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SKANDIC 600 SUV: Alaska's New Sport-Utility Beast
By John Wyman

The caribou were curious. Step by step, the leader nudged closer. The others, an impatient lot, prodded the courageous cow along. And there they stood, all 12 or so, in the crusty snow high atop the mountain. Through the binoculars it was clear the caribou were directing all their attention our way, to us and to the machines we rode. Perhaps they too wanted a closer look at the new Ski-Doo Skandic SUV 600.

It’s a beast. A slick, fast, bold beast. It chomps up the mountains with an abundance of power and it prowls the trails like a wolverine with a mission. Besides that it looks cool and has a ride so smooth you hate to get off.

So what’s the big deal? What’s so special about this sport-utility sled, compared to any other? Not much really… except for a new curved swing arm and hydraulic suspension system, coupled with the proven Skandic model Ski-Doo in a 600 Rotax engine to power, pull, and zoom along. Throw in all those got-to-haves like standard electronic ignition, reverse, rear hitch, under seat storage and rear cargo rack and you’ve got one impressive, versatile machine.

The SUV can’t be beat in the Sport-Utility class. It tows, hauls, and floats across deep snow with effortless zest. That’s utility. Switch modes and throttle open this beast for some winter fun. That’s sport. Who would of thought the Skandic would offer the best of both worlds? It does, and in one sharp package.

Just days after the winner of the 2003 Iditarod was announced I was scouting along the Denali Highway, searching for a nice bull caribou in a late-winter hunt. The machine I rode, the new Skandic SUV is the same type of sled that had just traversed the 1,000-mile-plus trail of the last great race, the Iditarod. Trail crew member Tim Jauhola of Fairbanks rode a new Skandic SUV along the trail and said it was such a nice ride that other trail crew didn’t want to give it back to him when he let them ride it for a while.

“You can’t ask for a better type of sled in this category,” said Jauhola. “No other sleds compare. Other brands haven’t made an effort in the utility area. Ski-Doo has and they can’t be beat.”

Jauhola rode the SUV for nearly 1400 miles during the 2003 Iditarod, with spare fuel in the rear cargo rack and towing a cargo sled loaded with trail markers. Other trail crew rode the older Skandic 500.

“Everything’s better with the SUV,” said Jauhola. “It has a much smoother ride with the new front and rear suspension with a lot more travel for maneuvering.”

As race marshal for the Iron Dog, Jauhola is used to grooming winter trails and has ridden a variety of sleds. Running the 2003 Iditarod trail with the liquid-cooled SUV he was initially concerned it may overheat while running areas with little snow.

“We never had a problem,” boasted Jauhola. “They put a monster heat exchanger on the SUV and even running 20-mile stretches with no snow it didn’t overheat.”

While the Rotax 600 engine comes liquid cooled in the current model Skandic SUV, word is a fan-cooled is in the future Ski-Doo line-up. With this 597 cc, two-cylinder powerhouse the SUV isn’t lacking in ummph. It’s the most powerful engine in the Sport-Utility array.

Back along the Denali, with late winter temperatures a comfortable 0 to 25 degrees above zero, the beast with its 20-inch wide track ruled the snow. The SUV maneuvered through the foothill trees easily, with impressive cornering and little rider effort. Climbing the slopes was a breeze even while towing a full cargo sled.

With a moonlit and star-filled sky we headed back after a day of riding and scouting along the Denali Highway. We went over a hill and encountered a blue Toyota pick-up off the side of the main road. The truck, about 12 miles from the town of Cantwell, was stuck fast in the soft snow on the shoulder of the snow-packed highway. The driver, who seemed a bit embarrassed to be out alone driving a truck where a truck really shouldn’t have been going, was trying to dig out. We rigged a chain to the hitch of the Skandic SUV and in no time pulled the truck back on to the hard packed snow of the road so the driver could make it back to Cantwell.

The Skandic SUV comes in two flavors: deep black or a deep black and yellow combo. Either is noticeably cool. The simple, yet bold coloring and stylish design compliment the solid performance packed within. Although, I still can’t help but think of a flying wasp each time I see the distinctive yellow and black of a Ski-doo sled out on the trail.

During this latest adventure it was great to zip to the top of a mountain ridge and look around, spying caribou off in the distance. Reclining back on the comfortable seat of the SUV, soaking up the bright rays of a late-winter sun was pure perfection. During the hunt we’d ride in to some beautiful caribou country then hike around on foot, hoping to get close enough to a nice bull. The going on foot was rough at times, five solid steps on a crust of snow then posthole down two or more feet. The SUV rode over it all like a hovercraft.

High atop a windy ridge we sat upon our sleds on day, me on the Skandic SUV and my friend on a trusty Skidoo Tundra. A small band of caribou had trotted off a ways during our ascent. As we sat there, watching a Piper Cub fly around in the skies to the north, the caribou returned. Slowly they moved closer, eyes riveted on us. With no obvious bull in the group we watched them meander along the ridgeline until they had moved out of sight. We even saw a dark-furred wolf off in the distance, nose to the snow, following the caribou.

The next day brought us about 20 miles out along the Denali Highway and found me stalking on foot through the brush towards a group of caribou. An hour’s stalk later a 40-yard shot with a .270 Ruger took a nice bull caribou in the vital area. After validating the hunting permit we hiked back to retrieve the sleds from the highway and then rode out across the tundra about a mile to where the caribou was down. I carefully skinned and field dressed the animal and we packaged it up for the ride back to Cantwell. And guess what? No mosquitoes or flies to worry about and no concern whatsoever about the game meat getting too warm. There is much to be said for a winter hunt.

Tom Halverson poses with a bull caribou taken by author John Wyman, during a late-winter hunt off
the Denali Highway. The Ski-Doo Skandic SUV 600 is pictured in the background.

I’ve got to admit, it was the nicest thing to take the quarters and load them on to a tarp in the cargo sled. Once it was loaded and secured we packed up our gear and rode back out to the highway. Packing the meat out was pretty much effortless thanks to the SUV and cargo sled.

We encountered a few other riders on the Denali during our trip. One asked about the SUV. I think I told him it was “pretty nice.” In retrospect I think “fast, fun, and versatile,” would be a better summary of this impressive offering from Ski-Doo.

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