We used to rope or crank start everything before all this fancy recoil starter and electric starter stuff...
The first snowmobile we got was a rope start. Single cylinder Kohler engine in a Sno Bunny.
I broke my wrist when a snowmobile engine backfired while pull starting it at a 90* angle. I broke my arm crank starting an old Allis-Chalmers tractor improperly. Always start with the crank up...