Snow December 2014

20th Anniversary Season!

December 2014

Levi Lavallee Race Team Ready For Great Season!

50th Anniversary International Rally- Crane Lake and Ely Region to Atikokan!

OFSC Trail Permits Sales On the Rise Minnesota's Tucker Hibbert completes the 1st/1st sweep of the AMSOIL Duluth National ACS series opener ISOC Racing Series Growing The Sport Of Snowmobiling

TBAT Trail Permits up This Season

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My Interview With Snocross Legend Tucker Hibbert

Defending AMSOIL Championship Snocross Pro Open champ Tucker Hibbert takes night one @ Duluth!

Hibbert sweeps his qualifiers, claims the Pro Open main at the Spirit Mt. AMSOIL Duluth National; 16-year-old Norwegian sensation Elias Ishoel wins Pro Lites

feels so great right now."

With Ishoel established up front, Kern and fellow Wisconsin native Jake Angove (Polaris) moved into 2nd and 3rd, well ahead of No. 1 Duluth Pro Lite qualifier Trevor Leighton (Leighton Motorsports/Polaris) and last year's Duluth Pro Lite winner James Johnstad (Judnick Motorsports/Polaris).

DULUTH, Minn. (Nov. 29, 2014) - Pro snocross' all-time winningest racer Tucker Hibbert (Monster/Arctic Cat/Ram) picked up right where he left off last season, winning the Saturday night AMSOIL Duluth National season opener of 2014-'15 AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram, atop Spirit Mountain ski area.

And in the support Pro Lite class main event 16-year-old Norwegian snocross sensation Elias Ishoel captured this win in his first-ever AMSOIL Championship Snocross event in dominant fashion.

to make a move on Kody (Kamm) late and we collided in the air. I was like 'Oh no!

There goes the race.' So I'm happy to be up here on the podium in 3rd."

Ski-Doo

Rounding out the top five in the Pro Open class were Tim Tremblay (AMSOIL/Scheuring/Ski-Doo) in 4th and Justin Broberg (Hentges Racing/Polaris) in 5th.

AMSOIL Duluth National Pro Lite Saturday winner Elias Ishoel.

Pro Lite

Pro Open AMSOIL Duluth National Pro Open podium, L to R: Kody Kamm (2nd), Tucker Hibbert (1st), Kyle Pallin (3rd) Hibbert, who won both of his qualifying races earlier in the evening to qualify in the No. 1 spot, got an admitted poor jump off the start in the main event and was pinched off down the straightaway and back into 6th place. Pulling the holeshot and leading was Hibbert's chief rival, No. 2 overall Pro Open finisher last year, Kody Kamm (Hentges Racing/Polaris).

Rocketing virtually out of nowhere to win the Pro Lites on Friday was Norwegian teenager Elias Ishoel. Running the Warnert

Duluth Saturday Pro Open Results 1 - Hibbert Tucker, Pelican Rapids, MN, Arctic Cat 2 - Kamm Kody, Kenosha, WI, Polaris 3 - Pallin Kyle, Ironwood, MI, Polaris 4 - Tremblay Tim, Quebec, Ski-Doo 5 - Christian Logan, Fertile, MN, Arctic

Racing-tuned NSK/Makita Ski-Doo, Ishoel took the lead from Wisconsin's Travis Kern (KC Motorsports/Arctic Cat) on lap two, diving low when Kern went high on the course's bottom turn.

Ishoel kept it on the main jet, pulling the rest of the field through the rhythm section

Round / Date City / State 1 - Nov. 28-30

Shakopee, Minnesota 4 - Jan. 30-31 Deadwood, South Dakota 5 - Feb. 6-7 Salamanca, New York 6 - Feb. 20-21 Chicago, Illinois 7 - Feb. 27-28

"I was late on the start, got pinched right away, and had to back out and check-up," said Hibbert. "But that was one wild race.

I gave it everything I had."

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AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram, returns to action on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12-13, at ERX Motorsports Park just outside Fargo, N.D.

Fargo, North Dakota 3 - Jan. 9-10

Hibbert, who lapped the entire field at last year's Saturday AMSOIL Duluth National opener, put the hammer down and distanced himself from the rest of the pack making up for his mid-pack start with a powerful charge to the front and equally strong finish.

"It was a crazy race," said Pallin. "I went

Duluth Saturday Pro Lite Results

Duluth, Minnesota 2 - Dec. 12-13

"My arms started to get a little bit tired and I faded on the uphill - and that's where the guys got me," said Kamm.

In their battle for 2nd and 3rd Pallin and Kamm would get together - mid-air - and land with their skis tangled. But the two (along with Hibbert) had such a lead over the rest of the field that it didn't matter as Kamm held onto 2nd and Pallin 3rd.

When the fire pots lit, signaling the first racer across the finish line (Ishoel), Angove had 2nd place and Kern grabbed 3rd. Rounding out the top five were Andrew Carlson (Carlson Motorsports/Polaris) in 4th and Travis Muller (Cottew Motorsports/Polaris).

1 - Ishoel Elias, Norway, Ski-Doo 2 - Angove Jake, Oconomowoc, WI, Polaris 3 - Kern Travis, Palisade MN, Arctic Cat 4 - Carlson Andrew, Big Lake, MN, Polaris 5 - Muller Travis, Windom, MN, Polaris 6 - Mason Zak, Gaylord, MI, Polaris 7 - Moland Martin, Alta, Norway, Arctic Cat 8 - Wallenstein Kevin, Cadillac, MI, SkiDoo 9 - Rosemeyer Chase, Chippewa Falls, WI, Ski-Doo 10 - Pattyn Nick, Ravenna, MI, Arctic Cat

With Kamm up front and Mystic/Loctite/Polaris' Kyle Pallin close behind in 2nd, the two took charge of the first half of the race. But Hibbert began to stalk the leaders, moving up to 5th place by lap three, then past Logan Christian (Christian Bros./Arctic Cat) in to 3rd place by lap six.

Kamm enjoyed a four second lead at lap six, but Hibbert kept on the gas and cut a second off Kamm's lead on each ensuing lap. Just after the halfway point (Lap 12 of 20) Kamm, Pallin and Hibbert were all within a sled length of each other in the corners. Hibbert first got past Pallin, then was up onto Kamm. The anticipated battle only lasted about a half a lap as Kamm, admittedly, suffered some arm pump and wasn't able to keep his speed up in the tricky uphill rhythm section.

As the rookies battled up front at the midway point, Johnstad was charging hard and moved past Angove on lap eight. Going all out to catch the frontrunners, Johnstad would go down and Angove moved back into podium position (3rd). Privateer Arctic Cat racer Corey Watkinson would also make a move on the podium, but went down as well.

Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 8 - March 13-15 Cat 6 - Broberg Justin, Mukwonago, WI, Polaris 7 - Lemieux Lincoln, St. Johnsbury, VT, Ski-Doo 8 - Joanis David, Cochrane, Ontario, Arctic Cat 9 - Thomsen Cody, Nisswa, MN, Arctic Cat 10 - Stenberg John, Lofsdalen Sweden,

to the top of Spirit Mountain. He stayed on it through the 14 laps and was never challenged, impressive for a 16-year-old in is first-ever AMSOIL Championship Snocross Pro Lite main event.

"Thank you for everybody that helped me.

Mom and dad, Warnert Racing - everybody," said Ishoel, doing his best on the podium with the English language. "It

SNOWMOBILE NEWS DECEMBER 2014

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Beginning with AMSOIL Championship Snocross' season-opening round in Duluth, Minn. and running through the season finale in Lake Geneva, Wis. CBS Sports Network will air 16 half-hour programs of the ACS races.

www.slednews.com ISOC Racing Series Growing The Sport Of Snowmobiling

BY SCOTT A. SUMNER

NW Ontario Snowmobile News It was fun to sit down with Carl Schubitzkie, President of ISOC Racing from his perch over the track at Spirit Mountain, Duluth MN and talk about snocross racing!

You have been involved with snowmobiling for a long time Carl? “ I got into racing myself at the young age of 5 or 6 riding Kitty Cats. My dad was also in racing for many years. I raced until 28 years old and then starting working for ISOC on the promotion side before becoming CEO.” There has been a lot of good things happening at ISOC? “ We have been trying to do as much as we can at ISOC to raise the level of the sport with corporate sponsors and grow the sport as a whole. The racers are behind us which is great. We want to do something bigger and better each and every year for everyone- spectators, riders, sponsors and the teams! My job is to study what other series are doing and see what we can do with an open mindkeeping in mind what we can afford.”

This Amsoil Duluth National race is a great start to the season each year. “ Duluth is a new beginning each year as every rider can win and change the bar. It has been running for 23 years now and the city gets right behind the event. It is our Super Bowl race and exciting to get behind it each year and see what happens.

It is amazing to see the enthusiasm with

many people involved. We work with Visit Duluth and Spirit Mountain closely and have 90 employees here ourselves under the ISOC umbrella from television to track officials to everything. It is a huge undertaking.”

It sounds like you really enjoy your work here at ISOC?

Visit www.isocracing.com

“ It is a dream job for me. There are long hours and lots of hard work but it is some-

So you have quite a large staff with you on these race weekends? “ They make it easy because we have great people in each position. Amsoil is behind the sport through thick and thin and we are fortunate to have them as title and this race is in their back yard.”

The race classes seem to be quite healthy with many riders? “ The Pro Open is healthy but we would like to get a few more sponsors to up the purse. There has been new sponsors added over the summer. It is amazing to see the very professional teams. I started with those teams as a racer and can now see it from the other side.”

thing that I love so I am fortunate and very lucky. We have 8 races this season and like to see more cold weather and snow continue!”

Check out my video interview with Carl at www.slednews.com

President

Miranda Bolt Graphic Designer

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SNOWMOBILE NEWS DECEMBER 2014

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My Interview With Snocross Legend Tucker Hibbert

BY SCOTT A. SUMNER

NW Ontario Snowmobile News It has become a bit of a tradition for me to visit the Tucker Hibbert Race Team at the Amsoil Duluth National. This year Friday at lunchtime I sat down with Tucker!

You had a tremendous season last year Tucker! “ Last year was awesome- the best season I have had yet as far as races wins, qualifying consistency and heat class wins. I felt really strong. The whole season went smooth and we got the championship at the end of the year.”

How do you feel about this upcoming race season?

“This year we are looking to do the same thing focusing on being consistent and getting good starts to put us up front at the start of the races. I think we can have another great season. I go into the season as prepared as I can be and ride to the best of my abilities.

However the races turn out is how they turn out. I’m hoping this year will be a lot like last year. I can’t expect it to be that well but I guess I can hope for it.”

What kind of training do you do in the off season?

“In the off season I raced AMA Motocross in the 450 class at the nationals and also raced mountain bikes. This is the same thing I have been doing for the last handful of years- keeping my fitness up and having fun. I did three AMA Nationals this season. My best finish was 18 or 19th, around the top twenty, where I have been floating for 3 or 4 years. I would like to do better but the guys are getting tougher.

If you are off the bike for the whole winter it doesn’t help you out much and takes a while to get up the speed. I was happy with it and challenged myself all summer but would like to do a little better.”

What do you do to prepare just before the snocross season begins? “ We have been busy at the shop building

sleds and getting everything organized for the races, practicing and testing with the team. This year the weather didn’t cooperate as much as the past so I didn’t get as much time on the sled, but I feel we got a solid amount of testing in and we are coming into this race prepared. We do the same things as I do every year. We ride at the Christian Brothers test track at Fertile, MN for testing and practicing.”

How do you like the 2015 Arctic Cat Sno Pro race sled? “ The sled is a little bit better than last year. We didn't make many changes as it worked so well last year with the success we had. It is a solid machine. We start the season with what we finished with last year and keep tuning and building from there. We like to start with something in Duluth that won’t give us any surprises.”

This year you again have your own replica sled available to the public? “ My replica sled is a 600 this year. It is pretty cool with all the paint and graphics the same as my race sled. It now has the 600 motor which is as close as you can get to riding my race sled. I don’t get a lot of time to do trail riding but usually get out

for 300 or 400 miles a year it seems. I like to ride around a little bit on the trails. The 600 CTEC is a super fun motor. I like to have fun and throw the sled around which is light but still has a lot of power.”

It has been quite a long time in the snocross race business for you Tucker? “ This is around 15 or 16 years racing.

This year I can race Pro Veteran class but I am going to focus on the Pro Open class.

Maybe in the future step up to the Pro Vets but not this year. Last year I felt the strongest I have ever been in terms of fitness and my body. My mind recovery has been really good. Being 30 years old doesn’t really mean anything different to me.

It is just another year out there racing.”

Has the sport of snocross changed over the years? “ The sport has changed. The race tracks have gotten bigger with deeper holes. Ten years ago the tracks were smoother with some jumps and holes. Now you have to pound through them and a lot of the time you are kinda bouncing from one to the next. The sleds have changed a lot and like everything evolving and getting different. I don’t know if it is any better or worse- just different.”

Do you have any specific goals this year? “ An awesome goal this year is to get to 100 PRO wins. I think I am at 95 right now. ( 97 after 2 Duluth wins!) My number one goal is to have a safe health consistent season, bring home a championship and get another gold medal at X Games which is a major goal. If I achieve these goals we should achieve 100 wins.”

Do you think your snocross racing years will continue on for many years? “ It has to end sometime but for this year I am just focussed on what I have always done. We just take it year by year. I haven’t really thought about what I will do in the industry if I decide to stop racing. I am just focused on each season, taking each one as it comes, do my best and figure it out as the years unfold.”

Check out my video interview with Tucker at www.slednews.com

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SNOWMOBILE NEWS DECEMBER 2014

OFSC Trail Permits Sale On the Rise

BY SCOTT A. SUMNER

NW Ontario Snowmobile News “ The OFSC has been around for almost 50 years in Ontario but the trail responsibilities are at the local snowmobile clubs. The OFSC is really all of those clubs getting together and saying what can we do collectively, with say insurance and dealing with government.” said Ron Purchase, Director of Strategic Development at the OFSC. “ I have have seen very large cities with modest snowmobile clubs and smaller towns with large clubs that are hugely important in the community. It amazing and based on whether the community decides snowmobiling is important. It is not just the volunteers that put the trails in place but the town itself if they know the impact at the hotels, gasoline dealers, repair places and so on. When the community gets on board it really makes a difference.”

Recent studies by the OFSC show snowmobiling can make a big economic impact. “ We are able to say snowmobiling is worth $1.7 billion dollars in Ontario each year. That is significant and a contribution in the time of year where the communities really need it.

We know snowmobilers are pretty prized as customers because they need to purchase service.” said Purchase.

How have permit sales been in Ontario? “ We come through a period of about 10 years where each year we see a

small decline in participation but we looked at how can we change that. One of the things we were able to offer is a

Why should the snowmobilers buy a trail permit? “ The first reason for buying a permit

you must have a permit if your use the trails.” “ The Ontario government has been a

special price point on permits purchased online before November 1st. We save on point of sale costs and folks have really responded to that. The early discount was $180 versus $210. They appreciate that and we have seen return members.” said Purchase. “ We had 15,000 snowmobilers who hadn’t bought a permit ready to snowmobile on our free weekend last year.

Those people also chose to buy permits this year.”

is the quality of the product. If you are a snowmobiler and have experienced a groomed trail you understand why we need every one to contribute. We are not a commercial operation but driven by volunteers. The permit is a shared contribution of maintenance of the trails. You can spend $250,000 on a groomer and then there is the operating costs. It is also law of the province that

good partner for snowmobiling. They understand the value of snowmobiling in terms of economic impact and have given us $1.5 million for trail work happening right now to make the tourism product better. We also have a great relationship with the Ministry of Tourism and the OPP through the STOP program.” said Purchase.

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PAGE 5

Minnesota's Tucker Hibbert completes the 1st/1st sweep of the AMSOIL Duluth National ACS series opener DULUTH, Minn. (Nov. 30, 2014) Professional snocross' all-time winningest racer, Monster/Arctic Cat/Ram's Tucker Hibbert, has been racing at Duluth's Spirit Mountain for 15 years. And today, round two of 2014-'15 AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram, Hibbert tapped into that vast experience to top the rest of the field in the premier Pro Open class.

"It was rough out there today," said Hibbert in logging his second main event win of the weekend. "The snow dust made visibility very difficult. I rode a lot on memory."

And winning the Pro Lite class support race was rookie pro racer Ryan Springer of Carlson Motorsports/Polaris.

Pro Open Pro Open class winner Tucker Hibbert airs it out over the Spirit Mountain course.

With snow dust lingering across the track as the afternoon winds died down atop Spirit Mountain, Hibbert dance through a field of lapped traffic, more or less unable to clearly see what was ahead of him.

Enduring the conditions better than anyone on the track, Hibbert managed to still put time on the 2nd and 3rd place racers, Mystic/Loctite/Polaris' Kyle Pallin and

winning the LCQ) was Hentges/Polaris' Kody Kamm. Last year's Pro Open overall point runner-up to Hibbert, Kamm put on a spectacular ride in today's main event, rocketing from 11th to 5th place by the fifth lap. Then, when Ross Martin (DuPont/Jack Links/Polaris) suffered a mechanical issue in the middle of the rhythm section on lap six, Kamm inherited 4th place - and some important overall points.

Duluth Sunday Pro Open Results

AMSOIL/Scheuring/Ski-Doo's Lincoln Lemieux.

"I was able to grab the holeshot, but once Tucker got out in front there was no catching him," said Pallin, who scored his second podium of the weekend with a 2nd place today.

Hibbert would employ a different strategy off the start, one that looked to pay off with a 2nd place run up the hill and into the first corner for the defending Pro Open champ. Using the center pole of the starting structure as a bit of a basketball-like pick on the rider staged to his left, Hibbert avoided being pinched off on the start -

like what happened to him on Friday night - and came out of the first turn in 2nd behind Pallin.

One turn later on the oval course Hibbert dove into the inside of Pallin, beat him to the apex, and the pulled Michigan native up back up to the top of the ski hill through the rhythm section. From there Hibbert clicked off fast lap after fast lap, eventually winning by 12.5 seconds. Pallin rode a great race for 2nd, as did Lemieux scoring his first-ever podium in the Pro Open class (3rd).

Starting out of the back row after suffering mechanical issues earlier in the day (then

1 - Hibbert Tucker, Pelican Rapids, MN, Arctic Cat 2 - Kyle Pallin, Ironwood, MI, Polaris 3 - Lincoln Lemieux, St. Johnsbury, VT, Ski-Doo 4 - Kody Kamm, Kenosha, WI, Polaris 5 - David Joanis, Cochrane, Ontario, Arctic Cat 6 - Tim Tremblay, Quebec, Ski-Doo 7 - Logan Christian, Fertile, MN, Arctic Cat 8 - Jake Scott, Port Jefferson Station, NJ, Polaris 9 - Adam Rhenheim, Norway, Ski-Doo 10 - Justin Broberg, Mukwonago, WI, Polaris

50th Anniversary International Rally- Crane Lake and Ely Region to Atikokan!

It was decided during the summer of 1963, from the Chamber of Commerce’s, that two communities would work together to make the first ever International Rally, of course it would be in winter and on snow machines. The first two attempts failed as winter conditions played a nasty part. After two unsuccessful years of trying to link two communities of Atikokan and Ely with snow machines, the first International Rally prospered in 1965.

PAGE 6

Over 100 riders travelled to make this journey and be a part of something special.

The most successful year was followed in 1966 when 139 riders participated where it was then handed over to the Atikokan SnoHo Snowmobile Club and the Crane Lake Voyageur Snowmobile Club.

The ride hasn’t occurred since the midnineties due to the advances in snowmobile machines, the development of trails, weather conditions and border regulations.

Some of these features created difficulty

for the completion of this ride such as getting over the border or lack of room to carry suitcases on sleds. They also created a sense of ease by having set groomed trails and taking away the sense wilderness adventure.

This current sledding season marks the 50th anniversary of this International Ride and the Atikokan Sno-Ho Snowmobile Club will be recreating it. We were approached from riders that were on some of the original rides, asking if there was away they could complete it one more time. If completed these riders would have rode in the International ride in their mid-twenties and again in their mid-seventies.

Riders would travel up from the Crane Lake and Ely region to Atikokan on the Friday. They would be greeted by the town riders before heading off for dinner and socializing. On Saturday the group would travel to the infamous White Otter Castle to explore the history castle and

SNOWMOBILE NEWS DECEMBER 2014

have a cook out before traveling back.

This White Otter Loop is a little over 100 km so riders would get to experience the vast stretches of the wilderness riding.

Once back to town preparations would begin for a night of festivities. A great meal will be enjoyed while listening to old stories from some of the original riders and towns’ people with a dance to follow.

We have created a package for riders coming up from the States to make it convenient. It would include accommodations as well as meals. What it does not include is an OFSC Permit and the cost of an RABC application to cross the border remotely.

Riders or community members from the region can also part take in any of the dinners or dance, they can also partake in the ride to White Otter Castle as long as they have a valid OFSC permit.

For more questions or to sign up to be a part of the 50th anniversary of the original ride you can reach Katie at 807-5971599.

Levi Lavallee Race Team Ready For Great Season

BY SCOTT A. SUMNER

NW Ontario Snowmobile News Each year at Duluth in recent years I have had the chance to sit down with snowmobile legend Levi Lavallee. It was fun to talk to Levi about some big changes in his life. I also talked to the the three Pro Open riders on the team!

You have been involved in the snocross sport for a long time Levi? “ I’ve done a lot of years of snocross.

This is my 18th year coming to Duluth on Thanksgiving weekend as a competitor. Prior to that we came for years as spectators. I have watched the sport change a lot. It is a great event and one of the coolest things about Duluth is it is the first time you get to see the new sleds, the new racers, changes to different teams, the new sponsors and there is so much excitement. Each team is looking to improve in the off season, making changes and then you show up at Duluth with them and see if they worked or do we have to go back to the drawing board.

Has the sport changed much over the years? “ There is a lot technology now and the new sleds are incredible thinking back to

she was here you have a whole new outlook on things.” “ I also decided to retire from Amsoil Snocross. Last season, and even over the last few years, I had quite a few injuries. It was getting harder and harder on my body. We were in a position where we had great riders on the team who are doing a great job. If I help them grow and advance their careers holding down the fort for the race team, I can go

doing something you love. I don’t have any other plans besides racing and going fast. This will my 12th year of racing starting at 12 years old in the Junior 10 to 13 class. My brother and I raced together then as a family” “ This is my third year with Levi and it has been a wonderful experience. I am in the place I want to be and just want to go out there and build on the success I had last year. You keep learning, getting faster and my goal is to bump up to first or second in the points after finishing third last year.”

“The Polaris sled feels really good. We did some testing last spring after the season and made some more gains so each years it gets a little better. We will be right there with everyone else especially off the line.”

the 90’s. They are now purpose built to do these jumps. In the last 5 or 6 years the style of racing has changed. We used to rythme over everything with less impact. Now guys hold it wide open and blast into these bumps so you can go faster. The sleds are tougher, stiffer and geared to wide open. There is a new style of snocross. In the past it was more finesse but now becoming more flat out hitting bumps. The sled is set up so that at impact it deflects off in hopes of doubling the next bump. In AMA motocross there is a lot more finesse. Now guys are literally skipping from bump to bump similar to the whips in supercross. The younger guys have trained their whole lives for this approach.”

pursue things I really like such as the jumps and X games. Last year when I did the whole season I ended up 10th in points and struggled with my body with the beating you take in snocross. I am 32 years old but in snocross years I’d be about 85!” “ It is going to be fun. I plan to compete in four of the X Games disciplines Sno cross, Hill cross, Speed and Style and Long jump. I am also working with Redbull on another thing which will be super fun which I can’t say too much about yet. I want to try things in snowmobiling that have never been done before. This gives me the time to do that.

You have three good pro open riders on the team this year?

The off season has been very eventful for you Levi? “ My wife and I had a little girl- Liv Joy Lavallee is her name and she is 8 weeks old. It is funny being a new father you hear the stories of how much you absolutely love the baby but as soon as

“ We have Kyle Pallin Jake Scott and Andy Lieders- all Pro riders.”

Kyle Pallin “ Racing is fun and why not have fun

Check out my video interview with Levi at www.slednews.com

January 8th, 2015

Jake Scott “ I had a bit of a rough season last year with an injury half way through. This season I am looking to ride the best I can. There is so much competition out there fighting for podiums and wins. I want to have fun, do what I know I can do and get some top fives. Two years ago I won the Pro Lite championship and bumped up last year to Pro Open. I got injured in practice at X Games -my ribs and lungs made me out of breathe.

This summer I worked on my health and hope it is good for this season. We have been riding for the past 2 weeks on snow. We go to Quadna and Elk River. It will be a fun year. Levi is a great teacher with so much knowledge and has been helping us on the track every day.”

Andy Lieders “ This season I am a Pro Open rider.

Last year as Pro Lite I finished fifth in points but overall had a good season.

Polaris wanted me to move up to Pro Open class.The mod has a lot more power and is more fun to ride. It is pretty well the same buggy except for power. It will be a whole new ball game for me.

Pro Lite had a handful of fast guys to compete with but in Pro Open everyone is fast. This year is going to be wide open all the time and going for it. It will be a leaning experience and working with everyone on the team has prepared me for the season.”

SNOWMOBILE NEWS DECEMBER 2014

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TBAT Trail Permits up This Season

BY SCOTT A. SUMNER

NW Ontario Snowmobile News You are selling more permits this year? “ This year we sold more permits than last year and the year before so it is trending up. We had a very successful ride with Teen Challenge with 115 registered rider on a day that was -30C. We sold 99 day passes to people that day who hadn’t been on the trails and some of those have already purchased permits this year.” said Adrian Tessier, Groomer Coordinator for the TBAT for about the last 5 years who previously worked for the Ministry of Transportation.

Also exciting news for the TBAT is new trails opening up. “ We are going to open up more trails

this year than last year and are in the process of hooking up L107 to Silver Mountain and L110 to Gravel Lakes by building a trail of about 10 kilometers that runs between the two for another loop. We are also going to open up a trail on the Gold Creek Road we haven’t had open for a few years due to logging,” said Tessier. “ People will start riding in Kakabeka. We would like to have a trail to the Neebing Roadhouse but we just don’t have the people to do it. We are a very small group of 4 retired guys who help and some times we have a few more people.”

The TBAT have two groomers that are working well with four operators trained with two guys per groomer. They have

about 300 kilometers which is about 60 hours of grooming for one round.

There is one loop that takes 20 hours to do. “ The cold weather is helping as the swamps are starting to freeze up, the lakes are freezing and if the snow holds off for a few weeks it will be good. The trails will be awesome this year.” smiles Tessier.

This year the TBAT will once again

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SNOWMOBILE NEWS DECEMBER 2014

host the Teen Challenge ride on the 28th of February. Also around February 8th there may be a diabetes ride. They are also working with Easter Seals to bring the Snowarama back to Thunder Bay for next winter where they feel it belongs on their great trail network.