MEDINA, MN (Sept. 4, 2009) – The 2010 Polaris 600 RUSH™, a machine that reflects innovative Polaris engineering and delivers Terrain Dominating Control, has been named the 2010 Snow Goer Snowmobile of the Year.

The honor is being publicized in the new November 2009 issue of Snow Goer, and it will be formally announced to the public in a special ceremony on Sept. 12 at the Haydays Grass Drags & Swap Meet in Lino Lakes, Minnesota.

“Our Snow Goer Snowmobile Of The Year award has always been about innovation, and in 2010 the Polaris RUSH fits our criteria expertly,” said John Prusak, publisher and editorial director of Snow Goer magazine. “The unique rear suspension is the most obvious embodiment of change, but the innovation in the RUSH goes much deeper, down to the very way the chassis is held together. This is the 20th year Snow Goer has bestowed this prestigious award, and the RUSH is a very deserving recipient.”

The 600 RUSH has received this level of attention because it’s a sled that changes everything. It’s the first snowmobile with a truly progressive-rate rear suspension that lets riders dominate the whoops like a motocrosser. Its new, virtually bottomless suspension is designed to absorb the toughest bumps and transfer the load to the super-rigid Pro-Ride chassis while isolating the rider from the stutters and spine-tinglers. If you’re not a ditch rider and love to put on the miles, the RUSH delivers as well. You ride harder, faster, longer – and ride again tomorrow. You Feel the Rush, not the bumps.

Elevating the Polaris Performance Heritage
Polaris was the first company to successfully market snowmobiles, was the brand that revolutionized the ride with IFS and was the first to market with an OEM-built long-travel rear suspension.

“Since the 1950s, Polaris has understood the appeal of snowmobiling better than anyone, and we have continually produced machines that provide riders with the greatest snowmobiling experiences,” said Scott Swenson, Vice President of the Polaris Snowmobile and PG&A Division. “Today’s riders were tired of getting beat up on the trails, and Polaris engineers realized that conventional suspensions weren’t enough – we had to innovate to meet the demands of the marketplace.”

The PRO-RIDE CHASSIS
The 600 RUSH rewrites the story of snowmobile suspension because of its innovative PRO-RIDE™ Chassis with the world’s first truly progressive-rate suspension. On conventional, fully coupled skid frames, forces not handled by the suspension are transferred directly to the rider’s back. The rider takes the hit on every bump, stutter and spine-tingling g-out. With the PRO-RIDE progressive-rate skid, impact forces are redirected 90 degrees, redistributing that energy into the chassis and away from the rider’s back. The suspension absorbs the bumps and delivers superior handling and control.

With its progressive-rate rear suspension, the 600 RUSH rides through the bumps, the rider remains on the seat and in control. With conventional rear suspension, the sled rides over the bumps, the rider is bucked from the seat and the terrain is in control. That’s no way to try to enjoy snowmobiling.

Testing comparing a 600 RUSH and a Ski-Doo Rev XP showed that on a 600 RUSH there was 37% less force transferred to the rider’s back while riding through a typical ditch crossing, the type of bump that normally produces a “spine tingler.” Plus, the 600 RUSH handled the impact in a more controlled manner with more predictable handling.

Innovation That Draws Historic Attention
Even before winning the Snow Goer award, the 600 RUSH has been making history.

• The 600 RUSH is the most-tested snowmobile Polaris has ever developed. It underwent more than 100,000 miles of test riding.

• Once introduced, the 600 RUSH attracted the greatest volume of website traffic ever for Polaris. It also generated tens of thousands of hits on YouTube as viewers watched the 30-second 600 RUSH commercial and Demo Tour interviews.

About Polaris
With annual 2008 sales of $1.9 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER™, snowmobiles and Victory Motorcycles for recreational and utility use. Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry, and one of the largest manufacturers of ORVs in the world. Victory Motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive in-roads into the cruiser and touring motorcycle marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII,” and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index. Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories, is available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.