OSM 38.3

ADRENALINE JACKET

The CATALYST ™ platform set a new standard for performance, and now, we’ve given it power to match. The all-new 858 engine is lighter than anything we’ve done before and takes power and torque to new levels. Purpose-built for the CATALYST platform, the optimized laydown design will give you an even lower center of gravity for precision and control like nothing else. Unleash the 858 and experience the power that will change everything.

Make it easy to put more miles on this season with effortless control, unrivaled acceleration, and comfort of the INDY lineup. Industry-leading technology in the optional 7S display featuring RIDE COMMAND, you can take on the trail confident and connected.

Distributed by

PATRIOT LAUNCH

The naturally aspirated 850cc Patriot engine makes light work of crushing cross-country race obstacles when combined with the Matryx platform and XCR package.

Rider - Jordan “Wammy” Hammack

Sled - 2023 Polaris 850 Indy XCR 136”

Location - Off-Trail, West Yellowstone, MT

SERPENT

Riding the ever powerful 200+ HP Sidewinder through the trees isn’t as easy as it always looks. With seemingly endless power one has to be aware of the power band to avoid potential hazards.

- Tyler Swarm

Sled - 2023 Yamaha Sidewinder X-TX SE 146”

Rider

VOLUME 38 NUMBER 3 FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES CONTACT 1-888-661-7469

Publication Mail Agreement 40010190 Motorsports

President & Publisher: Richard Kehoe

Copy Editor: Rick Bloye

Art Director: Darryl Aspin

Production Manager: Tendra Crossman

Advertising Sales: 1-888-661-7469

Director of Sales & Marketing: Andrew McEwan

Sales & Marketing: Eric Torresan Steve Belyntsev

Administrative Assistant: Sarah Day

Photographers: Todd Williams, Rob Alford, Emily Wicklund, Taylor Batch, James Wicken, Rob Alford, Richard Kehoe, Tendra Crossman, Maria Sandberg, Shelby Mahon, Chris Burandt, Brian Caswell, Levi LaVallee, Kristen LaVallee, Museum of Ingenuity J. Armand Bombardier Archives, Mike Duffy, Andrew McEwan, Brent Geerlings

Contributing Writers: Mark Boncher, Jeff Steenbakkers, Jason Kawczynski, Levi LaVallee, Chris Burandt, Tyler Swarm, Darren Desautels, Maria Sandberg, Rob Alford, Jordan Hammack, Richard Kehoe, Mike Duffy, Andrew McEwan, Brent Geerlings, Jake Hudson

Subscriptions: 1-888-661-7469 or info@osmmag.com

OSM is published five times a year by OSM Publishing Ltd. Office address and undelivered copies and change of address notice is: 27083 Kennedy Road, Willow Beach, ON L0E 1S0, Canada. Telephone (905) 722-6766. Printed in Canada by: Trade Secrets • Copyright 2024 OSM Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. Subscription rates for magazine (includes Trail Map Atlas) $19.00 per year, $29.00 for 2 years. $37.00 for 3 years.

On Snow Magazine 27083 Kennedy Road Willow Beach, ON L0E 1S0, Canada ph: 905-722-6766 fax: 905-722-6761

toll-free ph: 888-661-7469 toll-free fax: 888-680-7469 email: info@osmmag.com www.osmmag.com

ADAPTIVE ONESIES

ARTICULATION FOR COMFORT WHILE RIDING ON/OFF TRAIL

LIGHTWEIGHT INSULATION FOR ADDED WARMTH WITH LOW BULK HEAD-TO-TOE WATERPROOF INSULATED SYSTEM

2024… YES, IT’S

Every year we moan about the late starts to our season. And it’s the same each year, give a week or two.

The start is never perfect and never has been. I remember when I was nine years old there wasn’t any snow for my winter break. It happens. I also remember when I was 18 in college and there was so much snow that we rode every morning before

class. I also remember it snowing in May for my sons birthday.. Our Schedules at OSM and STV have been condensed this year and we can’t wait to bring you all the content that we have all been waiting for especially the best last-minute places to ride and a lesson on the 8+cc from Cat. This is going to be a great Sled Season!

WINTER ADVENTURES AWAIT

In the snowy landscapes of Saguenay, Québec, a snowmobiling revolution is unfolding with the Widescape WS250. More than a snowmobile, it embodies freedom, agility, and joy—a key to unlocking exhilarating winter adventures.

Originating over 20 years ago in a small family garage, the WS250 is a collaborative father-son project, integrating the thrill of jet-skiing, enduro motocross, and mountain biking. This remarkable engineering achievement is designed specifically for dynamic, immersive, and physically engaging off-trail riding in deep snow.

Powered by a robust 250cc 4-stroke engine, it delivers consistent torque for off-trail riding. Weighing a mere 200 lbs, its agile build ensures smooth navigation through dense forests and deep snow, tackling side-hills and switchbacks effortlessly. Forget the shovel—this snowmobile's lightness ensures hassle-free self-rescue. Remarkably fuel-efficient, the WS250's 8-liter tank sustains up to 4 hours of continuous riding, urging you to match its endurance for longer,

In a world where snowmobiling often means complexity and expense, the WS250 offers a refreshing, straightforward, and exhilarating alternative. It rekindles the joy and freedom of snowmobiling, reconnecting riders with the thrill of winter exploration—discovering new paths, relishing the outdoors, and maximizing the season.

Discover a new way to experience winter. Book a test ride or order your WS250 from over 70 dealers across North America.

CSRA SEASON STARTS UP

On behalf of the csra crew, we want to wish everyone all the best in 2024. Our CSRA team is excited and is looking forward to a great racing season this winter!!” The OSM crew will see you in the pits.

Meet the New King of the Trail & Track

Extreme Performance Belts

Engineered For Riders, By Riders

Designed by Dayco’s team of powersports engineers and enthusiasts, the Dayco POWER belt line offers the best in belt performance for today’s snowmobiles, ATVs and SXS. Four belt designs optimize engine size, horsepower range, modification level and riding style while providing premium application-specific performance. for a chance to win a Dayco bar stool! Visit us at the

Extensive coverage for everything from stock engines to high horsepower machines

Unmatched performance and durability at every application level

Longer belt life due to superior strength and dimensional stability

Unconditional one year warranty

25TH

KELLY SHIRES BREAST CANCER SNOW RUN

FEBRUARY 2-4, 2024

This is a fun & unique all-women snowmobile event that raises money to financially assist breast cancer patients across Canada The charity is run by volunteers with one part-time employee who manages the office and applications from patients.

ACCESSORIES

BACON

BELT

BOOTS

CABIN

DESTINATION

ENGINE

FUEL

GLOVES

HEAT PACK

HELMET

ICE

JACKET

LUNCH

MAP

CHOOSE YOUR IMPROVEMENT

UNIQUE YAMAHAS

Cutting edge design was a something that Japanese companies are known for. For the Yamaha Motor Company who has been designing snowmobiles since the 1960’s it wasn’t until the early 1980’s that Yamaha caught everyone off guard. This was the beginning of many unique, original, and futuristic looking snowmobiles that Yamaha designed and produced that broke all molds for decades to come. At this time of Yamaha’s snowmobile design, they all originated from Japan. In this issue of OSM we look at five of the most uniquely designed Yamaha snowmobiles. take 5

1981 SRX / 1982 VMAX 540

For many, this is where Yamaha started to introduce some radically different looking snowmobiles. The 1981 SRX and then 1982 Vmax 540 were the first snowmobiles that featured the Telescopic Strut front Suspension (TSS) or known as the pogo stick by everyone that didn’t ride own one due to its appearances.

The SRX/Vmax powerhouse sled had the sleek look of the future with flat top skis hiding all bracing and welds with stickers on them. The handlebars were high at the time with the gauges nicely located on them and the headlight was hidden and flipped up when wanted, this was similar to the Chevrolet Corvette at the time. In 1982, the Vmax 540 took over as Yamaha’s heavy weight from the SRX but could not handle the pressure of being Yamaha’s flag ship. Constantly being blown out at every local radar run to 600’s and eventually 650’s. The Vmax quietly went away and left the also under powered Exciter line-up to try and mingle with the other big boys.

1984

PHAZER

In 1984 Yamaha came out swinging with a snowmobile from the future with it’s headlight mounted on the handled bars with a tight fairing and small sporty windshield. All the gauges where also a part of this fairing giving the rider a better and easier view of the gauges as well as added hand and wind protection. The ‘Phazer also featured a Telescopic Strut Suspension that gave the snowmobile an even more of Star Wars look. Yamaha knew that they needed to have more power as the Phazer was only a 485cc fan cooled snowmobile and in 1987 they introduced the Exciter which featured a larger 535cc liquid cooled engine. Both the Phazer and Exciter had many great years of production and had predecessors, the Phazer II and Exciter II which propelled Yamaha in to the early to mid 1990s. Sadly both the faring mounted snowmobiles ran their course and were discontinued.

1988 SNO-SCOOT

At the time, nobody really knew what Yamaha was thinking when they came out with the Sno-Scoot and maybe they didn’t even really know the importance at the time. This snowmobile was designed as an introductory snowmobile to snowmobiling. Yamaha tried introducing in city centres even having evenings at local hockey arenas for test rides. While this all seemed odd in the late 80s to be trying to attract new “city people” on small snowmobiles to the sport. It was nearly four decades ahead of the curve of the future of snowmobiling of introducing new people to the sport on smaller more affordable snowmobiles.

At the time Yamaha might have felt like they missed the mark with the rather small size of the 80cc mid-engine of Sno-Scoot so they doubled down and came out with a larger 125cc engine Sno-Scoot called the Sno-Sport. This unit had a better suspension giving it a better ride and reduced rider fatigue, it was a little wider and dare we say it, more power. Unfortunately, this snowmobile was also decades ahead of its time and as snowmobilers giggled at their favorite pit spots at both these Yamaha mid-engine snowmobiles, they ultimately fell out of the Yamaha Snowmobile catalogue.

Today, the Sno-Scoot is an iconic snowmobile, the used market has completely eaten them up. Parents everywhere look to stumble over one for the kids to blast around the yard on. To this day you still might find one an original Sno-Scoot in the swap meet like Haydays or Sledarama, most likely, they’re probably not running. If it’s a runner, it’s not going to be for sale and has been in the family for generations and will be continued to be so. It’s simply a “look what I have that you want” piece.

1992 VMAX 4

The Vmax 4 was introduced from the land of the Rising Sun in 1992 with a vengeance. Yamaha re-released the Vmax brand with a 750cc four-cylinder two stroke engine that ran as smooth as the first sight of fresh jar of Jiffy peanut butter. This was the first real Hyper Sled to be released in the 1990s and the first snowmobile to surpass 701cc. With its incredible fit and finish, all new wrap around headlight, black finish, bright florescent pink accents, stickers, and ski skins on all aluminum light weight skis the Vmax 4 checked all the boxes in 1992. The Yamaha faithful were once again lining up at dealerships with their cheque books in hand.

On the racetracks and at radar runs everywhere they were always expected and often coming out on top due to its larger displacement and fierce looks. Tim Bender pushed his Vmax 4’s to multiple wins and championships rightfully naming them the Terminator.

2008 NYTRO

The Vmax 4 was introduced from the land of the Rising Sun in 1992 with a vengeance. Yamaha re-released the Vmax brand with a 750cc four-cylinder two stroke engine that ran as smooth as the first sight of fresh jar of Jiffy peanut butter. This was the first real Hyper Sled to be released in the 1990s and the first snowmobile to surpass 701cc. With its incredible fit and finish, all new wrap around headlight, black finish, bright florescent pink accents, stickers, and ski skins on all aluminum light weight skis the Vmax 4 checked all the boxes in 1992. The Yamaha faithful were once again lining up at dealerships with their cheque books in hand.

On the racetracks and at radar runs everywhere they were always expected and often coming out on top due to its larger displacement and fierce looks. Tim Bender pushed his Vmax 4’s to multiple wins and championships rightfully naming them the Terminator.

lawn ornaments

For well over a decade, we have been reporting on the fever of Lawn Ornaments. Over the years we have come to realization that these photos are taken mostly by nosey passengers on the lookout for gems that people have left behind, or drivers that often pass the same yard and over time become pissed off neighbours... No matter who is responsible for artistic photos that we receive, we thank you for your time and if we print it, we are always happy to reward you with a FREE T-Shirt for your troubles. Please send your photos to info@osmmag.com

Hey OSM Staff,

Everyday leading up to the Toronto Snowmobile Show in the month of October I parked my truck by the infamous Scuzzy. What a lawn ornament. It does not run, is over studded, weighs more than a small car and is impossible to move on your own. I want to thank the team that unloaded from a trailer. Now, It’s starting to snow and is still in the way, please come collect it, move it or recycle it …If anyone is willing to buy the Scuzzy before it’s keepers comes back from snowmobiling this winter, please contact 888-661-7469 for details of potential sale. No reasonable offer refused.

Signed, Mr. K

Yo Guys, I found this guy properly secured on a flat deck on my way to work this fall. It’s in decent shape for a late 80’s model. Even though it’s missing its windshield (probably for aerodynamics giving it an extra mile or two) the custom painted trailering arms say it all. As you would say, “It’s a runner”.

Chris, Pefferlaw, ON

Organized – Perch beware

We’re not sure who or where this photo was taken but it says a lot. Please make sure when you are submitting your photos you send some information. We have tried to reach out to this Hotmail account owner with no response.

This is less of a lawn ornament and more of an organized ice fisherman. Sure, it’s been left outside to witness the leaves fall and the rain turn to snow. With the late start to the winter in many parts, the early 2000s Arctic Cat is ready to haul the hut out on the lake once the ice and snow arrives. Money says that everything has been greased, fresh gas is in the tank and a can of either has been left under that tarp just in case. The organization is noticeable in this yard.

atom

The Atom SV is the ultimate helmet for long-distance snowmobilers. Includes breath guard and amber inner visor. Available with double or electric quick-release shield. Also includes a quick release micrometric buckle and a removable/washable lining.

AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL DEALER

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The end of the road, After the gates closed and the swappers and exhibitors moved out of the Peterborough Sledarama a gem was left behind to rot by the dumpster. Maybe it was strategic thinking to save a few bucks on disposal fees. At any rate the “Jer-Bear” gave the Panther one more day of charm and grace. Even in its day the Panther wasn’t a “cover” model and still isn’t today but the Bear worked the old Panther over one more time in order to grace the pages of OSM before the Peterborough Waste Management came for pick up. Thanks for the memories.

assemblies

TBY JASON KAWCZYNSKI

he clock is ticking on the availability to purchase a brand-new Yamaha Snowmobile, as we all certainly have heard that Model Year 2025 will be Yamaha’s last. What they have in the sidewinder might go in the history books with their exit from the industry as the tech share agreement with Arctic Cat doesn’t seem likely to continue. What better reason to get your hands on what is one of the most unique, and powerful, snowmobiles ever made before they are gone forever!

Thanks to our good friends at Yamaha, we have been provided lots of opportunities, since 2017, to ride many different Sidewider models and rack on tens of thousands of high adrenaline miles. Honestly, not much has changed in the eight years of production of any massive significance. We received plenty of new colorways but that’s about as radical as it was until they launched the new power steering system in 2022 on the LTX LE. We were already in love with the Sidewinder but this is when we went head over heels. Especially Steenbakkers.

The LTX LE again doesn’t differentiate a whole lot from most of the other Sidewinder lineup. Its 137-inch rear skid is shared everywhere else, except on the XTX (146-inch). Even the 15 x 1.25-inch lug track is the same across the board except for the SRX with the smaller 1-inch lug. That is for good reason as it works very well on this sled. It does a great job transferring the 200+ HP to the snow and when stopping doesn’t load up terribly. If you add a pile of studs it gets even better!

EVEN WITH ALL THESE CHANGES WHICH TECHNICALLY SHOULD HAVE MADE THE STEERING MUCH HEAVIER, THE EPS SYSTEM HAD NO PROBLEM OVERCOMING IT!

EPS IS EXCEPTIONAL

The EPS addition opened a load of different possibilities that we couldn’t do with prior models. The non-eps sidewinders were rather heavy in steering effort and what we typically would do on our demo’s was raise the center spring rate as much as possible to shift the weight of the big 4-stroke turbo motor off the skis. This did work, and quite frankly if you were not a rather strong grown adult and did NOT make changes to lighten the load, it would have considerable ski pressure making it a little tougher to steer over the course of a long day’s ride. Adding larger length carbides also made the steering even heavier so it was a fine balance between comfort and control when getting these dialed in. Some of the hard-core Yamaha riders might balk at this statement… but if you are a rider who ONLY rode Yamaha this might have been something that you overlooked as it would seem normal. Our OSM test rider posse has the luxury to jump back and forth between all different OEM model snowmobiles. This makes it harder to get used to heavy steering, so we always try our best to make the larger 4-strokes ride like the lighter 2-strokes.

All that being said, add the EPS into the equation and you could do so much more with very little effort! Forget taking the weight off the skis, instead we were able to add more precision with suspension and limiter adjustments that went the opposite way. We added 8-inch carbides to double the bite from the stock setup

and could pile on plenty of studs to propel the turbo to its maximum speed in the shortest duration possible.

Even with all these changes which technically should have made the steering much heavier, the EPS system had no problem overcoming it! This delivered what we adored from sleds past, affectionately we called it “trailing arm feel”, which was light and consistent steering and almost perfect predictability. Coming into, or out of, corners just feels awesome and the trail conditions really didn’t matter anymore it was easy to ride.

The LTX package was paired with not only EPS but the other necessary trail comforts that made high mile days a breeze without complaints. A tall windshield, heated seat and Fox QS3 shocks all around gave you no reason to ever get out of the saddle.

The heated seat worked well when you were riding hard packed and smooth trails. But if you found yourself having to stand up over rough patches, or when there was a lot of snow dust getting thrown around, sometimes you would sit back down on a wet seat. Over the course of a day’s ride, this tended to soak into your snow pants. We chose a lot of times to just leave it off, unless the rider was leading, as it could cause more of an issue than it helped.

THE LONG HAUL

The next question everyone asks is how the durability of the LTX was over the many miles? We know Yamaha has always been the icon for dependable build quality and this sled is no different. The only significant issue we had was on the first ride when it was throwing engine codes and going into limp mode.

After one phone call with our local dealer, he was able to identify that our throttle cable was likely out of adjustment and this easy fix resolved the problem in five minutes. We did change a belt once on it, purely out of precaution, after getting it stuck and being lazy just trying to power it out… inevitably we got a little burning rubber smell. Otherwise, an oil and filter change after 500 miles and a new set of carbides were all it needed to get to 4000+ miles. We didn’t even always ride in perfect snow conditions and frequently used it on hard packed lakes, but we never came

close to burning through the hifax. There was a lot of wear but the hifax got to a point of 30-40%, and kind of stayed there. That was not always the case with Yamaha’s, especially the Nytro sleds and Apex XTX machines where you knew you had to add the extra wheel kit. But this sled was ‘temper it and forget it’ for the most part.

ONE ISSUE THAT WE DID HAVE WITH THE 998CC IS THE POWER DELIVERY IS SO SMOOTH AND CONSISTENT YOU OFTEN FOUND YOURSELF GOING WAY FASTER THAN INTENDED

The Yamaha gauge certainly wasn’t the best around, with no options for any fancy tech that you see on the high-end Ski Doo or Polaris sleds. But honestly that is not an issue for us as prefer to ride with our Garmin Zumo GPS that can be loaded with detailed maps that are readily available for any areas we ride. The advantage of having a Garmin is you can customize what you want to see, add your own trails, backcountry routes and waypoints by plugging into your laptop and using their basecamp program. Then when you jump on a different sled for the day it can be moved in seconds via a quick-change RAM mount.

This $400 device is far cheaper than adding on any of the OEM fancy displays and is just as capable with most features. Plus when you sell your sled and get a new one, you can bring along every prior adventure and customization that you have had to your new ride.

Wait, did we forget to mention that the LTX has insane power! The 200+ HP is still the top horsepower production sled again after many years. Little has changed with it which is a testament to how reliable it has been. New motors usually come with significant changes in their early development to address common issues that are only found after thousands are built and ridden. With the 998cc turbo 4-stroke, not much was ever needed. That is an achievement in itself! Adding a turbocharger usually leads to a lot of stress on motors of any kind and gives far less long term durability than a naturally aspirated motor would. But like all the Yamaha motors, riders should have no fear putting on excess of ten thousand miles and still having these turbo 4-stroke motors be as perfectly reliable as the 1000 miles you rode it.

YOU MIGHT NOT “NEED” A TURBO BUT LIFE IS SHORT SO YOU MIGHT AS

GET THERE

One issue that we did have with the 998cc is that power delivery is so smooth and consistent you often found yourself going way faster than intended! With or without or studs, it didn’t feel like it took off overly fast and you didn’t really get that feeling of some other turbos where suddenly, they threw you back off the seat. Rather it just kept pulling consistently until you glanced down and saw triple digit speeds and decided it would be prudent to easy back the throttle a touch!

Even with the power and our proclivity to use it all the time, fuel economy was very good. Depending on the rider and how heavy their thumb was it did differ a bit, but never was this sled needing fuel stops before other sleds in the group. Typically, we found that you could do over 100 miles on a tank before the low fuel light would come on and then a fill-up would be 7-ish gallons. That consistently came out to around 14-15mpg. During the first 500 or so miles this was a bit lower, and it also seemed like the motor wasn’t putting out nearly as much power as it should have, but after the first oil change it really opened-up both in fuel economy and

WELL

FAST!

YAMAHA’S COLORWAYS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE CROWD FAVORITE BUT THIS ‘WINDER IS EXCEPTIONALLY SHARP!

NOTHING NEW HERE ON YAMAHA’S GAGE BUT IT CONTINUES TO DELIVER THE NEEDED INFORMATION IN AN EASY TO USE PLATFORM.

PLENTY OF NEEDED STORAGE WITHOUT ADDING COSTLY ACCESSORIES, STANDARD ON ALL SIDEWINDER MODELS.

HEATED SEATS DEPLOYED AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON, NO NEED TO FUMBLE THROUGH A TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY.

top speed. Best of all, the entire season of oil consumption was limited to one gallon of oil, not a gallon per weekend like on a performance two stroke.

Being an avid 2-stroke rider myself, I can’t really complain about the extra weight that comes with this sled. If you can get a fantastic handling sled like the LTX that doesn’t suck every last bit of energy from you on a long day’s ride, there isn’t any advantage to having a lighter 2-stroke sled. Sure, going off trail on this or most of the Sidewinder lineup was more difficult for the average rider, but that’s not what they are meant to do. If you are look ing for an ultra-reliable trail sled that is cost effective during your ownership period, and is blazing fast, this one is a true winner!

Sadly, the Sidewinder LTX and the rest of the snow lineup will disappear after next season, but that should

warrant serious consideration to purchase these while you still can. There is nothing like these snowmobiles in the industry and the truly remarkable reliability backed by the full warranty of Yamaha and their dealer network is not going anywhere. You can still purchase an extended warranty if you so choose and have full coverage until the 2030 season. Maybe by that time Yamaha might return with new innovations, possibly a twin turbo 400hp sled?!?!

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THESE SNOWMOBILES IN THE INDUSTRY

RIDER REALIZATIONS

1.) The Sidewinder is the fastest sled on the market. Don’t listen to what Ricky Bobby is trying to tell you down at the end of the bar about his blown 2-stroker, the Sidewinder will have you going faster than a cheetah on cocaine. There has not been, nor is there currently a production sled that has more top end, and can sustain that top end, than the Sidewinder… period… end of discussion.

2.) For fast high mile trail riders EPS and a Yamaha 4-stroke is the best combination on the market. No more shoulder or upper back issues, no more tendonitis in your elbows, and no feeling of being ripped off the sled when doing 100+ mph across 10 miles of belt-smoking frozen-lake riding. Just give everyone a 5-10 second head start, you WILL catch them… and then pass them faster than Santa can eat a plate of cookies. – Mark Boncher, Cheetah tamer and “OSM Heavy Thumb Award” winner.

Ski-Doo 600R, 850, 900T Harness all the power from our 850 clutch kits. Acceleration is improved as well as lightning quick back shift. Whether on trail or off, high or low elevation we have a kit for your need.

Drive Clutch We have all the P drive tools as well as adjustable pivot weight kits, springs, ramps and replacement parts. Mini Sled Performance: Available for all minis, ZR 200 and SnoScoot –clutch kits, race kits, suspension mods, shocks, engine mods, carb kits, new lightweight suspension arms, and rear suspensions.

Shock Rebuilds: Don’t be shocked when your ride is not what it once was. You know your shocks need to be rebuilt. Let us do it with Tech-Syn high performance seals. We service Fox, ACT, KYB, Walker Evans, Works Performance, RydeFX, Ohlins and HPG. Guaranteed quick turnaround.

The Best of the Best in the steep and deep.

BY MARK BONCHER

There are more choices in the mountain segment than there are insurance companies these days. It’s seriously incredible the available options, lengths, powerplants, colors, accessories, and more that customers can pick from. It’s not even possible for us editors and riders to get on every single sled made these days… and we ride A LOT! However, we do tend to gravitate towards certain machines for good reason and that’s why we like doing the ‘Best of the Best’ so that we can discuss the machines that really trip our triggers.

The sleds we had the most fun on for model year 2024 included the Polaris 9R Pro RMK Slash 155, Ski-Doo Freeride 850 Turbo R 154, Arctic Cat M Mountain Cat Alpha One 154, and the Yamaha Mountain Max LE 154 SL. While these are all basically the same length, that was not done just to have a more apples-to-apples approach, but more because of a consensus from all our riders (all have eclectic backgrounds riding sleds) as to what people just simply

IT’S THAT TORQUE OF THIS SLED THAT REALLY ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE FUN AND NOT ‘PUCKER UP’ IN HAIRY SITUATIONS.

R stands for Race-Mod and this is a naturally aspirated - non turbo/supercharged machine with big power. The new 2-stroke CFI tuned race motor affords riders all the lightweight aspects, and low-end torque that mountain riders want, especially in the tight trees. The low inertia powerplant provides 7% more horsepower than a standard Patriot 850 motor and 12% more torque with less weight than its turbo equivalent. This is all accomplished with a plethora of essentially aftermarket mods - factory installed, that come backed with a full warranty.

It’s that torque of this sled that really allows you to have fun and not ‘pucker up’ in hairy situations. Climbing out of somewhere you maybe weren’t planning on ending up becomes much easier and picking your way up a pine-tree filled steep incline takes less planning and is simply more fun. The quick throttle response and instant track speed, combined with the RMK’s innate ability to get up on top of the snow make the Pro RMK Slash 155 a heavy hitter. It’s available in the 155, 163 and 165 inch lengths as well, and honestly

9R IS RIGHT ON!

the majority of us riders picked this motor over the turbo because it was the easiest to ride in all areas.

We’ve mentioned it before, but the RMK’s all new 325 Series 9 is a big help in the deep snow. Especially in a 155-inch length this deep 3.25-inch lugged track with 3.5-inch pitch really helps your cause when the snow starts to pile up. This track helps the sled get up on top of the snow even more (if you can believe that) and helps the 155 punch out of its length class. The pitch, pattern, ply and more allow it to be equal in weight to the shorter lug 275 Series 8 track, which is just another positive to the machine. This Slash is light, quick on its feet, easy to roll up into a si-

dehill, bowtie, or ride down the elevator. Without this track we probably would have chosen the 163-inch version of the Slash, but a 155 is just so much more fun in our eyes. Add to this new track, the QuickDrive2 drive system and you’ve really got a sled that responds predictably and fast to rider throttle inputs. Everything RMK is focused on lightweight components including the highly capable and lighter weight version of Walker Evans Racing Velocity shocks

need.

YOU COULD GET THE POLARIS MESSAGE CENTER OR UPGRADED 7S

DISPLAY WHEN YOU ORDERED THIS SLED

AS WELL.

suspension with the same options for shocks in the rear Matryx skid. Dry weight is a staggering low 419 pounds and the sled stays skinny with a 36–38-inch adjustable ski stance. Buyers also had their choice of three bar riser options on this early season sled. Most of our riders choose the low-rise height ProTaper bars, even some of our taller guys! Face it, the ape hanger bars not only look ridiculous, but don’t serve much function either.

Mini Sled Performance: Available for all minis, ZR 200 and SnoScoot –clutch kits, race kits, suspension mods, shocks, engine mods, carb

Shock Rebuilds: Don’t be shocked when your ride is not what it once was. You know your shocks need to be rebuilt. Let us do it with Tech-Syn high performance seals. We service Fox, ACT, KYB, Walker Evans, Works Performance, RydeFX, Ohlins and HPG. Guaranteed quick turnaround.

P Drive Clutch

We have all the P drive tools as well as adjustable pivot weight kits, springs, ramps and replacement parts.

You could get the Polaris Message Center or upgraded 7S display when you ordered this sled as well. If money allows, we certainly suggest 7S as a luxury addon, but the typical mountain rider is more worried about things like the sculpted tank, low seat that is easy to hop over, and the shorter tapered tunnel with tiny snow flap which - are all standard on this machine. Just remind your riding buddies to beware, the big lug track and lack of flap means no one will want to follow too close behind one of these on the trail getting out to the powder spot!

kits, new lightweight suspension arms, and rear suspensions.

Once you get the hall pass from your significant other, it is time to jump on your Ski-Doo Freeride 850 R Turbo 154 and ride outta Dodge! We still love the name Freeride as it is exactly what snowmobiling should be about.

In the Gen 5 chassis this turbo-charged direct-injected 2-stroke 154-inch-long mountain masher is made for massive jumps, drops, and the hellish terrain that overly aggressive backcountry riders relish. This year this sled was available with the turbo in the 146-inch track as well, and that sled is also unbelievable with how fast the track spins and the places it can go while still being a short track. With the sea level calibrations for the 146, that is a great alternate option for the guys around the great lakes to take full advantage of lake effect lowlands or riders on the northeastern seaboard. The 154 however is the sweet spot we feel that allows riders to get more mountain capability, and not lose any mobility in the tight trees and technical areas. The liquid cooled motor has eRAVE technology and additional booster injectors as well and boasts 180 ponies up to 8,000 ft. It does taper at higher levels, but most mountain riders spend their time between 7,500-10,000 ft. elevation so you should have close to full power for much of your experience. If you are coming off of, say a naturally aspirated 850 then you are in for a treat, and there is now less worry about belts disintegrating with the belt monitoring system.

This sled has the newer tMotion XT rear skid which moves with the sidehill terrain to give you the best traction at any off angle, with a new rigid rear arm and rail reinforcements for those gnarly landings that maybe did not turn out as you planned. Your choice of the PowderMax 154x15x2.5 or PowderMax X-Light 154x15x3.0 tracks do the snow churning beneath the shortened tunnel with its tiny snowflap. Flex-edge track technology also works in tandem on the track with the tMotion XT to keep pushing you forward with one (or zero) skis on the snow. You get the great option of the sway bar quick-disconnect as well so when you want to really hammer down on the trail on the way out to your powder destination,

AT 459 POUNDS DRY WEIGHT, THIS IS NOT THE LIGHTEST MOUNTAIN SLED IN THE SKI-DOO INVENTORY, BUT IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE, AND THAT’S STILL LIGHT FOR A 154-INCH MACHINE!

or be the first back to the trailer, you have the confidence with a very stable front end. We have said for years that this should be standard on ANY crossover or mountain sled from Ski-Doo… but what do we know, it’s not like we’ve been riding/testing sleds for 40+ years… oh wait.

The front suspension is the RAS 3 geometry with KYB Pro 40 EA-3 shocks in it paired with lightweight coil-over springs. The newer DS 4 skis do the floating up front as well and these are some of the best skis out there. Turning them with the handlebars is easier too in many situations with the shorter 4.7-inch riser block, and we’ll take the low handlebar strap any day. My guess is that someone in accessories learned that Ski-Doo was selling WAY more of these low straps than any other and finally made their voice heard.

It’s easy to hop around the tiny deepsnow seat, and the full-length running

boards give good space, grip, and evacuate snow/ice easily. The adjustable brake lever is a nice touch if multiple people ride this sled as well… similar to the quick limiter strap adjustment system. Both are great, but in reality, if there is only one person riding the sled it is often ‘set-it and forget it’. Premium LED headlights are also a must these days and this has ‘em!

At 459 pounds dry weight, this is not the lightest mountain sled in the Ski-Doo inventory, but it’s not supposed to be, and that’s still light for a 154-inch machine! You’ll get all the standard cool gizmos like the pDrive primary clutch with adjustable clickers, hooks on the ends of the handlebars, RER, and of course… the Doo-exclusive SHOT starting system standard. There isn’t much not to like about a 10.25-inch color touchscreen display with the BRP Connect as well… but the Neo Mint color may or may not be your thang!

We are not going to sugar coat it, and really the OEMs don’t anymore either, but the Arctic Cat M Mountain Cat Alpha One 154, and the Yamaha Mountain Max LE 154 SL are pretty much the same machine. There we said it, but that’s not a bad thing! These sleds have the same time-tested Cat Ascender, or Yamaha SRV-M, platform which does double-time and is built by Arctic Cat (per the shared agreement that has been in place for many years between Arctic and Yamaha). We all know at this point that the Yamaha badged machine will be no more after model year 2025 so there is no point in trying to divide these brother sleds.

What really sets these two mountain machines apart from the competition is the Alpha (or mountain single-beam/rail, or monorail) rear suspension. This Arctic Cat technology has been around for several years but is still regarded as some of the newest mountain tech in the industry that is not motor or new chassis related. The single pivot point down the middle of the suspension, instead of having the traditional 2-rail rear skid, allows the Mountain Cat and the Mountain Max to roll up onto

a sidehill/incline/decline more easily and takes a lot of the manual effort out of getting the sled on one ski. This balancing act is what mountain riders do the vast majority of their days in the powder so a technology that flawlessly diminishes effort for much of the day is paramount. Ski-Doo’s tMotion combined with the FlexEdge track attempts to achieve the desired end result as the Alpha One does, which is ease of getting the sled off camber, but also continue positive traction. The Alpha suspension is more advanced in that it does this without multiple variables put into the mix. While it takes some getting used to on the trail it becomes very intuitive in the deep snow. One drawback is that it is only one rail though, and can be a spendy fix if you do manage to cause it to fail. However, this skid does not hold near as much snow/ice as a normal 2 rail system so your actual ‘riding sled weight’ tends to be a lot less and that is one of the biggest overlooked areas of weight on sleds in the deep snow… and just another positive to the single-beam skid.

The Yamaha Mountain Max LE SL only comes with the shorter lightweight

mountain seat (also available on the Cat) and Yamaha’s mountain ski, but otherwise there is nothing but colors that these brethren don’t share. Well, that’s not all true… as the Yamaha comes with Fox 1.5 Zero QS3 shocks and a 2.0 QS3L in the back of the skid... while the Cat has Fox Float 3 QS3 shocks with a QSL in the rear of the suspension. Also, the Yamaha comes with only a 3-inch lug track, while you have your option of a 2.60 or 3.00-inch lug track on the Cat depending on model. And I suppose the windshields (if you can call them that) are slightly different between the two. Both come with the adjustable 35.50 to 37.50-inch ski stance, same 794cc 2-stroke C-TEC2, liquid cooled Arctic Cat produced motor, and 10.4-gallon fuel tank. You could get a larger 11.7-gallon fuel cell though, also depending on model.

If you are looking for a do-it-all mountain sled that won’t cost you $20k then either the Mountain Cat or the Mountain Max fit the bill very well. You get all kinds of standard accessories like LED lights, reverse, goggle holder, ice scratchers, lightweight brake rotor, storage bags, and more.

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD

If money were no object, it’s a pretty easy decision on this one that I would be picking up a new Polaris 9R tomorrow. Not just for practical reasons, but also selfish reasons like the fact that it is basically an awesome sounding, responding, race sled that normal folks like me can purchase. I’ve had the opportunity to ride some of the best 2-stroke modified mountain sleds ever made, but it was never realistic to own one. I guess the fact that I live in Wisconsin makes it still somewhat impractical for the few times each year I ride out west in the mountains… but it is mighty tempting!

Rider Realizations

These three sleds have done a better job than Superman’s Clark Kent glasses in masking my mountain riding abilities… I’ve gone from sub-par to superhero status! After riding them, my decision was very clear, I needed one of each. The Freeride turbo was my choice for high marking my buddies up the steepest slopes. Slow picking through the trees and side hilling to our secret spot REQUIRED the Alpha rear skid in the Mountain Cat/Max. But for all around riding or when our trailer only fit one more, I almost always took the 9R as the singular best possible doit-all tool in the box!

Jason K (2023 OSM Rider Award winner for ‘Most A-arms Broken in a Single Season’, runner up for ‘Best Unplanned Dismount’.)

Jacket Buyers Guide

3 gear 2

KLIM

The KLIM Keweenaw Jacket has been reimagined as the ultimate trail jacket, combining warmth, versatility, and durability. Redesigned based on extensive rider feedback and testing, it excels in extreme conditions with its 3-in-1 insulation, including a GORE-TEX PERFORMANCE SHELL and 3M™ THINSULATE™, ensuring you stay dry and warm. The jacket features 3M™ SCOTCHLITE™ reflective material and biomotion recognition for enhanced safety, especially on frozen lakes. Constructed from durable nylon with a mesh hem for water drainage, it includes a triple front flap placket and double-headed front zipper, secured with YKK® zippers. Ventilation is optimized with full pit vents and a large back vent that also functions as a pocket. Storage is ample, offering hand pockets, a removable fleece liner with additional pockets, an internal pocket with a headphone port, a goggle pocket, and a large back pocket for gloves or the liner. The jacket also has a goggle chamois on a tether, a key clip, an adjustable top collar, bottom hem, and cuffs with thumb hole gaiters. Additionally, it features a snap-away powder skirt and a connection for attaching to pants, making the Keweenaw Jacket a comprehensive solution for trail safety and comfort in harsh conditions.

FXR

The FXR Men’s Adrenaline Jacket is a top-tier outdoor garment, featuring a durable Omni-Stretch™ nylon/ spandex shell with HydrX Pro™ laminate for superior weather resistance. It boasts an A.C.M.T.™ rating of 20,000mm / 8,000g/m² and includes F.A.S.T. 4.0™ insulation with 150g value in the outer shell, enhanced by perforated vents for breathability. The jacket also features a seam-sealed lining system with integrated venting, a snowproof and moisture-resistant FXR Dry Vent™ system, and a removable liner with 120g Thermal Flex™ fill. Additional functionalities include YKK® AquaGuard® and waterproof zippers, an adjustable windskirt, goggle wipe chamois, and a cold stop front placket. For safety, it’s equipped with 360° 3M™ Scotchlite™ reflective material, making it an ideal choice for demanding outdoor conditions.

FTA

The Full Throttle Adrenaline (FTA) Hyper F.A.S.T. 2 in 1 Jacket is a pinnacle of advanced outdoor wear, designed for extreme conditions. It features a durable M-Series Omni-Stretch™ 450D polyester shell with HydrX Pro™ laminate, enhanced by strategically seam-sealed areas for superior weather resistance. The jacket incorporates F.A.S.T. 3.0™ technology, offering 90g insulation in the outer shell, complemented by perforated vents for breathability. Inside, the A.C.M.T.™ Pro seam-sealed lining system with integrated venting and the HydrX Pro™ laminate ensures optimal air circulation. The Dry Vent™ system adds snowproof and moisture-resistant elements, while the removable Thermal Dry™ active liner with 175g Thermal Flex™ fill provides additional warmth. Functionalities include a YKK® AquaGuard® front zipper, heavy-duty waterproof zippers, an adjustable windskirt with a pant attachment system, a goggle wipe chamois, key clip, shockcord adjustable collar and hem, removable/adjustable hood, and adjustable cuffs with lycra extensions. Safety is enhanced with 360° reflective inserts, making this jacket a perfect blend of durability, comfort, and safety for outdoor enthusiasts.

FINNTRAIL

The FINNTRAIL Atlas Blue 3440 Snowmobile Suit is a robust two-piece ensemble, perfect for winter activities like skiing and snowmobiling. Made with durable Ripstop material and a HARD-TEX membrane, it withstands temperatures down to -20 ℃, while fully sealed seams and waterproof zippers keep you dry. The suit features reflective elements for safety in low light, reinforced areas for durability, and an articulated cut for mobility. Insulated with Thermalrate and lined with microfleece, it ensures warmth and comfort. Additionally, it includes conveniently placed pockets, such as a ski pass sleeve, making it a practical choice for winter adventures.

Jacket Buyers Guide

CHOKO

ARCTIVA

The ARCTIVA Pivot 6 Insulated Jacket is a fully insulated, waterproof outerwear piece, crafted from a 300D polyester chassis for durability and protection against the elements. It features YKK® zipper vents at the underarm for temperature regulation and is packed with 200 grams of insulation throughout, ensuring maximum warmth performance. The jacket’s outer shell is enhanced with a microporous coating, seam sealing, and a durable water repellent coating, providing additional weather resistance. For comfort, it has a smooth nylon taffeta hanging liner, quilted to keep the insulation evenly distributed. The jacket’s thoughtful pocket pattern includes two fleece-lined hand warmer pockets and one interior cargo pocket, offering ample storage and convenience for various outdoor activities.

The CHOKO DESIGN Men’s Adventurer

Jacket is a high-performance outerwear piece, featuring a Nylon Bengaline shell with a Teflon protective finish and Suppratech 400D waterproof breathable Oxford Nylon, ensuring durability and comfort. It’s insulated with the Weather-Tec Plus System, combining 450 gr Northern fleece and 200 gr Feather-Touch polyfill for a total thermal factor of 650 gr. The sleeves and chest are lined with a Technoloft dual polyfill system, incorporating DuPont® Thermolite Micro for added warmth. Functional features include 360° reflective trims for safety, a built-in shield vest for wind protection, concealed back safety flap, heavy-duty YKK zippers, and a triple storm flap. The jacket also boasts a Northern Fleece lined adjustable collar, waterproof zippers on outer shell pockets, a concealed zip pocket, Velcro-adjustable cuffs with Lycra inner cuffs, Power Pleated articulated elbows, an elongated back, adjustable elasticized wind-stopper cord, and various inner pockets. The design is completed with an adjustable Wind-guard cummerbund, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a blend of warmth, safety, and functionality in their outdoor gear.

7

FLY RACING

The Fly Racing Incline Snow Jacket is a robust and functional outerwear choice, featuring a Sympatex® shell that ensures it is waterproof, windproof, and breathable, with a 20,000mm/20,000mm waterproof/ breathable rating. Fully seamsealed for maximum moisture blocking, it includes a powder skirt with silicone grip print and dual main zipper storm flaps for extra weather protection. Designed for active use, it has 2Cool mesh vents in the armpits and chest for air circulation while preventing snow entry, and is equipped with durable YKK® zippers. Comfort features include a micro-fleece lined collar with a beard flap, and for safety, the jacket is reflective and comes with a detachable safety whistle and goggle wipe. Storage is ample with a waterproof accessory pocket featuring a headphone port and a waterproof sleeve pocket. The jacket also boasts a detachable hood, adjustable collar, hook and loop adjustable cuffs with a glove-friendly tab, and a tether D-ring. With a 2-year warranty and a standard fit that’s comfortable without being too tight or loose, the Fly Racing Incline Snow Jacket is an excellent choice for those seeking reliable protection and comfort in snowy conditions.

Snowmobile-Motoneige NB (SMNB) has raised the standard on trail signage. We have taken the International Association of Snowmobile Administrators (IASA) Sign Guideline and expanded it to fit the requirements and recommendations of SMNB’s Policies and Guidelines.

SMNB’s Provincial Trail Manager holds sign training seminars with all 49 volunteer SMNB clubs every Fall in preparation for the upcoming season. There are guidelines for each and every sign you see on the trail as each has a very important role to play when it comes to safety. Sometimes that means knowing when there is a turn coming, or where you can get food or fuel. The most important sign on the trails is the Stop Ahead sign, as this prepares you for the Stop sign coming up, and makes you aware to watch for it. All of SMNB’s signage is supplied by one supplier, this is important for consistency, which enriches the safety of all of the signs installed.

There are three areas of the province with designated Signature Trails, these trails all have something extra that should really be seen and experienced to be appre-

Snowmobile – Motoneige NB

ciated. Each of these Signature Trails have their own distinct signage in red to assist you in your navigation.

You will notice blue cell phone signs in areas where you might be looking for service, these signs indicate that you should be able to get service in these areas with most providers.

The only time that you will see a slow sign in the province of NB, is if there is a turn ahead that breaks the line of sight for the snowmobiler. Simply put, the slow sign signifies a change in direction, either left or right and nothing more.

Route signs are placed on STOP signs for safety and awareness, so you know where you are when you stop at an intersection. Junction Signs with a route sign are placed on the trail prior to an intersection to assist with keeping snowmobilers aware of their position on the map in addition to awareness of an intersection.

Permanent Sign Structures (PSS) are installed at hundreds of major intersections.

The use of these PSS creates a compilation of a lot of information in a small area. The PSS are designed to show the trail # you are on, the next trail you will come to, two community names that have services safely accessible by snowmobile, and the distance to those communities, followed by the next closest gas and shelter with distances and signs to promote businesses that support the area club.

Also included on the bottom of the PSS are YOU ARE HERE signs which are a picture of the map with an arrow pointing to the intersection that you are currently standing in. Snowmobilers in NB can now snowmobile without a paper map.

Although our primary goal is keeping you safe while you enjoy exploring our amazing trails, SMNB is committed to being a good Steward of nature and limiting the excessive use of signs. Therefore, if you see a sign on our trails, you can be sure it is important.

Snowmobile-Motoneige NB (SMNB) a rehaussé la norme en matière de signalisation des sentiers. Nous avons pris les lignes directrices de la « International Association of Snowmobile Administrators » (IASA) en matière de signalisation et les avons élargies pour qu’elles répondent aux exigences et aux recommandations des politiques et des lignes directrices de SMNB.

Le Gestionnaire provincial des sentiers de la SMNB organise chaque automne des séminaires de formation sur la signalisation avec les 49 clubs bénévoles de la SMNB en préparation de la saison à venir. Il existe des lignes directrices pour chaque panneau que vous voyez sur le sentier, car chacun a un rôle très important à jouer en matière de sécurité. Parfois, il s’agit de savoir quand un virage se présente, ou de savoir où l’on peut se procurer de la nourriture ou du carburant. Le panneau le plus important sur les sentiers est le panneau Arrêt à l’avant (Stop Ahead), car il vous prépare à l’arrivée du panneau Arrêt (Stop) et vous fait prendre conscience qu’il faut le surveiller. Tous les panneaux de signalisation de SMNB sont fournis par un seul fournisseur, ce qui est important pour la cohérence, qui renforce la sécurité de tous les panneaux installés.

Snowmobile – Motoneige NB

Trois régions de la province ont été désignées comme des « Sentiers Prestiges.» Ces sentiers ont tous quelque chose de particulier qu’il faut absolument voir et expérimenter pour les apprécier. Chacun de ces sentiers a sa propre signalisation distincte en rouge pour vous aider dans votre navigation.

Vous remarquerez des panneaux bleus pour les téléphones cellulaires dans les zones où vous pourriez chercher du service, ces panneaux indiquent que vous devriez être en mesure d’obtenir du service dans ces zones avec la plupart des fournisseurs.

La seule fois où vous verrez un panneau de ralentissement dans la province du Nouveau-Brunswick, c’est lorsqu’il y a un virage à venir qui interrompt la ligne de vue du motoneigiste. En termes simples, le panneau de ralentissement signifie un changement de direction, à gauche ou à droite, et rien d’autre.

Les panneaux d’itinéraire sont placés sur les panneaux ARRÊT (STOP) pour des raisons de sécurité et de sensibilisation, afin que vous sachiez où vous vous trouvez lorsque vous vous arrêtez à une intersection. Les panneaux de jonction avec un panneau d’itinéraire sont placés sur le sentier avant une intersection pour aider les motoneigistes à connaître leur position sur la carte et à savoir où se trouve l’intersection.

Des structures de signalisation permanentes (SSP) sont installées à des centaines d’intersections majeures. L’utilisation de ces SSP permet de compiler beaucoup d’informations sur une petite surface. Les SSP sont conçues pour indiquer le numéro du sentier sur lequel vous vous trouvez, le prochain sentier que vous atteindrez, deux noms de communautés qui ont des services accessibles en toute sécurité par motoneige, et la distance jusqu’à ces communautés, suivis de l’essence et de l’abri les plus proches avec les distances et des panneaux pour promouvoir les entreprises qui soutiennent le club de la région.

Des affiches VOUS ÊTES ICI, qui représentent une image de la carte avec une flèche pointant vers l’intersection où vous vous trouvez, figurent également au bas des SSP. Les motoneigistes du Nouveau-Brunswick peuvent désormais faire de la motoneige sans carte papier.

Bien que notre objectif principal soit d’assurer votre sécurité tout en vous permettant d’explorer nos magnifiques sentiers, SMNB s’engage à être un bon intendant de la nature et à limiter l’utilisation excessive des panneaux. Par conséquent, si vous voyez un panneau sur nos sentiers, vous pouvez être sûr qu’il est important.

Campbellton,

Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow Run DONATION FORM

Host Hotel 1450 Vanier Blvd. Bathurst, NB E2A 4H7

Toll Free: 1-800-898-9292

Office: (506) 548-3335 • Fax: (506) 548-9769 thehost@nbnet.nb.ca • www.atlantichost.com

Known to all sledders as the place to stay in Bathurst. Located on Trail #19, or take exit #310 on Rte 11. Loading ramps, indoor sled parking, heated repair bays. Fuel on-site. Excellent accommodations, excellent restaurants, pub-style lounge, heated indoor pool, sauna and whirlpool. And did we mention we’re the only hotel in New Brunswick located directly on NBFSC trails?

www.snowcross.com email: info@snowcross.com

CSRA President: Ken Avann

CSRA PROGRAM PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED BY ON SNOW MAGAZINE

WELCOME

CSRA PROFILE

SAFETY THE #1 PRIORITY

SPONSORS

START RACING

THE FLAGS

CLASSES

CSRA SCHEDULE

NATHAN MAILLOUX

JAKE WEIR

KEN AVANN

DAKOTA KARKOULAS

President & Publisher: Richard Kehoe

Copy Editor: Rick Bloye

Art Director: Darryl Aspin

Production Manager: Tendra Crossman

Advertising Sales: 1-888-661-7469

Director of Sales & Marketing: Andrew McEwan

Sales and Marketing: Eric Torresan Steve Belyntsev

Administrative Assistant: Sarah Day

Photographers: Virgil Knapp, Shelby Mohan, Backcountry Motorsports Media Dwayne Young, Clean Media

Contributing Writers: Virgil Knapp, Ken Avann, Mark Boncher, Richard Kehoe, Tendra Kehoe, Andrew McEwan, Brent Geerlings

Subscriptions: 1-888-661-7469 or info@osmmag.com

toll-free ph: 888-661-7469 toll-free fax: 888-680-7469 email: info@osmmag.com www.osmmag.com

WELCOME TO CSRA SNOWCROSS RACING

This winter represents our 30th year of professional snowcross racing.

The CSRA race series was established in 1993, with the first race taking place on December 12, at Mount St-Louis Ski Resort north of Barrie Ontario.

Since then, the CSRA has promoted hundreds of race events throughout Canada and the USA, with thousands of racers participating over the (30) year span.

Our 2024 race series will take place in Ontario’s key Powersports markets starting with our CSRA Season Opener in Timmins, Ontario.

After a (5) year absence, CSRA will return to the Georgian Downs / Gateway Casino facility in Innisfil Ontario. This world class facility is a fan favorite as it features a fully enclosed heated grandstand. The Royal Distributing Cup event will include Pro racing under the lights on Friday evening, as well as Pro and Regional racing classes all day Saturday and Sunday.

CSRA leads the way in kids programming and continues to develop new racing classes for kids. This winter we have introduced a new Beginners Novice 200cc class for kids

(6-12) years of age. This new race class is for first time racers and will help us to introduce new kids to our sport. The kids will compete with box stock 200cc mini sleds that are sold at local snowmobile dealerships.

CSRA partners with companies and sponsors that lead the way in their respective business categories. Our primary sponsors include Ultimax Drive Belts, Sunoco Race Fuels, Pennzoil Lubricants, FXR Race Apparel, Royal Distributing, Snap-On Tools, On Snow Magazine, Tom Smith Chevrolet / GMC Trucks and Truenorth Motorsports.

Special thanks to our sponsors that have supported the CSRA for (30) Years!!

These sponsors include On Snow Magazine, Stud Boy Traction, Tekrider, Snap-on, Woody’s Traction Products, Royal Distributing, Polaris, Yamaha and BRP Ski-doo.

All our sponsors do their part to keep our race series strong, vibrant, and exciting.

Please remember to support our sponsors when possible and share your snow cross experience with your family and friends.

To our passionate fans, we hope you enjoy the races. I want to thank you all for (30) Years of amazing support!!

Ken Avann CSRA President

CSRA PROFILE

Since its inception in 1994, the CSRA (Canadian Snowcross Racing Association) has been a governing body that organizes, promotes, and regulates snowmobile competitions in Canada, primarily within the provinces of Ontario and Quebec as they are the two largest Powersports markets in Canada.

The CSRA was created to help sponsors, manufacturers, and racers benefit from the rapidly expanding sport of professional snowmobile racing. The mission of the CSRA is to bring the sport of snowmobile racing to its highest level. The CSRA strives to bring sponsors, racers, manufacturers, and racing fans the most organized, visible circuit in the industry.

Snowcross is today’s most popular form of snowmobile racing. Snowcross is a family sport featuring (18) classes of competition for kids as young as (4) years of age, there are race classes for girls, boys, teens, and adult race classes for local beginners and five categories for Pro competitors.

The CSRA also includes racing classes for UTV Off Road Vehicles.

With its high-flying aerial displays and compact track design, competitors race around tracks that feature tight turns, banked corners, and a variety of jumps allowing racers to catch “big air” in full view of spectators.

From January thru to April, the CSRA travels to key Powersports markets with its travelling race circuit. The series attracts hundreds of racers and thousands of spectators at each event. Sponsors of the CSRA benefit from a captive audience of race fans each race season.

Amongst all snowmobiler’s, racers, spectators and recreational vehicle users, the common thread that links them all together is their love of the great outdoors and spending quality time with family and friends.

SAFETY THE NO. 1 PRIORITY

Snowcross racing is one of the safest forms of competitive snowmobiling; our officials go to great lengths to present a safe and controlled competition.

Safety starts before the snowmobiles enter the racecourse area. Every racers machine is safety inspected by technical staff who inspect steering carbides, studs, lighting, engine kill switches, brake operation, etc. Each rider must wear appropriate safety equipment such as approved helmets and eye protection, upper body protection (Tekvest), shin and kneepads, etc.

The race course is designed so the first turn is wide, and on a gradual sweep to reduce the chance of collision as racers approach the first turn bunched together, jockeying for the right racing-line or the “hole shot.” Sharp turns and jumps are often implemented onto the course design to keeps speeds down and to provide a challenging race course for the competition and also to create exciting race action for the spectators at a safe distance from the track, as well as to keep other snowmobilers form entering the race course area.

A minimum of six officials are on the racecourse at all times to assist racers if an accident should occur. Near the pit area, an ambulance with two additional EMT’s and advanced life support equipment are present at all times.

Though everyone’s safety is foremost, we are sensitive to the environment as well; we enforce strict sound level requirements for all the snowmobiles that compete at our events. We pride ourselves on our high safety standards both on the racecourse and off. If an accident was to occur, our trackside rescue team is ready to assist immediately.

We hope you enjoy our Snowcross racing events. If you ride the trails on a snowmobile or ATV remember to ride responsibly. If you want to ride hard and fast, do it at a sanctioned event where everyone is going in the same direction in a safe controlled environment.

Remember RIDE SAFE, RIDE SMART, and RIDE SOBER!

CSRA SPONSORS

TRY SNOWCROSS RACING

CSRA makes it easy to get started in Snowcross racing. Want to be a future racer? Here’s how…

CSRA has classes for first time racers:

Snowcross racing is a great family sport, and it’s easy to get involved.

New racers compete with stock trail sleds, modifications are not permitted with the exception that you can change or replace handlebars, shocks, and skis.

To prepare a kid’s stock 120cc or 200cc sled to compete, all you need to do is ensure that the sled has a snow flap and a functional tether cord kill switch and a handlebar shut off switch.

Rider safety equipment including (approved helmet, goggles, knee pads, and TekVests are available at Royal Distributing stores or your local snowmobile dealers.

CSRA events take place throughout Ontario.

Snowcross racing provides opportunity for kids and adults to meet new friends, socialize and compete in a sport that is safe, competitive, professional and fun. Snowcross racing classes for kids, boys, girls, women and first-time racers, are available at all CSRA events.

RACE CLASSES FOR NEW RACERS:

Kids (Age 4-12 years) 120cc Race Classes:

At each CSRA race there are (4) racing classes for kids to compete with 120cc mini snowmobiles. Yamaha, Polaris, and Arctic Cat each make snowmobiles to compete in these classes. The 120cc classes compete to finals on both Saturdays and Sundays.

Kids Novice and Transition Race Classes: Age 8-13 years:

At each CSRA race there are Novice and Transition racing classes for kids aged 6-13 years. Novice class racers compete with the new mid-sized 200cc Yamaha Sno-Scoot, Ski-doo MXZ, or Arctic Cat ZR200 4-Stroke sleds.

Older kids can also race Transition classes that feature full size race sleds 0-600cc. these sleds are equipped with detune kits to reduce the machines performance by approximately 50%. Transition class sleds must be at least one year old and can usually be purchased at a discount from race teams at the end of each race season.

Junior Race Classes: Age 13-17 years:

At each CSRA race there are Junior racing classes for guys and girls 14-17 years of age.

Juniors compete with full size 600cc stock race sleds. Polaris, Arctic Cat and Ski-Doo each make snowmobiles to compete in these classes. The Junior classes compete to finals on both Saturdays and Sundays.

Trail Sport Class: First time adult racers:

CSRA events feature a 600cc Trail Sport class designated for first year adult competitors. This class is great for introducing new riders to Snowcross competition as all racers in this class have no previous Snowcross racing experience. Most Trail Sport racers compete with used 600cc race sleds that are a minimum of one year old.

Interested in additional information on getting started? Visit to www.snowcross.com then click on Racer Info, and read CSRA Newsletter #1 and Newsletter #2 for all the info you will need to get started.

THE FLAGS AND WHAT THEY MEAN!

You will see several flagmen standing around the racecourse the entire race weekend, usually situated near large jumps and corners, as well as, at the Start/Finish line. They will be waving their flags all weekend to signal the racers– So what does it all mean, what are they saying?

Here is a quick rundown of the flag colours and what they stand for.

Green Flag or Light

When the light goes Green, RIDE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT The race has started and the first racer to the first corner has a great advantage.

Yellow Flag

This is a CAUTION – Somebody up ahead has lost their sled. There is no airtime on jumps or passing in a Yellow Flag Zone! The zone is the area between the Flagman and the downed rider or machine.

Red Flag

This means the RACE IS STOPPED – The track is blocked up ahead or somebody has fallen, and they need help getting up. If less than one lap is complete, it will be a total restart. If one lap is complete, there will be a staggered start based on rider position at the time of the red flag incident.

White Flag

ONE LAP LEFT – Time for that last lap pass for the win!

Black Flag

A rolled up Black flag signals a warning to the racer, if the Black flag is being waved, the racer must pull off the track and report to the race director as he or she has been disqualified due to a rule violation.

Blue Flag

Get ready for a forced pass – This is waved at the slow guys, get outta the way the race leaders are coming up behind you … FAST. This keeps the tempo up by letting the slower racers know they are about to be lapped.

Checkered Flag

The race is over! Time to celebrate or time to start working on the sled to make it faster.

2024 Snowcross Racing Classes

As with any Motorsport, racing rules and classes are created to ensure competition is not only fair but also exciting to watch, whether it’s a Novice or Junior qualifying heat, or a Pro final. Driver experience, engine size and the engines performance define the different Snowcross racing classes. Each vehicle is classified by engine cc and if it is stock or modified. In most stock adult classes racers are allowed to add traction products such as studs or carbides, as well they may change shocks, handlebars and skis. Pro and Pro-Lite class racers compete with limited build production 600cc race sleds that produce approximately 130HP. Pro class racers are permitted to use aftermarket exhaust silencers, skis, and shocks.

Race Class Engine Age Sled Description

1. 120 Stock 1 120cc 4-6 Kids, on 4HP mini sleds.

2. 120 Stock 2 120cc 6-10 Kids, on 4HP mini sleds.

3. 120 Briggs Improved 120cc 6-7 Kids, on 12HP mini sleds

4. 120 Briggs Improved 120cc 8-10 Kids, on 12HP mini sleds.

5. Beginner Novice 200cc 6-12 Kids - First year racers.

6. Novice 1 200cc 6-8 Kids on Stock 4/Stroke sleds.

7. Novice 2 200cc 9-12 Kids on Stock 4/Stroke sleds.

8. Transition 1 600cc 8-10 ECM Detuned race sleds.

9. Transition 2 600cc 11-13 ECM Detuned race sleds.

10. Transition Girls 600cc 8-13 ECM Detuned race sleds.

11. Junior/Novice 600cc 10-15 ECM Detuned race sleds.

12. Junior Girls & Guys 600cc 14-17 Limited Throttle race sleds

13. Trail Sport 600 600cc 18+ First year racers.

14. Sport 600 600cc 18+ Limited Build race sleds.

15. Pro/AM Women 600cc 18+ Limited Build race sleds.

16. Pro/AM Vet 600cc 30+ Limited Build race sleds.

17. Pro Lite 600cc 18+ Limited Modified race sleds.

18. Pro 600cc 18+ Limited Modified race sleds.

19. Production UTV 1000cc 16+ Production Side x Sides

20. Turbo UTV 1000cc 16+ Turbo Side x Sides

CLASSES CHAMPS

BLAIR MORGAN 7c CUP

PRO OPEN CHAMPIONS

UTV SIDE-X-SIDE

RACING INFO 2023

CSRA will include (2) UTV Racing classes at select events.

Production 0-1000cc: Maximum width is OEM specification for make model and year

Production 1000cc Turbo: Maximum Width OEM up to 74” inches.

Competitors will compete in double elimination type races with (2) UTVs each race. Winners of each race will continue to the next round until we have a final with

• UTVs must be commercially available 0-1000cc maximum engine displacement.

• Engines may be modified, but must run on commercially available automotive fuel with no Ethanol, and no performance

• Fuel Options: Esso 91, Canadian Tire 91, Shell 91, Sunoco Surge or Sunoco Optima

Snowmobile Rates and P www.MoonlightInn.ca or call 1 information.

• Must have original OEM Roll Cage or better.

• Aftermarket commercially available brakes are permitted.

• OEM Fuel tanks, lines, fuel filler, filters and components may not be altered,

• Suspension geometry including width, must remain OEM for the make model and

• Aftermarket shocks may be used but may not exceed OEM shock length.

• The maximum overall width is measured from outside of tires at the widest point.

Large fully paved & secure parking lot accommodates many large trailers. station, Restaurant and Tim Horton’s

ü Snowmobile C & D trail access to the door.

ü Large fully paved & secure parking lot accommodates many large trailers.

ü Gas station, Restaurant and Tim Horton’s access off the trails from motel.

• Racers must wear a Snell 2015 or ECE 22.05 approved helmet and goggles.

• Must have a 4 -5 or 6 point restraint harness.

• Must use driver side safety window nets.

ü Royal Distributing close by off the trail.

• The UTV must be equipped with an OEM or commercially available exhaust

ü Special Snowmobile Rates and Park ‘n’ Ride Packages.

ü Visit www.MoonlightInn.ca or call 1-800-424-0321 for accommodation information.

to availability between: December guest room and breakfast for two people for two nights.

• Tires must be commercially available. Maximum diameter is 32” inches

*Reservation is required & subject to availability between: December 22, 2014 to March 1, 2015.

*Accommodations include one guest room and breakfast for two people for two nights.

• Rims: Bead lock bolts must be recessed and not protrude past the face of the ring.

• Traction products are not permitted.

• Fire Extinguisher must be fully charged and securely fastened in the rear area of the UTV.

• Racer numbers must be a minimum of 6” High on both sides of the UTV.

• Age requirements are 16+, and racers under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian on site.

UTV racers must purchase a CSRA Membership to allocate a racer number. The annual UTV Membership cost is $75, or a Weekend membership is $25. A Membership Form and Entry Forms are available online at www.snowcross.com Racers should register their entry fee in advance with CSRA the Monday prior to each race weekend. UTV Entry Fee for each race day is $75.

UTV Prize Money and Awards:

UTV racers compete for awards and Prize money.

Minimum prize money each race day: 1st $300 • 2nd $150 • 3rd $75

Awards (Trophy’s or Plaques) will be allocated to the top (3) racers each race day.

Top Gun Shootout night racing events. Entry Fee is $250. 1st. place prize money

Note: There is no Free riding or unauthorized testing at the race sites. Participants must drive slowly to the UTV Staging area, the off track speed limit around the pit area is idling or 10 km/h.

2024 CANADIAN SNOWCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

JANUARY 13-14

TIMMINS MECHANICAL SOLUTIOMS PRO SNOWCROSS TIMMINS, ON.

Presented by: Guiho Arctic Cat & Mikey’s BRP Ski-doo

CSRA Website: www.snowcross.com

CSRA Sanction: National & Regional Points event.

Race Classes: All CSRA Snowmobile classes race Saturday & Sunday.

Track Design: ½ Mile Snowcross made with natural snow.

Track Location: City Snow Storage Facility on Spruce Street

Host Hotels: Cedar Meadows Resort (705)-268-5800 Best Western Premier (705)-531-7001

JANUARY 27-28

FXR KAWARTHA CUP LINDSAY, ON.

Presented by Polaris & Royal Distributing Website: www.lindsayex.com

CSRASanction: National & Regional points event.

Race Classes: All sled classes race Saturday & Sunday. UTVs race Saturday.

Track Design: ½ Mile Snowcross made with natural snow.

Track Location: Lindsay Exhibition 354 Angeline St. South Facilities: Covered Grandstand / 40,000 sq. ft. Heated building with Vendors & Displays

Host Hotel: Days Inn & Suites (705)-328-0100 www.daysinnlindsay.com

FEBRUARY 3-4

KAWARTHA LAKES REGIONAL SNOWCROSS LINDSAY, ON.

Presented by: Polaris & Royal Distributing Website: www.lindsayex.com

CSRASanction: Regional points event. (No Pros).

Race Classes: Regional sled classes race Saturday & Sunday. UTVs race Saturday.

Track Design: ½ Mile Snowcross made with natural snow.

Track Location: Lindsay Exhibition 354 Angeline St. South Facilities: Covered Grandstand / 40,000 sq. ft. Heated building with Vendors & Displays

Host Hotel: Days Inn & Suites (705)-328-0100 www.daysinnlindsay.com

FEBRUARY 9-10-11

ROYAL DISTRIBUTING CUP SNOWCROSS INNISFIL, ON.

Presented by: Pennzoil & St.Onge Recreation Ski-doo

Location: Georgian Downs / Gateway Casino Facility Website: www.georgiandowns.com

CSRA Sanction: National & Regional Points event and UTVs.

Race Classes: All Pro classes race Friday evening.

Pros and Regional classes race Saturday & Sunday. UTVs race Saturday after the snowmobile races.

Track Design: 1/2-mile Snowcross race course made with natural snow.

Track Location: 7485 5th. Sideroad, Innisfil Ontario

Facilities: Casino, Heated Enclosed Grandstands, Free Parking

Official Hotels: Allure Hotel, Barrie (705)-722-0555 www.choicehotels.com

MARCH 2-3

SUDBURY PRO SNOWCROSS SUDBURY, ON.

Presented by: Royal Distributing & Algonquin Equipment

CSRA website: www.snowcross.com

CSRASanction: National & Regional points event.

Race Classes: All CSRA classes including UTVs, and Sleds All classes Kids and Pros race Saturday and Sunday. UTVs race on Saturday after the snowmobile races.

Track Design: ½ Mile Snowcross made with natural snow.

Track Location: Sudbury Downs www.sudburydowns.com

Facilities: Free parking / Snowmobile parking

Host Hotel: Travelodge Sudbury (705)-522-1100

Homewood Suites (705)-523-8100

Quality Inn (705)-675-1273

Hilton Garden Inn (705)-586-3001

MARCH

23-24

CHICOPEE RESORT PRO SNOWCROSS KITCHENER, ON.

Presented by: Team Vincent Motorsports, Ski-doo & Royal Distributing Website: www.snowcross.com

CSRA Sanction: CSRA National & Regional Points event.

Race Classes: All classes including Kids and Pros race Saturday & Sunday.

UTVs race on Saturday only after the snowmobiles. Track Design: 5/8 Mile on the Ski Hills made with artificial and natural snow.

Track location: Chicopee Ski Club – Kitchener www.skichicopee.com

Facilities: Chicopee Chalet with Indoor Restaurant.

Hotel: Four Points by Sheraton (519) 653-2690

MARCH 29-30-31

ULTIMAX SNOWCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS BARRIE, ON.

Presented by: St-Onge Recreation & Truenorth Motorsports Website: www.snowcross.com

CSRA Sanction: CSRA National & Regional Points event.

Race Classes: Pros race Friday evening.

All classes including Kids and Pros race Saturday & Sunday.

UTVs race end of the day on Saturday only.

Vintage sleds race on Sunday

Easter Egg hunt for the kids on Sunday

Track Design: 5/8 Mile on the Ski hills, made with artificial and natural snow.

Track Location: Horseshoe Resort - Craighurst, Ont.

Facilities: Indoor Restaurants, Spa, Pool and onsite accommodations.

Host Hotel: Horseshoe Valley Resort (705)-835-2790 www.horseshoeresort.com

nathan Mailloux

By Virgil Knapp

By BacKcountry Motorsports Media and Msl productions

Nathan Mailloux hailing from Ste. Sophie Quebec, got off to what many would consider a dream start in his bid for the 2023 CSRA Snowcross Pro Lites Championship, winning both races at the inaugural event held in Lindsay, ON. What most people wouldn’t know (and made those victories even sweeter), is that after being sidelined with an injury in 2020, his entire future was uncertain and in-fact he didn’t even know if he’d ever be racing a full schedule even by 2023.

On Snow Magazine - Nathan you came out of the gate hot in Lindsay, winning both races in the first Pro Lites event of the year. What was the biggest factor for you that weekend that led to not only a sweep, but an early points lead in the season long title hunt?

Nathan- In 2022, me and my dad decided to go to Lindsay only for a one-off race, and it was the first time that we were back in CSRA since my collarbone fracture in 2020 at Innisfil, On. We didn’t know what to expect going to that race. After winning the Pro Lite race on Saturday, we decided to maybe do another one. We decided to go to Sudbury where I scored a second. It was at that point when we started thinking of doing the full CSRA championship in 2023. So, we worked hard in the summer and practiced at the Lebel compound, and we came to Lindsay more than ready in 2023. That weekend my mind set was just to do my best and prove to myself that I can do it, and after the sweep I knew I could do it.

Did starting off the year like that have a big impact on you winning the championship?

Obviously it does with points, but does it take some of the pressure off you mentally knowing you’re starting with a cushion over second place.

Of course, it had a big impact. It gave me the confidence to know that because I could do it. I still had a lot of pressure and a lot of stress because of the way the points structure works. One bad qualification and everything can change quickly. My long term goals were to be consistent and to ride my own race.

In Valcourt, QC you struggled with your starts, what was behind that? Technical or just bad luck?

photos

Honestly, we struggled with our starts all year long. We were just not able to find the right setup. We were often at the back of the pack, trying to come through and make our way to the front. Sometimes it's not easy or as easy as it looks. We have made a commitment to learn and work on better starts going into the next season.

In an Instagram post from March 9th you talked about Sudbury, ON being the most technical set-up you’ve ever ridden. What made that track so difficult?

I was not talking about the set-up, more about that event as a whole. That weekend was the first in thirteen years that my dad wasn’t there. I was on my own; so everything was difficult. I received some help but it’s not the same as having my dad there. The track was extremely difficult to pass on. In both of my races it was one of my biggest challenges to be able to take the lead and win those races.

Do you find the harder set-up rewards your style of riding? What adjustments do you make to your sled once you see how tough the track was in practice?

I was just trying to be more aggressive and that’s how I was able to make some passes. Otherwise, it would have be more difficult. The adjustments on the sled always change.

Every round we have to do something to improve the sled. In practice, we start with a base set-up and see how it goes, and then we start making changes between motos until we find the best set-up.

What is your plan for this coming season. Will you be defending your Pro-Lite title or moving up to the premiere Pro Open class? If you are going to big dance, how much tougher is the competition in the bigger class?

My plan for next season is to move to the Pro class. After four years in Pro Lite, it's time to make the jump. I'm working hard right now and I'm going to be at my best for the first round.

The competition is always tougher in the Pro Open class as most of the guys have been there for a few years. They know what to do and have more experience. In my rookie year, my goal will be to be in the top three. I’m working hard for that and I'm really excited to accomplish this goal.

How did you get into racing Snowcross? In 2010, there was a Snowcross race fifteen minutes from my house and I went there with my dad. I was 5 years young and at the end of the day I said to my Dad: “I want to do this“. We started racing the following season and I

won the 120cc championship in Quebec.

How do you like to spend your offseason? Do you get completely away from riding anything with a motor or are you on a motocross bike like many of your competitors?

This past summer was my first season on a bike. I decided to start riding but only by doing practice, no racing. This kept me in the rhythm of riding during the off-season. Other than that, to stay in shape, I'm riding my street bike, go-karting, lifting weights. But I did take some time for me and enjoyed the summer.

Please feel free to give a shout out to anyone who has helped you along your racing journey and any sponsors that were along for the ride during your title chase.

A big thanks to my dad for being there all those years and helping me to get to where I am now. Thank you to all our sponsors that have supported me for many years now: FXR, Ski-Doo, Ryno Power, Get Fast, Kutvek, BG Performance, Amsoil, Rox, CA Pro Ski, Stud Boy, Mobius, Atlas, Attaches Ethier, Backcountry Motorsports Media, Propane Bouvrette, Contant, Hydro Perl. And thanks also to CSRA for a great Snowcross season.

interVieW JaKe Weir pro open chaMp

By Virgil Knapp

Owning the prestigious title of ‘youngest to ever win the CSRA’s National Pro class (at just 18 years old) would be an immense amount of pressure on the shoulders of most young men. Thankfully Bracebridge, Ontario’s Jake Weir prefers to live more in the present moment. Never dwelling on records or historical achievements. That’s not to say he’s not aware of his success or appreciative of it. He tends to look ahead rather then in the past. For 2024, Weir is looking to secure a fourth title in the Pro Open class.

On Snow Magazine – Jake, you continue to add to your trophy collection with a third title in the CSRA Pro Open National class. Winning is an accomplishment, but being consistent enough to claim multiple championships is what separates good racers from the all-time greats. What do you attribute to this level success at such an early age?

Jake Weir- It took a lot of hard work to get those titles… I started racing when I was 4 years old and practiced; I practiced a lot. Starting in December every year we would get the snow makers out and do a once-over on

them, then when the temps would go down, we’d make our own snow which included a practice track in the back. We were fortunate to have access to the machinery and space to build the track. Almost every night during the winter we’d be out there practicing, it took a lot of hard work and dedication.

In your long-term goals do you ever think about winning enough titles to set an untouchable record by the end of your career?

I would love to get more titles under my belt. I’m not too sure how much longer I will be racing but I will keep going for as long as I can.

Back in the late 90's Ricky Carmichael achieved something extremely rare and difficult to do in racing, completing a perfect season in the outdoor motocross nationals. Do you think that's something you could see being done in Snowcross?

A perfect season in Snowcross would be something so cool to see or even do and It would be extremely challenging to accomplish. Most Snowcross tracks are very

hard to pass on, meaning you’d have to be perfect every race weekend.

Speaking of motocross your passion is well known; will you be competing in any races this summer?

Yes, I will be doing a few races this summer, I’m not quite as good in moto as on a sled but it’s only for fun and to keep my head in race mode.

Last time we spoke in 2021 you mentioned you had a brother and he’d racing pro in a few years, I noticed someone by the name of Trent Weir that won the 600 Sport class in 2023, any relation?

Yes, that would be him, he wrapped up is second sport championship this past season, with that being said he will be racing in the pro class this up coming season, Should be an interesting season for sure.

You previously spoke about working the family business once racing is in the rearview mirror, what type of business is it? We are a construction company, doing

roadwork. We change culverts, do ditching, rock blasting. We can pretty much do anything when it comes to roadwork.

I grew up with all the heavy equipment around me, it’s not only familiar but genuinely interests me.

Did you ever manage to complete that elusive front flip on your jet ski?

I haven’t been able to front flip my jet ski yet, I have been trying new tricks on the jet ski like 540’s to back flip or to do 3 or 4 back flips in a row.

What's the biggest difference between an amateur and pro Snowcross racer?

I think it’s the amount of time you have racing and practicing on tracks. When I was coming up in the ranking I got better when I practiced by working on technique and line choices.

How particular are you with sled set-up? We changed brands last season, so it was

a little challenging at the start with setting up the suspension and making the sled comfortable for my riding style, but once we got things figured out, the sled was awesome.

You’re going to be featured on the cover of the CSRA Race Program. When you were a little kid riding 120cc's did you ever imagine winning titles and appearing on the cover of magazines?

When I was racing 120’s it was my dream to just race in the Pro class let alone win three championships. Being the youngest champion in Canada was more then a dream come true and being headlined on magazines is more than a dream in my eyes. This is what I worked towards since I was that little kid on 120’s.

2023 you took a pretty big gamble and switched manufacturers from a familiar Arctic Cat to factory Polaris. Clearly the adjustment went well, would you say switching OEM's was a big factor in your championship run?

Deciding to make the change from Arctic Cat to Polaris was the best decision we made. Not only did we find the support from the Polaris race department far superior to that of other manufacturers, the equipment was no doubt the largest contributing factor to my success.

Feel free to thank anyone who has had your back and supported you throughout. I must give a big thank you to my mom and dad. Without them this would never be possible, I would not be where I am today without my mechanic James Farrington. I would like to thank our main sponsors Royal Distributing and FXR; you can’t ask for better sponsors. Brock Parker from Royal Distributing, Polaris, RJ Motorsports, Byers Equipment, Rox Speed FX, Stud Boy Traction, Caliber Products, Atlas Brace, Matrix Concepts Canada and C&A Pro Skis. I’d also like to thank Phill Masters, my brother Trent Weir and Clint Miller for all his motivational speeches.

interVieW

Ken aVann

By Virgil Knapp

Last year we caught up with Ken Avann who’s unofficially known as the busiest man in Snowcross, taking on duties as CSRA founder/series promoter, track builder and in 2022 actively competing and winning the UTV 1000cc Turbo class. To no one’s surprise Ken managed to accomplish a new feat in 2023 by defending his turbo class title while also adding the production class to his growing resume. If you happen to have read last year’s interview with this jack-of-all-trades, you’ll know what a wealth of information he’s acquired over a multi-decade career in powersports racing. We caught up with him once again to see where he sees his racing going in the future, what are the differences between racing with and without a roll cage and 5-point harness and what changes could

we see to the structure of classes for future CSRA events.

CSRA-Ken, you managed to double down on last year’s success in the UTV champ class with a win in not only the production, but Turbo class as well. What was the key factors in allowing you to dominate the 4-wheel classes?

KEN: Good question., I didn’t really dominate the races; I won the Turbo class championship by just one-point. We have some talented racers and fast machines in the UTV Turbo class, so every race is tough, it’s close racing!!

My Polaris RZRs are fast and work amazingly in the snow, the new Turbo-R in box stock

form is indestructible no matter how hard I drive it, and the single seater RS1 that I race in the production class is one of the best handling machines on the track.

I have some great people, friends and family that help to work on the race machines.

Special thanks to Lisa, Mike, Ryan, Jake and Johnny.

Last time we touched on your extensive background in racing starting with motocross in the mid 70’s; All these years, and thousands of laps later do you still find the competitive juices flow just as hard when you’re out there battling for the lead?

Yes, absolutely. I think any former racer or athlete would feel the same way.

photos courtesy of Ken aVann

I am very confident that I can win when I race, of course you can’t always win, every racer makes mistakes that you learn from. You have good and bad days, and sometimes there are mechanical issues that are out of your control.

Racing in the snow with 200+ HP UTVs is exhilarating!! You’re always sliding around and searching for traction, it’s a new learning experience for me and the other racers. After the finish line, every driver is wound up and has a big smile on his face. UTV racing is a blast, anyone, any age can be competitive.

You’re in a unique position of being a racer and series promoter / owner. Do you find that gives you more credibility with your fellow competitors and other racers in the CSRA? Does ‘wearing both hats’ give you an advantage on an operational side of things since you are directly involved with the sport you run?

Yes, I think I have credibility with the racers. I have a lot of experience racing in snow and on dirt and I often communicate ideas with them; we have meetings before each race where we discuss racing formats and new ideas for track improvements.

UTV racing on snow is relatively new so there is lots to learn, I appreciate all the input from the group. When we design and build the racecourses, I try to incorporate suggestions from the other racers, as well as my own ideas.

When I decided to include UTV racing at our snow events, I wanted to jump in and race with the guys so I could feel the dynamics of the machine and see how a UTV works in different terrains and snow conditions.

This knowledge helps me to design and create better racetracks specifically for UTVs. I never pre drive the racecourses in advance of the races as it wouldn’t be fair to the other racers I compete against; we all practice together before the first race.

I didn’t have the chance to get out to any of the Nationals this year, how many individual races did you win and were you heading into the season with expectations of going backto-back?

With two race classes, I competed in a total of (8) UTV races last winter and won (6).

I wasn’t expecting to win back-to-back Turbo Championships but was hoping I could. The UTV classes continues to grow each year, the Turbo UTV class is now one of CSRAs largest race classes, so the competition is tougher each year.

This year Truenorth Motorsports and Tom Smith Chevrolet are providing the 2024 UTV Turbo Champion with a free one-year ride in a beautiful new Chevy HD 2500 Truck so the guys will be racing hard to win that prize.

Previously we spoke on ways to improve Snowcross, possibly reducing the number of classes and having more participants in each was at the top of mind, is this something you are planning to implement for 2024? Personally, I would like to reduce the number of classes; we don’t need (24) racing classes each race day.

Our kids’ classes are jam packed with new racers so it’s difficult to eliminate kid’s classes because of age, sled size and ability differences.

I would like to have more racers and better action-packed racing in the Pro classes for our race fans, I will wait to see how many racers we have at the start of the race season before making any decisions.

Anyone who has raced knows what a toll it takes on your body. Does driving a UTV hard on a racetrack beat you up at all or is fatigue not as much of an issue when being contained in the protection of the roll cage? That’s a great question.

It’s great to have the protection of a 5-point race harness and a full roll cage.

Over the past four years I have rolled and have been upside down a few times, so lots of bruises and sore muscles, any type of motorsport racing is physical.

A guy my age could never be competitive at the Pro level in a sport such as motocross or Snowcross, these sports are for young athletes and are hands down the most physical demanding sports in the world, only soccer is tougher.

Other motorsports such as four-wheel car, truck, and UTV racing is not as physical as

your sitting in a seat and you most often have four wheels on the ground balancing the vehicle for you. I would say (4) wheel racing of any type is more mentally challenging than it is physical. There is lots of driver input going on steering, throttle, brakes, trying to find lines with better traction, hitting the jumps with perfect throttle control so the machine is balanced in the air etc. If you screw up someone will pass you or you will break the machine.

It seems like most of the faster car, truck and UTV racers have years of racing experience, the older you are, the more experience you have, ..

It’s fun to school the young guys occasionally.

Has your success in the last couple of seasons on the track planted a seed to dabble in any other forms of 4-wheel racing (cars, off-road trucks etc)?

No, unfortunately... I have been involved in motorsports racing for (50) years now, I will likely retire from promoting races and racing this year and become an advisor and a spectator. I would like to spend more leisure time with my family and friends.

Feel free to plug any sponsors or people who have supported you.

In addition to Polaris, I have some great sponsors that support my UTV racing team including, Royal Distributing, FXR Apparel, Pennzoil Lubricants, Ultimax Belts, Vision Wheels, Action Trailers, Truenorth Motorsports and Tom Smith Chevrolet / GMC trucks...

Most importantly, I have great staff, family, and friends that I can rely on to run the CSRA races and work on my race machines. They all do their part to improve my racing team allowing me to be competitive.

daKota KarKoulas

By Virgil Knapp

Each year we evaluate various racers who’ve had success in the previous year to determine who will be featured in the CSRA program for the new race season. We try our best to change it up and not use the same faces over and over but when someone continuously keeps achieving new heights, the rules get thrown out the window! Enter Dakota Karkoulas.. In our previous issue Dakota was selected thanks to titles in both the Pro and AM women’s class. This year not only did she re-claim the Pro women’s title but also competed in the Sport class (for the first time) which is predominately contested by the boys. We caught up with Karkoulas over the tail end of summer to get the scoop of the 2023 season and her plans for the upcoming season.

CSRA-First off congrats on taking the pro women's title! Tell us how your championship season went.

Dakota-

Looking back on the season I would say it was like a roller coaster that had tons of highs, but of course some lows as well. I advanced in classes and tried the sport class this year! It was so fun and cool to push myself out of my comfort place and race with a class that was higher up.

This is your second championship in a row. What made the difference to yield these kinds of consistent results?

I think what has made the real difference in the results I obtain is my mind, and the amount of practice I was able to do. Of course, being on a the track and trying to

make my lap times faster helped me find what works best and helped me get faster as a whole; however the attitude that I have before and after a race, I’ve found really affects my results.

Which round was your favorite?

Horseshoe was my favorite round! The pressure was off for Pro Women so I really just got to run that class for fun!

Last time we spoke you had been working on your jumping. Were you able to reach an even higher level (no pun intended) with regards to technique this past in 2023?

Yes! I feel the Sport class really helped me improve my ability to launch! The tracks were always more lipped up during the Sport class

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races and I really had the mindset that if I was going to be in that class, I had to do the jumps like everyone else. It was just the last little push I needed to get my confidence up. I also had great people at the practice track encouraging me and telling me what and how in order to do and land the jump.

After winning multiple championships in any sport, complacently is always a concern. How will you keep you motivated in 2024 so you can win another one?

Honestly, I just want to have fun and ride my best. My goal is to just keep doing what I love and hopefully that will be enough to stay motivated.

Right now it's summer in Canada. What is the coolest thing you've done in your spare time so far (or do you have planned) and how do you like to spend the off-season?

I play rep soccer during the summer season so that really helps me stay in shape and get ready for the snow season. This summer I went on a trip to Miami and went swimming with dolphins which was amazing.

If you could change one thing about track design from a racers perspective, what would that be? (e.g. more jumps, more rhythm sections, alternate lines etc.)

Bigger finish line jumps for sure. When you see that checkered flag, there is such a strong desire to air it out. It’s frustrating when the jump isn’t a monster.

The worst kept secret in Snowcross is that you come from a household full of fellow racers. Now that you’ve gone back to back, are your sisters ready to concede the title of "the fastest Karkoulas"?!

Oh they were ready to concede that title a long time ago! It has always been a competition between us and I am proud to say I have won the tittle fair and square!

Was there a moment this year where you endured some serious adversity at the track? There were a few races where my sled would hesitate at the line and we couldn’t figure out why. For me personally, starts are the most important thing when racing so it was so

frustrating and hard to deal with. Getting my starts figured out was a game changer last season and it really helped me get the results I needed for the second championship.

Your dad is a huge supporter of your success, feel free to thank him and anyone else who gave you the support needed this year.

My Dad has always been my biggest supporter. He has been there for the ups, the downs, and even the lower downs. He’s always stuck by my side. Seeing him run around like a mad man trying to fix and do stuff to my sled in between back to back races, and knowing he is always out in the shop until late hours of the night or early hours in the morning, I can not thank him enough. Without him I would not be nearly close to where I am now. I also want to thank everyone who has supported me and been by my side watching me race over the years. There is not enough “thank yous” in the world that could be given out to do justice.

2024 MOUNTAIN MAX 154 SL