification means that the 2023 Husky now includes the PRINOTH Control Unit as its standard interface, with a 12-inch touchscreen, multifunction joystick, and an improved ergonomic layout, aligning it with the Bison and Leitwolf. Dubbed the “New Bison” and “New Leitwolf,” the current generation of machines offer improved power and torque in an efficient RPM band, reduc- ing fuel consumption. Service and main- tenance accessibility are also improved with the new Stage V platform. In North America, the Caterpillar C9.3-powered 422 hp Bison remains the top seller for PRINOTH. The Bison is avail- able with the Automatic winch, designed
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