D E T S
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POWER RIDES THE NEW 2013 POLARIS INDY SP 2013 INDY OSM
THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG 4 ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH?
TIME MACHINES 1973 BRUT LC
‘12 RS VECTOR SMOOTH CRIMINAL
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS THE KINGS AND QUEENS
SCENE IT? FOR THE LOVE
OF SNOCROSS
OF COMPETITION
NEWS, COLUMNS, RACING, VINTAGE AND MUCH MORE! VOL 27 • NO 1 • SEPT 2012 • 5.95 $
DISPLAY UNTIL OCT 31, 2012
FIRST BURN BUYER'S GUIDE
INSIDE VIEW Backshift Block Heater Liner
Octane Octa ane Helmet Org/Wht/Strike Org/ /Wht/Strike
Backshift Back kshift Pro Jacket Blk/Org Blk/O Org
Go To:
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BACKSHIFT PRO 3 IN 1
Our unrivaled Backshift kits have been setting the premium standard for hi-performance snowmobile outerwear for years. This year we raised the bar significantly and added our proprietary Heat Reflective Technology with ExkinŽ to the all new Block Heater removable 3-in-1 jacket. We also added warm, Thermoflex™ light-loft insulation to the shell for increased range of comfort in moderate conditions. The fit and mobility is unrivaled, the durability is disturbingly long, with style and detail that are second to none.
The next level has arrived.
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Backshift Pro Pant Blk/Org
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ONE AND DONE
Cory Davis had been ripping this hip for shooter Joe Wiegele of No Style Productions for an upcoming video segment. Setting the video camera down and grabbing the still, Cory hit it one final time and Wiegele captured this. No second takes with this crew. Location: Turnagain Pass, Alaska Rider: Cory Davis Photographer: Joe Wiegele
CLICKED
TWISTED Our boy Tyler Swarm was back at again this past March, high marking the locals, trippin’ to hard-core hip-hop in his over-sized truck, and making the all-black Nytro RTX look damn good. Location: West Yellowstone, Montana Rider: Tyler Swarm Photographer: James Lissimore
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SCENE IT? FOR THE LOVE OF SNOCROSS
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DAILY COMMUTE: 2012 VECTOR RS LTX THE SMOOTH CRIMINAL
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TIME MACHINES 1973 BRUT LC44
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CURRENT BREW OSM STAFFERS PROJECT BUGGIES
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TESTOSTERONE 150 THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG 4
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2013 POLARIS INDY SP THE MISSING LINK
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TEARDOWN BENCH RACING, PIT GOSSIP AND PODIUMS
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WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS WHO WON BIG LAST WINTER?
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CELEBRATING 25 YEARS 25TH ANNUAL TORONTO INTERNATIONAL SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW
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FIRST BURN BUYER’S GUIDE
COLUMNS 12
DRIFTS - PUBLISHER NOTES
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TRAIN TRACKS
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WINGING IT WITH LEVI
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FOR THE RECORD
RICHARD KEHOE TUCKER HIBBERT
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LEVI LAVALLEE PAUL THACKER
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NUTRITION & TRAINING
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KELLY SHIRES BREAST CANCER SNOW RUN
DREW ROBERTSON
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SUZY STENOFF
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DEPARTMENTS
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INDUSTRY NEWS CRUISIN’ YOU TUBE TAKE 5 - SLEDDER BOOKS ANCHOR OF THE MONTH CAPTION THIS CONTEST BONE COLLECTORS NBFSC REPORT OSM LISTINGS LAST GASP - CARL KUSTER
ON SNOW MAGAZINE
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VOLUME 27 NUMBER 1 SEPT 2012
FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES CONTACT 1-888-661-7469 Gdm 8]gdbdan =VcYaZWVgh YaZWVgh ZWVg Vgh • Made from thick wall chromoly steel • 12 degrees of sweep, 30” wide • 3 styles available
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Gdm ;aZm"IZX =VcY\jVgYh • For trail, racing and mountain use • Innovative flexible backbone • Guard will twist & flex • Provides protection for frontal impacts
Copy Editor: Rick Bloye Art Director: Darryl Aspin Production Manager: Tendra Crossman General Manager: Michael Blakoe
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Advertising Sales: 1-888-661-7469 Warren Geer, Brad Stokes
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Administrative / Sales Coordinator: Harmony Kulikauskas Photographers: James Lissimore, John Sandberg, CJ Ramstad Archives, Brett Moist, Joe Wiegele, Jim Urquhart, Juan Pablo Acevedo, Gary Walton
Highway 89, Shelburne, Ontario L0N 1S6
519-925-2089 1-866-925-2089 www.scottreinharttrailers.com
Contributing Writers: Ross Antworth, Jeff Edwards, Tim Erickson, Tucker Hibbert, Levi LaVallee, Ed Long, Jason MacDonald, John Sandberg, Suzy Stenoff, Paul Thacker, Sandy Young Subscriptions 1-888-661-7469 or info@osmmag.com OSM is published six times a year by OSM Publishing Ltd. Office address and undelivered copies and change of address notice is: 1195 Stellar Drive - Unit #4, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada L3Y 7B8. Telephone (905) 898-8585. Printed in Canada by: Dollco, a divisions of Lowe-Martin Group • Copyright 2012 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.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
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ON SNOW MAGAZINE Unit #4, 1195 Stellar Drive Newmarket, ON L3Y 7B8 ph: 905-898-8585 fax: 905-898-8071 toll-free ph: 888-661-7469 toll-free fax: 888-680-7469 email: info@osmmag.com www.osmmag.com
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*Rebates vary by model; see dealer for details. **“Ride Free” for 6 Months: This is a limited-time offer that is subject to credit approval from TD Auto Finance® (TDAF) on qualified purchases financed during this program. Offer may not be combined with certain other offers, is subject to change and may be extended or terminated without further notice. See participating retailers for complete details and conditions. “Ride Free” means that Polaris Industries, Inc., will pay the interest charges on behalf of the purchaser until 6 months from the date of purchase. No financing charges will be assessed to the customer until 5 months from the date of purchase. The rate from contract inception will be 6.99%. Rates from other lenders may vary. Monthly payment and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment/trade. Minimum amount to finance is $5,000. Example: $7,500 financed at 6.99% over 60 months = 60 monthly payments of $148.47 with a cost of borrowing of $1,408.42 and a total obligation of $8,908.42. Freight, licence, PPSA/RPDRM, insurance, registration, any retailer administration fees and other applicable fees and taxes are not included in the financed amount. Offer effective on select new Polaris® snowmobiles purchased from a participating Polaris dealer between 08/01/2012 and 09/30/2012. Offer subject to change without notice. Polaris recommends that all snowmobile riders take a training course. Do not attempt maneuvers beyond your capability. Always wear a helmet and other safety apparel. Never drink and ride. ©2012 Polaris Industries Inc.
DRIFTS
PUBLISHER NOTES
RICHARD KEHOE
DUST OFF THE COVERS was a good summer, the lakes have been warm, but as usual it flew by and another season is already at hand. A lot of riders I’ve spoken to are eager to get the fall underway. As we ease into the fall and look forward to those cooler temperatures, snowmobiling events are beginning to buzz. In the next few weeks, garages will start to come alive with snowmobiles, snowmobile parts and everything else that goes along with snowmobiling. For me, it’s the humor of the guys ripping on each other in the garage – having a good time. The stories that come out of snowmobiling with friends and family, and the funny and questionable mishaps that we share are just priceless. Riding with Bourgeois, Blakoe, Edwards or Clark provides numerous questionable acts and a heaping stack of new material. Toss in an Erickson, MacDonald or an Urquhart, and who knows what outlandish claims will be made. No matter what, it’s always a good time! In a few weeks we will be making our way to Haydays, where the season’s games will start, like they always do. We also get together and do the late night swap meet thing, and the stories and photos we get are over the top. Last year the stories we had were so entertaining that this year we have an extra three people joining us in the event, and have capped the number of OSM participants. Between the few of us, our list of needed items to obtain at the swap include a few leafers, trinkets, (also known as old, unique junk that hordes space in the garage) and some of us are in need of old, but still new gear; preferably not moth infested, but just nicely worn in.
It
Rare collectable art was abundant. Turns out, in ’95 I looked good in purple. This is the suit I’ll be looking for in the swap this year.
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Jeff’s expression says it all. ‘Ah crap, what the hell am I going to do with this?’ Jeff paid that night, and the next day when we picked it up, it wouldn’t start. Here’s proof that doing the Tebow is not just a pose…that and we didn’t have a full can of ether.
Last year we were on fire with luck, manoeuvring through the heart of the Swap. We were buying, selling and trading, all as we carefully navigated through the other serious swappers and swap parties. It was exciting to be there in the middle of the action with our fellow swappers. Last year we bought and sold two old leafers and a
few different jacket combos. Unfortunately, due to our unforeseeable shortage of supplies, I took one for the Team, and sacrificed my newly acquired 1993, hardly worn Polaris, purple checker flag jacket. I traded it straight up for more cold supplies for the Team. In the middle of the swap with the never-ending string of parties going on, it’s easy to get distracted; you really need to be an experienced shopper, keeping focused on the task at hand. To not only find what you need, but to get what you need at a reasonable price is the main goal in this particular setting. This year’s adventure will be the same as it’s been for decades; however, I’ll have a hand up at the swap. Having watched Monty Hall in Let’s Make a Deal should help in giving me the swapper’s edge...you see, I’ve Youtubed numerous episodes to prepare for it. I hope you’ll come out and get involved in snowmobiling like we do at Haydays and the Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show, which is also coming up this October 19-21. There is no shortage of snowmobile events or fun to be had this fall. Until next time, I will be in the garage, making a list of stuff I need for the season and watching old re-runs of Let’s Make a Deal from the 70s. ✪
Before it was called Tebow, it was called, ‘Dammit please start’…Jeff made an offer. If it starts on one pull, I’ll give you $300. Enough ether will start anything Jeff.
IND US TR Y
NEWS
JOCKEY JUMBLE
There’s been plenty of movement of drivers in racing circles this off-season, especially on the national snocross front. Follow along closely – Last season’s Pro Open champion Tim Tremblay has signed on with Scheuring Speed Sports and will join veteran racer Robbie Malinoski and Darrin Mees in the big AMSoil Racing hauler. Rising star Petter Narsa, who most recently made racing headlines by winning the inaugural Clash de Nations in Falun, Sweden by beating out Tremblay, has joined the BOSS Racing Jimmy Johns team for the 2013 season. We hope the young 19 year-old Narsa loves sandwiches…we’ll take a #16 LuLu. You can learn more about both the retirement of Brett Bender and TJ Gulla from the Hentges Racing squad in this issues’ installment of Tear Down. Replacing them in the hauler will be defending Pro-Lite champion Kody Kamm and Justin Broberg, both of whom will compete in the Pro-Open class. Finally, just before this issue went to press, our pal Levi LaVallee sent out official word that former Pro-Lite Arctic Cat rider Kyle Palin will be joining Team LaVallee for the upcoming season.
KYLE PALIN
TIM TREMBLAY
JUDGE JUDY TO RULE ON POLARIS VS. SKI-DOO LAWSUIT? Patent infringement lawsuits are not uncommon, especially in a competitive technologically driven environment such as snowmobile manufacturing. What is unusual though, is to make a public announcement about a particular patent infringement lawsuit. We can only speculate the public disclosure by Polaris is an attempt to leverage something more or perhaps simply make a statement. Whatever it might be, Polaris filed a lawsuit against BRP back in June and issued a press release to boot. Ironically, early this year, Ski-Doo was forced to go public with their own patent infringement claim against Arctic Cat after investors in the Minneapolis/St. Paul community caught wind of the battle and began to raise questions. Could this be another case of managing shareholder expectations and the investment community's pocket books?
KING OF RAUNCH After penning the quick “Current Brew” feature in this issue that gives you an inside look at OSM staffer’s current sled projects, we had to snap a picture of Arctic Cat’s chief media contact, Kale Wainer’s latest on-highway project…a 1964 Ford King Raunch. The rat truck fits perfectly with Kale’s love for rockabilly and vintage sleds, and we’re hoping to see the Raunch at a vintage show this winter with a classic hunk of Arctic Cat iron in the box. 14
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Dayco was here. Ride with conďŹ dence.
www.dayco.com
IND US TR Y
NEWS
QUICKSILVER LUBES UP There once was a time that Mercury Marine, whose headquarters are in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was a big name player in the snowmobile business… remember the Twister? Looks like the marine maker is stabbing its toe back into the snow, even if it’s just to lubricate the existing brands. Mercury Quicksilver, a lubricant line for Mercury, recently introduced new lubes specifically for motorcycles, ATVS, and yes, snowmobiles. Formulations are available for both two-stroke and four-stroke applications and can be obtained through a Mercury Marine dealership or online at www.mercurypartsexpress.com.
DONAHUE AND ARGO RECOGNIZED The American Council of Snowmobile Associations (ACSA) and the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (SSCO) recently recognized two dealers respectively during the International Snowmobile Congress (ISC) held in Massachusetts. Donahue Super Sports of Wisconsin and City Argo Motorsports of New Brunswick were named Dealers of the Year by their respective organizations. The awards recognize the best dealerships in North America based upon their involvement with local clubs, associations, promotion of the sport, and their leadership role in fundraising and special projects. Congrats to both!
Bobby Donahue accepted the ACSA Dealer of the Year award on behalf of the entire Donahue family and the employees of Donahue Super Sports 16
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TORONTO SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW • OCT 19-21, 2012 • TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CENTRE • www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
IND US TR Y
NEWS
VOLCANOES + LA NINA + SUNSPOTS = COLD WINTER AHEAD A recent report from long-range expert forecaster Joe Bastardi believes colder winter is on deck, especially over the next three years. According to Joe, a combination of many thing including volcanic activity, low sunspot activity, El Nino/La Nina patterns, and other factors has North America poised for colder winters ahead. Bastardi went on to say he believes the earth’s temperatures will return to levels of the late 1970s by the year 2030, leading to a “crash” of global temperatures. You heard the man, break out the choppers.
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TORONTO SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW • OCT 19-21, 2012 • TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CENTRE • www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
SCHULTZ PREPARING FOR BAJA 1000 Former professional snocross racer Mike Schultz, who lost his leg in a nasty snocross crash in December of 2008, continues to defy conventional thinking with a recent announcement of his intentions to compete in the Baja 1000. Mike has already broken down so many barriers with his incredible recovery, his personal development of a prosthetic leg called the Moto Knee, and winning 3 X Games gold medals in adaptive snocross and adaptive supercross. Now Mike will team up with JHC HERO Racing to take on the challenge of the world renowned and grueling Baja 1000 aboard a Honda CRF450X dirt bike. For more details visit www.jhcheroracing.org or www.monstermikeschultz.com
FRESH DIGITAL INK FOR OVAL RACERS The resurgence of oval racing took another step forward this past summer as the Oval Racers Alliance launched an all new website. Complete with all the “stuff” you’d expect to find including results, online registrations, schedule of events, and ORA gear. Also in the works is a new ORA YouTube channel. Check out the new site at www.ovalracersalliance.com
TORONTO SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW • OCT 19-21, 2012 • TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CENTRE • www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
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NEWS
2013 ARCTIC UPDATES The boys and girls at Arctic Cat have been busting tail this summer in an effort to hone their latest crop of sleds before the snow flies. They sent over an update to keep us informed mid-summer and here are the highlights. 1.) Improved side panel fit and seal on all new chassis models. The panel will eliminate snow ingestion and includes a threaded fastener. 2.) Standard zipper belt holder mounted behind the seat on all ProCross and ProClimb models. 3.) Cat’s quiet track technology has been incorporated into the new 2013 RipSaw tack that comes on all F models (save the F5 and F570). 4.) The XF High Country and all M Models have revised the two-hole steering mount spindle to a single hole that will result in a 15.5 =-percent decrease in turning radius. 5.) M-models will come equipped with the lightweight RR style brake rotor and will also get the HCR-style front-only heat exchanger. The change results in a 5-pound weight reduction dry and even more when factoring snow build-up. For all the latest updates visit your Cat dealer.
CPI PHANTOM COME RIDE WITH US EVENT
In 2009 Phantom Powersports teamed up with the Canadian Snowcross Racing Association (CSRA) to create the NOVICE 250 Class, a program to introduce young people to the sport of snowmobiling. The ‘Come Ride With Us” event will run October through April, for more information visit www.phantomsnowmobiles.com or www.snowcross.com.
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NEWS
C&A PRO LOOKS WEST With a firmly established reputation amongst terrain racers and trail riders, the folks from Minnesota based C&A Pro Skis are looking west and hoping to do the same. The company recently launched a new HighMark Edition Ski molded in pure white plastic (classy). The ski follows design cues from the their 2009 MTX powder ski and comes with a matching limited edition flat-billed cap to show your HighMark style when posing with the locals. Visit www.caproskis.com to get yours.
RASMUSSEN RIDES YELLOW In mountain riding circles, Bret Rasmussen is synonymous with “mad skills” and Arctic Cat. He has practically done it all in the snowmobile world including King of the Hill and World Championship titles; an Arctic Cat dealer for over 25-years; served as Western Race Coordinator for Arctic Cat; and most recently has been concentrating much of his efforts on his Ride Rasmussen Style riding schools. This winter however, Bret will be carving up the mountain and teaching others to do the same on the new Ski-Doo Summit. Learn more about Bret’s school at www.riderasmussenstyle.com
HIBBERT JOINS MINNESOTA TWINS Drift gear launched some new gear this summer amid the sweltering What do you do after you’ve practically done it all when it comes to snowmobile racing accomplishments? Hmmmm…how about throw out the first pitch at an upcoming Minnesota Twins ballgame? On September 12, Tucker Hibbert will don the home team stripes and throw out the first pitch of the ballgame. If you follow Major League Baseball, you know the Twins have been struggling with starting pitching all season. If Tucker shows he has control of his heater…who knows what could happen! Tucker said he only has one summer of youth baseball experience to draw from, and rumors of a mascot bean ball have been circulating.
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TORONTO SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW • OCT 19-21, 2012 • TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CENTRE • www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
“Virtually every performance company we’ve ever worked with uses the VForce3 reed valve. They’re a proven product for modified sleds or putting new life in an older snowmobile.” —Snow Goer Magazine “…if you are serious about performance, both on the lake and on the racetrack, the VForce reeds are your best chance to obtain the ultimate in competitive power.” —SnowTech Magazine “One of the best things consumers can do for the money is replace the stock reed cage with a set of Moto Tassinari VForce reed valves.” —American Snowmobiler Magazine
“…THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS— PERIOD.” —TIM BENDER, MANAGER HENTGES POLARIS SNOCROSS RACE TEAM
The VForce3 by Moto Tassinari continues to be the only choice for both riders and race teams looking for the ultimate performance advantage. The VForce3 offers significant horsepower gains, instant acceleration, crisper throttle response, improved durability and even better fuel economy on some models—all in an easy to install, true bolt-on modification. So whether you're trying to breath new life into your current sled, or simply want to maximize the performance of your new sled, the VForce3 is an easy choice.
@mototass mototassinari.com
IND US TR Y
NEWS
DRIFTED SLOPE Drift gear launched some new gear this summer amid the sweltering heat and humidity. While it was hard to get our head wrapped around the new Sloper jacket features with the mercury approaching triple digits, we were digging the chess-match styling. Check out the Sloper jacket and more at www.driftracing.com
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS! October 19 - 21, 2012 will mark the 25th Anniversary of the Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show taking place at the International Centre, where parking is free. Join the tens of thousands of Powersport enthusiasts and check out Huge Manufacturer Displays with all the 2013 Sleds and ATV’s. Take in Live Freestyle shows, ATV and Snowmobile racing, and meet Levi LaVallee at the show! Plan your trips at the show with the many tourism booths. Find what you need amongst the many aftermarket products. Tickets are now on sale. 888-661-SHOW (7469) NEW TO THE SHOW!! First time ever in the history of the show: The USED SNOWMOBILE & ATV MARKET. Register your Machine to be sold on the show floor October 19-21, 2012. $25 registration fee per vehicle, or $35 registration fee includes one adult day admission ticket. Also new to the show, Win Trophies and Cash Prizes at The Powersports Custom Competition presented by OSM and ATV World Magazines! For further information on the USED SNOWMOBILE & ATV MARKET, or The Powersports Custom Competition, to purchase advanced tickets, or to be an exhibitor at the show, please call 1-888-661-SHOW (7469) or visit www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
613-489-5297 jawsperformance.com
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Arctic Cat Polaris Ski-Doo Yamaha TORONTO SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW • OCT 19-21, 2012 • TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CENTRE • www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
SCENE IT? ACCE SS
ON SN OW M AGAZ INE
On Snow Magazine sent freelance photographer Brent Moist to the last big snocross race of the season to capture the scene, rub elbows with the champs, and more importantly, try to figure out why fans and racers alike love snocross.
Monster Energy girls Ashlee Painchaud (left) from East Setauket, New York and Alyssa Marie Giles from Soldotna, Alaska.
Photos by Brett Moist – www.brettmoistphotography.weebly.com
Kody Kamm set the bar high for himself this season by winning the Pro-Lite championship last year, and besting the field in his first ever Pro-Open race on the last day of the season.
Geneva fans soaked up the warm temps and most likely a few cold beers during the last race of the season.
While Ross Martin fell just short of yet another year-end title, he came away with an impressive win on Saturday.
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Austen Madison, Jefferson, Wisconsin.
Jerry and Karen Burba and their son Jeff from Silver Lake, Wisconsin.
Mavrick and Saige made the trek to Geneva from Bernard, Iowa.
Amanda Wilson (ISOC Girl) and Ashley Rambow (Miss ISOC 2011).
Kody Kamm along with his mom Missy, who are from nearby Kenosha, had lots of hometown fans in the stands.
Melissa and McKaylee Myerhofer from Waterford, Wisconsin.
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SCENE IT? ACCE SS
ON SN OW M AGAZ INE
Cole Cottew from Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin.
Grant Glashagel from Ingleside, Illinois.
Kevin and Kyle Dutkiewicz from McHenry, Illinois.
Kevin and Brandon Lind of Antioch, Illinois. Andy Block, Lake Zurich, Illinois.
YOUR SOUTH WESTERN ONTARIO POLARIS DEALER
4325 Harvester Rd, Unit 12, Burlington, Ontario
905-681-7270
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Rider pictured is a professional on closed course. Polaris recommends that all snowmobile riders take a training course. Do not attempt maneuvers beyond your capability. Always wear a helmet and other safety apparel. For safety training in Canada please contact your local Polaris dealer. Never drink and ride. 2012 Polaris industries Inc.
Fellow racers Jason McMahon from Elgin, Illinois and Tyler Adams from Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Brady Hans from Jefferson, Wisconsin puts his best moves on Karli Rae Feivor form Cottage Grove, Wisconsin.
Dan Sutton from McHenry, Illinois.
Jeff and Jake Slavin from Wind Lake, Wisconsin.
Elliott Madison “Big E” from Jefferson, Wisconsin.
Kyle and Kevin Kunstman from McHenry, Illinois.
Annie Koehler from South Milwaukee and Jordan Domagalski from Franklin, Wisconsin.
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NATURAL SELECTION VIEW ALL THESE BY VISITING WWW.OSMMAG.COM AND CLICKING ON THE CRUISING YOUTUBE BANNER For most of us, an entire summer of backyard barbeques, music festivals, keg beer, and hangovers has us ready for the season to begin. However for these Darwin award candidates, it simply means the cast is ready to come off. You got a favorite online snowmobile video you think will make the cut and appear in a future issue of On Snow Magazine? Let us know. Send us the link along with your contact information to: info@osmmag.com and you could score the same OSM t-shirt worn by our snowmobile paparazzi shooters.
COME BACK SHOT WOAH, WOAH, WOAH…FEELINGS
In the words of Shane, the hammered director…”that was not good”.
VIEW AT WWW.OSMMAG.COM
You can almost see his butt pucker.
VIEW AT WWW.OSMMAG.COM
BREAK A LEG Simple step-by-step idiot ride guide on how to become a pirate.
VIEW AT WWW.OSMMAG.COM
CLOSE WITH NATURE Snowmobile rule #129 Trees always win!
GAWKERS SLOW DOWN So many rednecks… so little time.
VIEW AT WWW.OSMMAG.COM
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VIEW AT WWW.OSMMAG.COM
Marketer Shows, OSM, Richard Kehoe Productions, Inc. or Patrick J. Bourgeois and its affiliates are not responsible for the content or actions of others in these videos. The comments expressed and the activities performed in these videos do not reflect the opinions and position of Richard Kehoe Productions, Inc., Marketer Show, OSM or Patrick J. Bourgeois and its affiliates and is no way an endorsement of such comments or activities.
PODIUM TESTED, TUCKER APPROVED.
2012
TUCKER HIBBERT TEAM MONSTER ENERGY / ARCTIC CAT PODIUM HAT The Official Podium Hat of Team Monster Energy/Arctic Cat’s Tucker Hibbert is now available for you! This adjustable snap-back hat features the logos of Monster Energy, Arctic Cat, Hibbert Racing and Tucker’s trademark 68. See Tucker’s entire 2012 merchandise line today at tucker-hibbert.com or at his Official Merchandise Booth at an ISOC National Snocross event.
+ VISIT TUCKER-HIBBERT.COM AND CLICK THE SHOP LINK
$25 US DOLLARS © 2012 TUCKER HIBBERT
NOW SHIPPING TO USA, CANADA, ICELAND, NORWAY, SWEDEN, FINLAND, DENMARK AND UNITED KINGDOM.
TRAIN TRACKS TUCKER HIBBERT
1300 MILES IN 5 DAYS
nyone close to me knows I like well-thought out plans. I make lists, scribble on calendars, and spend hours analyzing the most efficient way to accomplish my tasks. It’s not uncommon for me to sneak a ridiculous amount of activities into a short period of time. Here’s a glimpse into just five days of my summer.
A
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Day 1: Thursday kicked off with a quick 200-mile drive to Minneapolis to meet with Arctic Cat’s marketing team. While I was waiting in the lobby, I answered a few phone calls. Day 1: After the meeting, I went to Buck Hill for Penn Cycle’s weekly mountain bike race. Who wouldn’t want to spend their Thursday night with their
heart rate maxed out for 58-minutes while racing a bicycle in the woods, on a ski hill, in 90-degree weather? Day 1: At 9:00 p.m., Rob, Mandi and I hit the road for Green Bay. We’re used to traveling at weird hours, and some of my favorite memories are from late night adventures. At our first pit stop, I discovered Monster Energy’s new Orangeade
Rehab. Score! At 10 p.m. I cracked it and started reading through over 300 captions submitted by fans for my summer Facebook photo caption contest. Talk about funny stuff! At 1 a.m. we decided to call it a night and found a hotel in Wausau. Day 2: Six hours later we were on the road for the final stretch to Green Bay. Castle X Racewear rolled out a radically different line for 2013 with new materials, styles and prints. We knew it was in the works, but were blown away by the finished product. While working on the fit and design of my new race gear, I snuck into the warehouse to help pack the first shipment of my 2013 Monster Energy replica jackets to dealers.
Day 2: Once we wrapped-up our projects for the day, Jess, Tim and Erin took us to one of their favorite trails for an insane mountain bike ride. By 6 p.m. we were on the road back to Minneapolis. Day 3: After a quick sleep in Minneapolis I was pounding pavement again; this time to Millville for an open ride day at Spring Creek MX Park. I pulled in to find a muddy mess from a nasty storm the night before. After feeling sorry for myself for a few minutes, I devised a new plan…drive home and call Logan Christian to ride with me. Saturday night I prepped my track for Sunday’s ride.
Day 4: The next morning I learned there was a 70th wedding anniversary celebration scheduled Sunday afternoon at the church only a mile from my track. Seriously, what are the chances!? I didn’t think they would appreciate the noise so I changed my schedule again and decided to ride Sunday night. Logan and I rode until we ran out of daylight. Day 5: After a morning riding session Monday, I bee-lined to Thief River Falls to meet my new niece. Harper Quinn arrived five days earlier than the doctors predicted and I couldn’t wait to meet her.
Rain and 70th wedding anniversaries can delay riding, and babies will enter this world on their own schedule. No matter how much I plan, I’ve learned that sometimes you have to roll with it.
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Headhsot by Todd Williams • www.toddwilliamsusa.com
WINGING IT WITH LEVI LEVI LAVALLEE
HIGHLIGHT OF SUMMER
The latest trend in Longville…mid-air yoga.
have had some ridiculously fun winter memories, but I won’t lie, I’m starting to get pretty good at this summertime fun as well. After a few summers spent recovering from injuries, I finally had a healthy summer, (knock on wood) and I took full advantage of it! Remember when you were a kid and you’d count the days until school ended and summer break began? It’s the same feeling I had this year, except my “end of school” was getting cleared by my doctor to resume “normal” activities. I waited anxiously for school to be done, (my broken leg to heal) and once the teacher (doctor) said, “enjoy your summer,” (go back to jumping things) instantly the “good time” side of my brain kicked in. The very first thing I did upon leaving the doctor’s office was jump in my buddy’s motorhome and head for Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. Once we were there, we cruised the lakes; golfed; took in the “Brostock” wakeboard contest; swam with
“Ozark’s dolphins;(watch the vid on my You Tube channel called Lake of the Ozarks version of "swimming with the dolphins") and did my first cliff jump ever! The cliff jump was completely unplanned and came about when we saw a group of boats by a 40-foot cliff, and all of a sudden, someone goes flying off the top of it. I knew instantly that I had to try it. Next thing I know, I’m standing at the top of the cliff. Figuring I had good air awareness, I decided to include a flip with my first jump, for a little extra kick. Bad idea! I over rotated and got the extra kick I was looking for…right in the rear end. A couple of days later, when my bum was black and blue, I knew for sure that it wasn’t from riding around in the pontoon. Once home from the Ozarks, I wasn’t there for long until I was flying to LA for Summer X Games. Once again, Summer X was amazing and I got a chance to take in a special viewing of the new Nitro Circus 3D film before it arrived in theaters.
I also had my long distance sled on display at the Red Bull energy station for fans to have their picture taken with it. The rest of the time I spent talking with the summer athletes and the fans and in general, taking in the insanity known as X Games. It is amazing to see it live and watch the progression of the various sports unfold live.
Everyone is watching…do something cool.
Dressed in black and keeping the streets of Longville safe.
Kristen was a little over the top with excitement on our wedding day.
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One of my favorite wedding presents!
Feels good to be back on the water again.
My name is Sue…how do you do!?
Distance sled on display at Summer X… hopefully the fans are getting way better pictures than I do with my photo abilities.
Yet, despite all the travel and shenanigans, the best part of summer was being right here at home and being able to ride dirt bike, wakeboard, spend time on the lake, rip up the woodchip track on my sled, and relax with friends and family. Oh… and before Kristen reads this and smacks me on the back of my head…without a doubt the best part of the entire year was getting married to my beautiful wife Kristen. She is amazing and I would be chasing my tail all day long without her. Whew…hopefully that will keep me in good graces long enough so I can go for another rip on my dirt bike, ha ha ha! ;-) Have a good one…Levi
Wheels down apply only when on the ground.
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FOR THE RECORD
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PAUL THACKER
TERRA-ING IT UP
The Terra in the Park event at ERX was my first time aboard the new hand control equipped Polaris RZR. Special thanks to my pals at Bristow’s Polaris for hooking me up, it was a blast.
ey all! Well it’s hard to believe it is that time of year again already. Snow will be flying soon and the winter season will be in full swing. Wow does time fly! Needless to say, it has been a busy off-season once again. Although I’m not sure there is even any such thing in my life anymore. Seems like I’m pretty much always on the go. This spring I was able to spend a good bit of time in Alaska and actually got to do some spring riding in the mountains. Frank Harris and Big Lake Polaris was kind enough to lend me a badass RMK Pro 800. Arctic Effex got it all wrapped up and looking mint, and we were able to get some blue bird days, filming in Turnagain Pass. It is some of the most amazing countryside in the world. Joe Wiegle from NSP was on hand to get some great footage and still pics. It’s a little like learning how to ride all over again, while figuring out what I can do and getting a little more comfortable and better each time I get on the sled. I even remembered how to crash! Haha! I really had a great time being a part of it again and fortunately, since my legs don’t want to cooperate yet, I get out of having to help shovel jumps! Ha! I really looking forward to getting a legit seat built for this upcoming season and I’ll be getting after it this winter.
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photo by NoStyle Productions
With summer, it always means Summer X Games. Usually it is a great weekend to give us Winter X Athletes a chance to relax and watch someone else risk life and limb. No stress, just good times. This year was no different. The SoCal weather was amazing as always, and the events and after parties did not disappoint. It’s amazing every year how the moto guys seem to continue to progress, when progression seems virtually impossible. Year-after-year, someone does something gnarlier and crazier than the year before. I have nothing but mad respect for all those guys. Of course the pool time and event parties are always a great time, and it’s A “Monster” of a party at Summer X Games.
great to see all of my fellow Monster athletes from both summer and winter. The Action Sports World truly is a small one. Needless to say, Summer X was a total blast. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work quite a bit with Ekso Bionics, and have been all over the country doing demos and walking…yes walking! From coast to coast and back again, I have been a traveling fool. The folks from Ekso have been amazing, and they even gave me a chance to swing a golf club for the first time in years. It’s pretty amazing where this technology is headed. Hopefully, some day this will help people in my position, walk on a daily basis. Summer has also brought a new event to the scene. TerraCross is up and running in full swing. June brought us to Elk River MN for the kick off of the TerraCross Championship. Bristow’s Polaris was kind enough to hook me up a new Polaris RZR 900, and with the help of Waldoch Customs, get it dialed in Back in the saddle at Turnigain Pass, Alaska.
photo by NoStyle Productions
Like always this upcoming season promises to be amazing. I will definitely be getting back in the saddle as far as riding, and hoping to do some crazy things on a sled that haven’t been done before. Guess some things never change. Haydays is the next big event on deck and if you don’t have plans to be there I suggest you change them now. This year should be an amazing event. Make sure you check out the new foundation website, PT11.com, and remember any donation will help spinal cord injured athletes get back to doing the things they love to do! ✪
with some hand controls. Holy smokes, what a blast!! Some of the most fun I have had in ages. I can’t get over how well the Polaris RZRs rip bone, stock! Tons of power and the FOX Shox soak Until next time, up the bumps like no other; they are PT truly impressive. The racing was tight and it really was a total blast. I am actually doing some of the commentating as well, so doing photo by NoStyle Productions double duty definitely keeps me busy! We are looking to put an actual “Handi-capable” class together for some of the upcoming events, and next year, I am super stoked to be a The folks at Ekso Bionics continue amaze me. Each time we hook part of a cool, new event series. to up I’m blown away by the Can’t wait for the next advancements they continue to make in their bionic technology. TerraCross stop in Haydays.
Next step, no crutch assistance.
photo by NoStyle Productions
www.paulthacker11.com Twitter.com/paulthacker11 FIND ME ON FACEBOOK!
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Sledder Books WARRIORS OF WINTER
The glory days of snowmobile racing, or the not so glory days, depending upon your perspective, are woven into this 1977 book written by Bill Vint. The book is a reflection on not just the sport’s early racing history, but more accurately the bravado and characterizations of the men and women who shaped it… from accurate accounts to over-exaggerations. The 240-page Warriors of Winter includes hundreds of photographs, making it coffee table ready. While out of print you can still source used copies.
BREAKING TRAIL
A book that is more about the entrepreneurial spirit of one man rather than just snowmobiling, this autobiography of the life of Edgar Hetteen recounts the struggles and triumphs of a visionary. It’s a story of a man who helped shape this sport, and of a man who never quit pursuing his dreams and made them come true. Written by Edgar Hetteen with assistance from Jay Lemke, Breaking Trail was published in 1998.
LEGEND – ARCTIC CAT’S FIRST FOUR DECADES No matter what brand you pledge allegiance to, Legend is a must read and must own. Written by C.J. Ramstad, perhaps the most prolific snowmobile journalist ever, Legend recounts the history of Arctic Cat including the days prior to 1961 and the first Polar 500 snowmobile. Legend introduces us to the sleds, the events, the people, the hardships, and the success of one of the industry’s most storied brands.
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You most likely won’t find many if any snowmobile books available for download for your Kindle or iPad, instead you’ll have to opt for the ink and bound variety. Here is our take on five snowmobile related books every enthusiast should have shelved in the den.
50 YEARS OF THE CAT We know other brands have several good books available recounting their history or model make-up, but the latest snowmobile book to hit the market, thanks in large part to Arctic Cat’s recent 50th anniversary, 50 Years of Cat written by John Sandberg makes our list because it is simply that damn good. One part photo book and one part historical reference, 50 Years recounts the significant sleds, racing heroes, innovations, and people who have helped shape the Thief River Falls brand.
MAN CAVE HOT DOG COOKBOOK
You didn’t think we’d get through a Take 5 without a little humor thrown in did you? Every sledder worth their weight in fouled plugs and blown belts has hopefully participated in the time honored tradition of a trailside cookout. Better yet, filled an aluminum Muff-pot with natural casing franks and “extras” for an exhaust pipe heated treat. With Matt Thompson’s Hot Dog cookbook, you can step-up your hot dog game, be it trailside or back at your sledder compound.
HONORABLE MENTION OF ICE & ENGINES Got a favorite not listed? Let us know at info@osm-mag.com
By Jason MacDonald
2012
YAMAHA RS VECTOR LTX (EPS)
About the Mac Our resident wrench and part time Elvis impersonator, Jason MacDonald, is an avid snowmobiler and rides every chance he gets. Each issue, Jason or “Mac” as he is affectionately referred to within the OSM office for his love of any boxed cheese and pasta meal, scrawls out his thoughts on a bar napkin and hands them over to editor in chief Bourgeois to decipher and attempt to create complete sentences from the babble. Jason is infatuated with snowmobiles and he knows his way around a sled regardless of its age. His first buggy was a 1971 Skiroule S-400 and he hasn’t stopped riding since. Mac has done it all in the snowmobile business including sweeping dealership floors; sales, service; technical diagnostics; technical writing; technical training; and wrenching for I-500, snocross and NSSR competitors. In total Jason has been addicted to snowmobiles for 33 years, worked at a dealership for 16, a manufacturer for 5, and has mooched off OSM for 2. Each year we give Mac the keys to our snowmobile cookie jar, and he rides our long term loaners to work daily. In addition, Mac keeps our fleet serviced and tuned, and is always at the ready to take an extra long weekend trip at a moments notice. While snow conditions were sparse for most of us last winter, Jason squeezed in a ride every chance he got, and continued to ride to work, even when conditions were sketchy at best. Folks, Elvis has entered the building.
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Smooth Criminal
A
wolf in sheep’s clothing... that just might be the best way to describe the 2012 Yamaha RS Vector LTX. The Yamaha triple is not the loudest, not the lightest, nor the flashiest, but it’s always lurking around, just waiting for an opportunity to move in for the kill. What it lacks in sheer muscle, it more than makes up for in quiet confidence. The mid-sized tuning fork entry into the crossover segment starts off with a 1049cc triple, four-stroke motor rated at 120hp. Without the need for gear reduction, like that found on its big bro Apex, the engine can be nestled low in
the chassis. What’s more, the complexity under-hood is reduced, a beneficial extra when considering a long-term trail scoot. The motor makes a sweet droning sound, serving as a constant reminder of the sled’s associated heritage with monikers like FZR and YZF. Not only does the engine deliver sizable thrust, the engine braking reduction system, which allows a small portion of air to pass through the throttle bodies without throttle application, is near perfect. However, make no mistake, this sled will offer the biggest reward when driven with very smooth
throttle manipulation versus the on/off switch approach of a similar sized twostroke. Previously, the OSM crew has heaped praise onto the electronic power steering (EPS) pioneered by Yamaha, thus it’s no surprise it works like a charm in the Vector application as well. The machine works nicely with the bottom-of-the-barrel 3” carbides that come affixed in stock trim, but once we secured a set of Woodys Trailblazer 6” carbides, things got even better. The front end of the machine can simply be turned into any corner, and underneath opposing brand machines with almost comical precision. More importantly, even with double the carbide of stock, the Vector still displayed buttery-light steering effort thanks to EPS. The net result is incredible front-end confidence, allowing you to push the Vector deep into corners with Bruce Lee aggression. The Vector never shakes its head unwillingly, and you reap the rewards. The LTX version is considered a crossover category buggy, due to its stretched 136” x 1.25” Ripsaw track, wrapped around Yamaha’s Mono Shock 2 CK136 suspension. Stock calibration is setup nicely for average paced trail rides, and will gobble up small trail chatter with ease. However, once you push the speed envelope slightly and force the Vector into big bump eating duty, the rear starts to deliver impacts with high number magnitude results. Spring preload
adjustments help, but the suspension just isn’t comfortable being pushed into 12” craters all day long. When such terrain is encountered, the rear of the sled kicks back, but never did we reach a point of complete lack of control. Point the Vector back onto a typical groomed trail with average chatter, and the CK136 encourages speed and delivers tight handling manners. The rewards are even
Yamaha’s ridiculous attention to detail goes far beyond paint and cowl fitment as we learned firsthand this fall while dissecting the latest Yamaha buggies at Yamaha’s service training center in Wisconsin. The engines are beautiful both inside and out, with meticulous castings. This is the where Yamaha’s quality takes root kids.
On baby butt smooth trails like these, the Vector has a voracious appetite for slicing and dicing at speed
With few changes to the Vector year over year, our 2012 unit was tapped by editor Bourgeois as a long term unit. This off-season, the Vector was treated to some upgrades including Yamaha’s new Tuner skis and tough as nails Dupont hyfax. Watch for mid-season Burn Report in an upcoming issue and online at osmmag.com
greater when you apply smooth precision at the controls. The cockpit and accompanying controls of the Vector LTX are just what you might expect from the quality fit and finish standards that the Japanese have become known for. The grips are hot and easy to manage, the bars serve up a nice bend that is comfortable, and the gauge is easy to read at nearly any speed. Yet there are shortcomings, such as the difficult to reach high/low beam switch that requires an abnormally long and awkward reach. A nice taper and just right seat density with plenty of foam depth is a welcome change when in the saddle all day. Today, so many sleds are beginning to mimic motocross bikes with their narrow seats and minimalistic padding. Yamaha left the foam feeling high quality and with depth to it, not to mention that there is a place to store some extras in the back of the seat where you can store tools (which you likely will never use) or a tow rope for your buddies. Whether you are ogling from the cockpit or from a competitive machine from afar, Yamaha is second to nobody when it comes to putting it all together tight, smooth, and with a finished look of pure high quality. Once you strip the clothing off and look underneath, more of the same can be found. The castings, routing, and machine work are simply top shelf and speak to the quality and durability Yamaha has become synonymous with. Certainly the Vector won’t draw a big crowd at a trail-side pitstop; in fact it likely won’t draw any crowd, and therein lies the beauty. Dressed up like all the other sheep, the Vector just goes about its business with professionalism and precision, day-after-day, year-after-year. ✪ ON SNOW MAGAZINE
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‘73
TM aicm e hines by Jim Urquhart
Brut LC44
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BROOTEN, MINN., IS AN UNLIKELY PLACE TO BEGIN ANY SORT OF MANUFACTURING OPERATION. BOASTING JUST 700-SOME PEOPLE TODAY, IT’S A SMALL TOWN IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA THAT WAS LIKELY SMALLER IN THE EARLY 1970S. BUT JOHN BOHMER, WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF THE BONANZA VALLEY STATE BANK AT THE TIME, WANTED TO BRING MANUFACTURING AND JOBS INTO BROOTEN TO TRY AND HELP BUILD THE COMMUNITY. BOHMER SOMEHOW FOUND GERRY REESE, A TALENTED ENGINEER WHO HAD BECOME FRUSTRATED WITH HIS JOB AT POLARIS. eese felt he could build a better, faster snowmobile but the management at Polaris didn’t think consumers wanted a racier sled. Bohmer happened to find Reese at a time when he was searching for new horizons, and originally the pair came up with the idea to build machines that could haul freight in Alaska. When that idea didn’t pan out, the pair set their sights on building sleds. Reese wasn’t the only Polaris engineer who jumped on board with Brutanza. Polaris recruits included Mike and Charlie Baker, Marly Duclo and Greg Grahn, giving the upstart company a deep knowledge base. That was 1971. They released
R
their first sled the next year and by 1974 it was over, at least from a strictly Brutanza-built standpoint. Scorpion bought the brand and produced a Scorpion Brut, and the next year they branded it for Massey Ferguson. The sleds Brutanza built were in many respects, way ahead of their time. In fact, a number of the concepts they pioneered didn’t reappear until decades later and are now seen as cutting edge ideas. The company only built about 1500 sleds during its original three-year run, and considering there were 130 snowmobile manufacturers in 1969 and still more than 100 by the time Brut came along, it’s not hard to see how they got lost in the shuffle. Regardless, the spec sheet for the sleds read like one from a modern snowmobile. ON SNOW MAGAZINE
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TM aicm e 1973 Brut LC44 hines
The engine was designed to sit low in the chassis and was hand built with parts designed by Brutanza and sourced from Japan. Liquid-cooling wasn’t new to snowmobiles, but it was new from a mass-production standpoint. Brut
SUPERCLAMP REAR
engineers figured their engine would produce more consistent power if they could keep it at a fixed temperature. A CDI ignition meant less plug fouling and better reliability. The Power Pac system tied the driveline together, eliminating
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any misalignment in the drive system, vastly improving efficiency and belt life. Since their engine didn’t rely on air to cool it, it didn’t have to “stand up” in the chassis, so they were able to tilt the cylinders down for a lower center of gravity, essentially creating the first “lay down” snowmobile engine. This left no room for the steering post, so they routed that over the engine, a configuration common in today’s rider forward sleds. Instead of a big, expensive radiator, Brut engineers went with a system of coils in the tunnel, but these proved fragile and the solution was to mount an extrusion on each side of the tunnel. They also went with aluminum for the tunnel at a time when the majority of
snowmobile manufacturers were still using steel. Their slide rail skid was fully adjustable and had a progressive shock system. Even the track was gone over by Brutanza’s engineers - the Polytrack was a one-piece molded unit that was produced by Gates, and designed for speed and drive efficiency. Brutanza wasn’t shy about their new to the market advancements and bragged in their sales literature that their sleds were the fastest on the block. The company’s engineers claimed they clocked one of their sleds at 118mph, but more conservative numbers said the sleds would do 80mph out of the crate. At a time when most sleds were lucky to do 60mph, this was blazing fast. In fact, Bruts were so fast their reputation preceded them, and many race organizations considered outlawing the sleds before they even had a chance to race. The sleds sold like crazy. But a couple of low snow years and the gas crisis put a serious damper on their momentum. Because of the RPMs the engines pulled, the sleds were plagued by clutch failures. Finally, after the 50th clutch exploded, Brutanza’s insurance
company told them they had to recall all the sleds. It was the final nail in the coffin and the company sold out to Scorpion. Reese, one of the founders and driving forces behind the company, started making skis for airplanes. Charlie Baker started a repair business in Brooten, and Grahn ended up back at Polaris. The Brut in these photos was donated to the Snowmobile Hall Of Fame in St. Germain, Wis., by the Dan Hill estate. It is currently on display there. To learn more and to plan a visit of your own, check out their website at www.snowmobilehalloffame.com
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hen we are not living the lavish lifestyle of minimum wage magazine editors eating sardines from a can and chugging stale Grain Belt beer; you can find us hunkered down in the garage twirling finely forged tools from Bangladesh. Here’s a look at what project buggies OSM staffers currently have lurking (read – hiding from the significant other) in their garage.
W
n d o s l JacDona Mar & 500 CLASSIC Entice
ent perman ken up ta nd a s , a h rs w yea Enticer p a s t fe istence and amaha Y e l th e d r o e fo f ex A late m y g a ra g nty-five years o nder a e c e in m utside u s life re s id e n . After nearly tw ars of sitting o part of it so ye the later nd freezes. rightfully early as many d n e p s gn ght to e grou survivin ed the ri at least until th However, after as earn LE) a tree, it h over its head … stone reliable. ka WOB of n itions, (a burger joint d with a ro buggy has bee e p x e le local intage This litt wer has s to the aconia v g two W l, and a few trip the 340 leaf blo n ly in iv rv u s a , o snow ov is encouraged u s fa r, it h a s vintage s ”. T h sh, a ontact ff c ra o ll d ta fu e where fe w “g due to ro aining te re d a placed m e n c o u n ne ski to be re e one re ed to th to o red s add a g f required cleverly procu o f n ld h gallo ottom o windshie tab, and a fres at the b s a h rk a lu t m a g a t’ s Ya ture th mountin year mix e a s o n . N o w th le ip lt u the m n -t o -s etite for e , seaso ling app il w a not. Th s it s ta n k ntly ha rly does ou go for y folks. r appare ge project” clea y e reliabilit n c e ti h n w E e ra previous at appens While th l, the other “ga f what h last burn of the th o e le fu p m d a e x h e of sleds e is th s e e rn m p a m o v ri a is is a p eason on fuel fr hese are the ty le more than s s la C 500 ss to with litt own. T of the s le t, -d d rn h e rn u ig e u b n N t b t the firs strophic riveway late a nny…bad gas? k, is in the … cata cloc runs fu in my d ; season r s a rd e o p s two s on the p w lly a ith the 465 mile dry list include 2 w r ly o magica n o o d n ts of g y u lo in m v la d a n n e h o a th Post-It® achine, despite So far, grease, . w s of n o d w n lb o u e m ard s; e 3 -p o th y say, this f a complete te ead; fresh fluid b ling g e h o ju d g in got a fe process e cylinder; one n th e li s t to o , pan. I’ve ies. y ll e b n o o e is fl pistons; d from th nce the snow gnment remove ,o lu tc h a li ti m e . C lt cogs that were a turn and burn be for minced is slated Classic is th t a th
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Jim Urquhart El Tigre
A free El Tigre? I’m there. All I know is that my buddy told me to come get it, and pretty soon it was in the back of my truck, headed to the dank confines of my shop. Now it’s well on its way to becoming a vintage racer/trail sled, vintage ride machine. Here’s the tentative update list: FOX Shocks, a hydraulic brake from a 1999 Sno Pro, Comet 102c drive clutch, Arctic Roller secondary, (also from a donor ’99 Sno Pro) and modern handlebars and controls from a nearly new 2005 Sno Pro. For now, the rest will remain 1979 El Tigre 5000 vintage. Working on this old stuff really puts things into perspective. For example, the drive system on this sled is pretty much what we ride today, and how the engine mounts in the chassis isn’t far off either. But stuff such as the welds in the rear skid and how some things are put together still scream of shade tree engineering, and life before our highly-litigious society began to influence how everything is designed and built. Somewhere between this sled and what we have today is the perfect sled. I’m hoping to give the Tigress some more scratching behind the ears in future issues.
STINGER II & YAMMY SS
I am hesitant to get rid of may be why things – whi , when I scra ch pped a ’72 Scorpion Stin ger in the ea rly ‘90s, I pu its 400 CCW lled fanner and sh elved it for fu use. More th ture an 20 years later, when I another ’72 picked up Scorpion last year spinner back into action. Li , I called that 400 blade ke many “bar decade of du n finds,” this st on its red Stinger II ha metal-flake. exhaust syst da Critters were em home – calling the this was not mouse urine th e only vintag helped weld e leafer in w ring to jug. I its aged stee hich stripped the l, an chassis dow way. While no d cleaned and addresse n to d its “issues t a worthy ca ” along the ndidate for co process of se mplete restor veral update ation, it is in s to drop it fir now has a be mly into the tter-than-new driver catego fuel system Walbro, its st ry. It from tank to eering straig its rebuilt htened and plumbing clea tighten ned out, and mounted atop ed, the exhaust engine that hauled its tunnel is the same While the Sco me to hockey practice during the C rp io n liv es old War. close to my shed. My 19 tools, I have 80 Yamaha another in th SS – with m nomenclatur y e ow e– n Sunday S pecial ugly, it’s roug should be deployed a lo t this coming h, and it’s pe season. It’s rfect for Sun run, part dem day rides th o derby. Thi at are part vi s $300 sled spend a gran ntage co uld easily ca d or so in wel use me to ding equipm mention the ent to keep cash tied up it together. N in my spare swapper with ot to parts invent SS parts, I’m or y. If you’re a lookin’ for ya .
Tim ckson Eri
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s i o t e a P ourg B F SCORPIONS PAIR O
en e I’d se irly smil g re t o a m th with ed two she said ince me I need he T ,� . u n o o y ir h r v con leafe alf wit “I’ll go h was all it took to oning stable of ig-other e en my s esota at rg h h u w T b t . y u re d o befo e ab alrea , Minn ts in my inal Scorps cam ming in Crosby spraying old goa g co ri for e o n m y w o rl o h a n e n k pair of n ded the Scorpio ngineers were 970s, 1 e en r in g th rpion e o u c d S and I att r e f lo s ter. Tho s of co hunks o last win n g h u e it h m a s s iv e c gerette ti s e r te w tin s o m e in b ri g h t to n e s Super S enta metal ll y a 1973 mag a n e s p e c ia . One look at ture. o t heart se vintage sled� fu ggling ake ave her metal fl a a h h n lf to w e k o s o it to “yet to und my nger was all f 20n in her in a week, I fo rpion Super Sti io rp o c quarts o o in c in a h S it r 4 w e flake S 7 , of a few stallation of th 9 y 1 s a o s e t e lv in to e th m s s r e in them Needles e, but two nea ta ll ic r e d a n d s, and th d to rid due to e t on manage es, new gas line new fuel tank, ly n o over no e d ip p e d in m s n a h f y look io tc o e rp lu d th o c e c t, n e e c S n o e th aning f it, the ge corr 340s; ne is in le o le hue. o ta c k rp d s, but in h c u e v it re la p t g w r o e d g th ng rin r, o while n nd the e my life d mmer u n u shimme st year’s winte st of “fix-its�. Alo a ro s , a e is r n e th rough meet ts redo man in Given la and expose a li a swap . their sea e iron a little bit at a wo cured at Both have had gas, e fact th winters to come g e ld s th ta I o in d , r v s n a p a e y ri . y r, m s g w p r te S fe a fe in tr O a s w re N r of this le fo y, I p lding two sets my stab Typicall Waconia show r the ho cks nea ht be in ing eye. some cra for my discern brand at the big ing this pair mig ink d uff� “good-n ion, the feature obile, has me th rp m o w c o S n with n old s wants a actually
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of the month
Anchor
Redline Revolt
F O R ADE O H EC E C AN E D INE THNOM
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Anchor of the Month Redline Revolt NAME: ________________________________________________________ Lipstick Red COLOR: _______________________________________________________ Long as a school bus and just as wide. DIMENSIONS: __________________________________________________ 520lbs (235.8kg) WEIGHT(DRY): _________________________________________________ BIRTH DATE:
1997 California ___________ BIRTHPLACE: Vista, _________________________
The Redline hype machine boldly proclaimed the “Revolution was Here” AMBITIONS: ___________________________________________________ and the future had arrived…even if for just one fleeting second. ______________________________________________________________ Cockiness, boasting, and braggarts. TURN-ONS: ____________________________________________________ A rear suspension that works and functioning engines. TURN-OFFS: ___________________________________________________ Revolution by the Beatles and Foolin’ by Def Leppard. FAVORITE SONGS/MUSICIANS:_____________________________________ Lumpy, Revolting, Hope and Hype. NICKNAMES: ___________________________________________________ DARK SECRETS: Humility ________________________________________________ was nowhere to be found when a bunch of brash know-it-alls ______________________________________________________________ from Southern California boastfully proclaimed they were going to change the snowmobile world as ______________________________________________________________ we knew it with an all-new snowmobile yet to be built in 1998. In fact the Redline marketing ______________________________________________________________ machine was so wound up and confident, they kicked off their campaign in 1999 with a simple
thank-you message that read, “We at Redline would like to thank the competition for standing ______________________________________________________________ still the past twenty years.” You can’t tell us that didn’t get the hackles raised inside a few ______________________________________________________________ OEM engineering shops. Admittedly the California punks did have some experience in the powersports ______________________________________________________________ arena, having done work for Ford, Nissan, Chevrolet, and American Suzuki in off-road and road ______________________________________________________________ racing endeavors, and loosely having their name attached to a few Baja 1000 victories. Even ______________________________________________________________ members of the snowmobiling media were fawning over the newcomer well before product ever ______________________________________________________________ hit the snow. After coming out of the gates with four supposed models to be launched “soon” ______________________________________________________________ the Redline freight train derailed quickly. A long list of changes including wholesale rear suspension ______________________________________________________________ re-designs and engine swaps soon had Redline gasping for air. Eventually, in 2000, 50 models of ______________________________________________________________ the 800cc two-stroke twin Redline Revolt were released; its on snow performance was dismal. ______________________________________________________________ Close on its heels were bankers and investors, looking for make goods on huge investment they ______________________________________________________________ had made, and even bigger promises Redline had made. It took only a few months for the ______________________________________________________________ Revolution to quickly turn into a lynching, and the Redline sizzle was snuffed out for good. ______________________________________________________________ TORONTO SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW • OCT 14-16, 2011 • TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CENTRE • www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
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15 0 Testosterone
THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR. OUR 3 MANLY EDITORS WANT TO KNOW…ARE YOU
MAN ENOUGH? PAT
Jim
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ON SNOW MAGAZINE
TIM
Somewhere between checking the trap line and claiming Snocross X Games gold, snowmobiles have evolved from over the snow transpor ter s with mukluks to high performance race weapons, driven by trained athletes - with lots of middle ground found in between.
W
hile the OSM crew has been known to throw back an occasional salad with our pizza to balance out the carbs, trained athletes we’re not. Still, that doesn’t keep thousands of pseudo racers and go fast posers from buying a few sheets of stickers, cranking the shocks to cement truck firm, and installing an oversized Campbell’s Soup noise can to their snowmobiles - all in the name of coolness. The 2013 big bore performance buggies in some ways reflect the wants and desires of this legion of jockeys. Loud graphics, stubby windshields, and plenty of pit stop moxie can be found mixed into equal parts of performance minded hardware including top-shelf suspension components, cutting edge chassis designs, and more often than not, the most potent engine in the stable. Fueled by energy drinks and gas station burrito “bombs”, (in order to get in the right frame of mind) the OSM crew spent a few days this past spring evaluating the latest 150-horsepower snowmobiles. Wanting to sample them in their “environment”, we spent the first half of day one, posing with the shiny buggies in front of a local sledding establishment, gauging the ogle factor and bench racing for beers. The remainder of the weekend was spent terrorizing mailboxes, snubbing rental riders, and talking a bigger game than our abilities could support. Here are our thoughts. ON SNOW MAGAZINE
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TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR… YOU MAN ENOUGH?
Pat Bourgeois Damn young punks; I started the weekend evaluation already lagging behind my riding partners, (Tim and Jim) both of whom have celebrated far fewer birthdays than your resident curmudgeon. Thank God MacDonald wasn’t in the mix this weekend; I swear the guy has the ghost of Elvis living in his hair. I’m not sure how he even gets a helmet over that mop. No matter, despite my 6’2” frame and appetite for double bacon bypass burgers, I’ve always been a 600-cube guy. I guess you could say I love the ability to squeeze the throttle to the bar every time, all the time, and consequently face less possible carnage when the whooped-out corner approaches faster than anticipated. The howl of the smaller mill, coupled with the notion that I can hang with the big bore crowd for the day on a “lesser” sled has always appealed to me. Everyone loves the underdog. But who wants to be the lesser man? With these big bore buggies, no one questions your ability... at least as long as you stay parked.
Yamaha Apex SE In the words of Butthead, Uh... this sled looks old and stuff. Ok, I admit that the Yamaha Apex SE is the furthest thing from a poser rocket in the group. The paint is simple, the graphics are non-existent, and the bar riser is covered up with a tidy chrome cover. I’m sure and X-Box junky, high-school freshman could transform the big four-cylinder Apex into a pseudobanger with a bolt-on wing, 10-inch riser, and a 22-inch tuning fork decal, but why would you? Truth is, I dig the Apex, especially its yawner looks and hushed exhaust note. The Apex SE is the kind of sled you show up with on a “guys ride” and Braggin’ Stats
54
everyone chuckles, but you have the last laugh after you knock-out 200 trail miles at days end. Air shocks on all corners is bad ass, and twirling the included pump like Neil Peart at the fuel pump is worth bonus points.
Ski-Doo MXZ-X 800 I’m a bit disappointed in the new look REV, mostly because it looks so much like the previous version. From across the parking lot, I watched gawkers barely give the new look REV a second look... what the?? When I shell out big coin for the next big thing, I want to stick out like a chunk of rare steak at a vegetarian convention. Instead, the next generation REV is more of a refined and sculpted version of the one that came before it. Nonetheless, just as the black and yellow buggy has in previous iterations, it still makes big girls cry due to it ominous looks, and small boys cringe from its on-trail performance. The rMotion skid works, and those cool knobs hanging on the running board add serious pit points...oh, and they do serve up easy to make adjustments too. Coupled with ETEC fuel delivery, improved fit and finish, and a glove box to
Cat F800 Sno-Pro
Polaris 800 Rush Pro-R
Ski-doo MXZ-X 800
Yamaha Apex SE
Rumored Ponies
160
148
155
152
Bar Riser Height
5.5”
3.5”
5.1”
6”
Shock Clicker Count
Air pump…so cool you might want to wear it around your neck as bling jewelry.
32 Clicks Total – 16 front IFS compression and 16 rear track shock compression
hock Clicker Count – 22 Clicks of compression and rebound control. Sweet!
Air pump…major cool factor.
Track Lug Bite
1.25”
1.25”
1.25”
1.25”
Graphic Volume (rising scale of 1 to 10)
9 Only thing missing is a Monster decal.
7 Loud graphics makes up for drab black components.
7 Bitchin’ color matched rails.
3 Makes a Prius look cool.
Tethered
Optional
Optional
Standard
Optional
Bitchin’ Acronyms
ARS, APV, RMC, EFI, ADS, EPTS, HO
PRO, IFS, SDI, LWT, P-85, SC VES, DET, TPS, MFD
REV-XS, E-TEC, HO, R-Motion, HPG, KYB, RER,
EXUP, EPS, 8HV, LED, EBRS,
Loudness (rising scale of 1 to 10) Air puffer to trail closer.
8 Braaapp
7 Righteous Wail
6 Predictable Bubbler
4 High Strung Sewing Machine
Windshield Type
Flared Flyscreen
Flyscreen (?) What windshield!?
9-inch Flyscreen
Mid-Height – yawn.
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TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR‌ YOU MAN ENOUGH?
stow your candy cigarettes and Big League Chew, the new look REV is every bit as good as the old look REV, only better.
Polaris 800 Rush ProR I always feel like the Polaris Rush is better suited as a circus act versus a serious big pony performance sled. Don’t get me wrong, the Rush in Pro-R trim is extremely capable, delivers more
performance than most riders can take advantage of, and has the best front suspension in the business for tackling unknown terrain. Yet, it is the buggy’s hit or miss attitude that always leaves me asking which Rush I’m going to ride today. Most certainly, no other sled on snow currently attracts a crowd better than a Polaris Rush. Pull into your local pub and grub and park the Rush bootyout, and within minutes a crowd will soon gather around the unusual “inside-out� rear suspension. Hey, no need to tell
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TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR… YOU MAN ENOUGH?
them that the Pro-Ride rear skid is generally on-par at best with other conventional rear suspensions, and only in massive craters and whoops does the Pro-Ride suspension start to truly elevate itself above its rivals. For 2013 new skis, new one-piece handlebars, and a wider seat looks to improve the cornering performance and ergonomics of the Rush, and in turn help to civilize its sometimes abrasive personality.
Arctic Cat F800 Sno-Pro The saying goes you have one chance to make a first impression, and last winter was Cat’s chance to set the tone for their new ProCross chassis performance buggy. No doubt, the F800 Sno-Pro has the ability to empty a watering hole in short order. Maybe it’s the loud and proud Cat graphics and paint scheme, or it could be the true to form loud Cat exhaust note,
or perhaps it’s the way the Cat crew never apologizes for putting function over form. Whatever it is, last year’s F800 was off to a good start. When it came to posing, the buggy knocked it out of the park, but the performance delivery fell a little short of expectations. Handling aboard the big F in 2012 calibrations felt slightly nervous and somewhat vague, especially at speed. The rear suspension wanted to rock on the front arm, while less than pure positive bite up front kept cornering speeds a few tenths below our expectations. Admittedly, it’s tough to come out of the box in year one and deliver a knock-out punch, which is why the 2013 version is refined with subtle tweaks to make the package a bit sharper without losing Cat’s rough shaven reputation.
TIM Erickson
Polaris 800 Rush ProR For 2013 Arctic Cat has reverted back to a more traditional rear tunnel heat exchanger versus the arched version the Pro-Cross chassis featured on its debut. The move to a “traditional” exchanger allowed Cat engineers to revert back to a flat-top tunnel as well, making room for accessories like this soft-sided storage bag to be easily mounted.
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The Rush is a one of the most capable sleds and it oozes testosterone from its colorful Pro R, exposed-metal masculinity. Aside from its appearance, it is excellent, if not stunning, when ridden in some terrain. But it comes with a side effect. In the majority of trail conditions, dialing in the Rush Pro Ride rear suspension to optimize its handling and damping duties falls somewhere between enthusiast tuner and engineering PhD. It’s difficult and frustrating riding the Rush, knowing its capabilities, when its sensitive setup and changing terrain create the slimmest of performance windows. I see the future of the Polaris lineup: an expansion of the traditional skid-equipped Indy models, with the Rush lineage (and more specifically, the Pro R) keeping its hero-
TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR… YOU MAN ENOUGH?
sled status for those who want to conquer the nastiest of terrain with the greatest, most progressive, capable rear suspension. The others who should be attracted to the Rush Pro R are those who want an active ride. It’s the most interactive snowmobile yet, requiring drivers to adjust position (the new ergos help comfort and ease of movement) to make both suspension and steering optimum.
Yamaha Apex SE I share opinion with my elder colleague that there’s little about the Apex that triggers testosterone production on looks alone – especially when you’re his age. But there’s something about the sound and thrust of Yamaha’s Genesis 150FI that kicks testes’ production into overdrive, no matter your age. There is a level of potency under its sleek,
While consumers haven’t seen all the changes, Polaris has been trying countless ski combinations on the Pro-Ride chassis since its inception. During early proto rides we have seen numerous skis mounted including deep snow Gripper skis and model year 2013 brings yet another plank of plastic to the mix. The new ProSteer Ski features a leading spoon on the keel to help alleviate darting. In addition, we noticed a slight reduction in steering effort and a subtle improvement in predictable turn in.
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TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR… YOU MAN ENOUGH?
subdued skin that comes alive when the engine is awake and eager to respond. Though getting long in tooth, and with sporty ride and handling performance that isn’t category leading for the youthful-feeling crowd, the Apex remains a splendid canvas of art, adorned with bits of Japanese over-engineering and comfort features that appeal to a wide audience. The power steering was exclusive (and tech that works) and the technology in the engine exhaust management alone is worth getting excited about, and the quick, no-learningcurve-required suspension adjustments is bonus material. The culmination is a sled that is the most civil of these machines – in a BMW M5 gentlemanly, banker’s hotrod kind of way. That’s plenty of excitement, and also like the Beemer, it comes at a premium.
Ski-Doo MXZ-X 800 Cue Bob Segar. Bear-na-burt-n-bownow … I love to watch her strut. And the reason why the MX-Zed can strut its stuff? No surprises here because it’s been said before – it’s the most confident and flickable handling package with its quick steering, predictable corner
grabbing, and ease of movement in the saddle. Model year 2012 or 2013 – it makes no difference in ride and handling, so don’t upgrade on looks alone. But if you want the benefits of the latest and greatest, opt for the subtle revisions of the “layered” look of the new cab. SkiDoo has pride in its design staff and its
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Few changes to the rMotion suspension in 2013 is telling as to just how good this class leading skidframe is. Lots of easy to make adjustments (even without the bonus running board mounted controls) allows you to dial in the ride and leave it for the season.
TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR… YOU MAN ENOUGH?
ability to integrate the latest design themes from other areas of motorsports. Model years prior to ’12 also leave owners without the latest rear suspension that BRP’s engineers tout as a truly progressive, rising rate damping package, (it works splendidly) and the uber-kewl adjuster knobs. As for its engine, the 800 E-TEC is not the oil
The new look Ski-doo buggy has done more than just dress up its act; several nags from the previous iteration have been addressed too. The all too easy to crack and break snow flap found on the original XP, has been replaced with a more stout design. In addition, a new LED taillight was added in for good measure.
sipper its 600 little bro has been, and unless you’re thrilled about rebuilding top ends, it likes the spendy BRP mineral oil. While I think this is the best of the testosterone squad here assembled when it comes to ride and handling, some potential buyers may want to fully explore the cost of ownership with their X-Team inclusion.
DON’T HESITATE
REBATES UP T0
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ON 2012 A ND PRI PR OR SNOWMOBILES
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PAYMENTS INTEREST FOR 6 MO MONTHS M ON THS TH
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PERFORMANCE
Year two of the XF brings louder “look at me” paint and graphics that is a perfect match to the obstinate manner of the Sno Pro 8’s engine and in-yer-face attitude; call it an emotional benefit the other machines aren’t able to offer. While
DOMINATE
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1 11 HWY 1
Arctic Cat F800 Sno-Pro
CENTRE
19890 Highway 11, Box 1240, Bradford, ON
905-775-1717 WWW.EDGEPERFORMANCE.CA FACTORY- AUTHORIZED *Rebates vary by model; see dealer for details. **“Ride Free” for 6 Months: This is a limited-time offer that is subject to credit approval from TD Auto Finance® (TDAF) on qualified purchases financed during this program. Offer may not be combined with certain other offers, is subject to change, and may be extended or terminated without further notice. See participating retailers for complete details and conditions. “Ride Free” means that Polaris Industries, Inc., will pay the interest charges on behalf of the purchaser until 6 months from the date of purchase. No financing charges will be assessed to the customer until 5 months from the date of purchase. The rate from contract inception will be 6.99%. Rates from other lenders may vary. Monthly payment and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment/trade. Minimum amount to finance is $5,000. Example: $7,500 financed at 6.99% over 60 months = 60 monthly payments of $148.47 with a cost of borrowing of $1,408.42 and a total obligation of $8,908.42. Freight, licence, PPSA/RPDRM, insurance, registration, any retailer administration fees, and other applicable fees and taxes are not included in the financed amount. Offer effective on select new Polaris® snowmobiles purchased from a participating Polaris dealer between 08/01/2012 and 09/30/2012. Offer subject to change without notice. Polaris recommends that all snowmobile riders take a training course. Do not attempt maneuvers beyond your capability. Always wear a helmet and other safety apparel. Never drink and ride. ©2012 Polaris Industries Inc.
T E R R A I N D O M I N A T I O N .C O M
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TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR… YOU MAN ENOUGH?
package that appeals to variety of riders. But not all riders will love that it’s a menacing machine – especially those with one just a few inches off their snowflap. There is enough brash character in the newest Sno Pro 8 to put your riding crew in a fetal position, begging for mommy, and the intake howl induce a willingness of go-fast throttle usage.
JIM Urquhart
Arctic Cat F800 Sno-Pro
I believe there is more to harness from this chassis to improve its handling (needs to steer quicker) and corner feel from the front, (see Boo-gee’s note about “vague”) if the handling between handlebars and carbide is better matched to its magnificent performance in bumps, the Sno Pro will better impress. The bump stability comes from a long-feeling footprint and wheelbase, and suspension well composed. The Sno Pro seems to have taken a lesson from the French Canadian manufacturer and given the Slide-Action rear skid a damping
It’s hard to talk about the F800 Sno-Pro and not reference the slightly more ominous F800 SnoPro RR. Besides, if you’re looking at a Sno-Pro, you’re already a “go big or go home,” turn-it-to-11 type rider and you’re probably thinking, “Why not get the RR?” Well, here’s the scoop: when I ride the F800RR, it’s too much - it’s too stiff and the speeds it wants to be driven are faster than I want to go on public trails. The F800SP is one notch down from the extremeness of the RR, and that makes a world of difference. The RR needs to be ridden hard, and if you don’t push it, it pushes back. It fights you through the corners and beats the crap out of you as it bucks and broncs you through any set of
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www.mt-llc.com 60
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©2011 Millennium Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. MT0027A(08/2011)
TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR… YOU MAN ENOUGH?
bumps the trail serves up. On the other hand, the Sno Pro steers in nice and soaks those bumps up like it’s trying to be nice to you. The RR’s world is tinted with a red haze of aggression and its path is littered with empty cans of Red Bull (or Monster for you T. Hibbert fans). The Sno Pro’s world is bluebird, with fresh, glittering pow and buddies just having fun. Maybe if I was hucking ramps with some irreverent “neckers” at the freestyle shows and chasing Brian Dick at the cross-
For a first year on the snow product featuring a host of significant changes, Arctic Cat’s Pro-Cross and Pro-Climb sleds have to be rated as a success, despite some first year in-field issues. One of those issues was a problematic reverse gear actuator, which has been remedied. The previous design featured an arm and pinion, while the improved version touts a rack and pinion that applies twice the shifting force.
country races, I’d opt for the RR, but for what I do, the Sno Pro is way more than capable.
Polaris RUSH 800 Pro R Remember the Redline? It had so much cool stuff on it - a trick cantilever
rear suspension, a crazy tube frame construction, and some sort of helicopter engine in one of the early versions. It oozed coolness and everyone wanted one. The RUSH kinda reminds me of that. Yeah, it’s trick and cool, and yeah, it works damn good for some things, but it’s nearly impossible to set up for a wide range of riding conditions. You can
Walker Evan units have become the flagship shock at camp Polaris and for good reason. The sexy Walker units are durable and serve up a wide range of adjustment. We especially love the big compression adjustment knobs that can be turned even with gloves on and temps on the negative side of zero.
birchpointmarina.com Bobcaygeon, ON 705.738.2473
BRINGS NEW LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE & RELIABILITY TO YOUR ARCTIC CATS
240 HP Z1 TURBO PACKAGE DYNO SERVICES DYNO JET TRACK DYNO MACHINE SHOP & WELDING BIG BORE ENGINE KITS CLUTCH BALANCING TRAIL & RACE PORTING CARB BORING & TUNING CYLINDER REPLATING & EXCHANGE PROGRAM GRASS & ASPHALT & ICE DRAG SET UPS HUGE SELECTION OF ENGINES, PARTS, TUNING COMPONENTS, USED PARTS & USED SLEDS
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TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR… YOU MAN ENOUGH?
probably count on one hand the number of people who know how to truly set-up a Rush to ride consistently, and even then I wonder if it could still cover all the bases. I’ve never ridden two different RUSH sleds that ride the same. Plus, the sled is full of sharp edges - the bars jab you in the chest when you turn, there’s an edge in the bodywork that beats your shin to a pulp, and you crash through the seat to the edge of something hard when you lean off in the turns. For me, at 5’8”, the sled feels like it was designed for someone much taller. Sadly, the RUSH leaves me battered, bruised, worn out, and feeling robbed of what could have been a kickass snowmobile ride. Give me an Indy please.
Ski-Doo MXZ-X 800 It’s lonely at the top, and I’ll tell you what; Ski-Doo didn’t get there by building junk. The yellow sleds are packed with technology and new ideas, and frankly the rest of the industry is still playing catch-up (or pretending to look the other way while knocking-off technical nuggets). Take the MXZ-X package for example. The overstuffed looking seat, far forward footwells, and ultra-low windshield make the X package MXZ feel awkward while sitting and posing at the gas station. Throw in the almost tractor-like sound from the E-TEC engine, and you are left with the impression the much ballyhooed yellow buggy is neither adept nor fast. But once you start riding, everything seems to fall into place, and simply put, the thing works better than any buggy on snow. The E-TEC runs like a sewing
• Billet Wheels
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• Billet grills & Snowflap plates
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TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR… YOU MAN ENOUGH?
machine on C14, the rMotion skid makes butter out of any rough trail, and the front end might as well be on rails. Want more? How about the myriad of little things the sled does right such as slight engine braking from the E-TEC that kicks in (almost always at just the right time) when the sled backshifts. It’s hard to fault this sled for anything, so I won’t.
Yamaha Apex SE Ditches are like Kryptonite for this buggy, but on the trails the Apex SE is like a retired terrain racer who shows up to the big race just to have fun, proving he can still take the young kids to school. Flat handling, pillow-like all-air suspension, and power
You don’t hear much chatter about brakes any more with all four makers serving up excellent binders. However the adjustable lever and accompanying one-finger pull with just-right feedback braking system found on the Yamaha Apex is the leader of the pack in our minds.
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Bowmanville, ON Rider pictured is a professional on closed course. Polaris recommends that all snowmobile riders take a training course. Do not attempt maneuvers beyond your capability. Always wear a helmet and other safety apparel. For safety training in Canada please contact your local Polaris dealer. Never drink and ride. 2012 Polaris industries Inc.
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TESTOSTERONE 150: THE BIG BORES FROM THE BIG FOUR… YOU MAN ENOUGH?
only matched by Cat’s barely-rideable Turbo, the Apex more than holds its own in this group. You never think you’d thank Yamaha for adding weight to this sled, but the electronic power steering really puts the Apex into a class of its own. The Apex is hands down Yamaha’s best trail sled, and even after seven years in the lineup, it continues to amaze and
impress me. Typical Yamaha, they’ve got every aspect of this sled so dialed in there’s really no place else they can go with it. And typical Yamaha, it flies below everyone’s performance radar. Maybe they should stick a full-wrap of skulls and explosions on it or something? Or tack an R onto the name? Post that on Facebook and count the likes. ✪
The wide tank cowl and sharp bulbous edges found on the Apex clearly indicates the sit-down and enjoy the ride nature of the buggy. Even then, the wide at the knee ergonomics is bothersome after a long day in the saddle.
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OSM
TESTED
2013 Polaris Indy SP
2013
Polaris
Indy SP By Tim Erickson
In
model year 2010, the all-new Polaris Rush was a high-risk departure from the normally conservative North Star factory. The engineering team’s radical, blue-sky thinking about rear suspension and the big-bump, progressive capability the sled carried with its credentials, gained more attention than a Playboy photo shoot in Times Square. Three years later, enter the new Indy. Adorned with a conventional skid mated to the Pro Ride chassis, styling, and ergonomics package, the “Indy” name comes with some bold promises – every sled with that name on its side has been a tremendous success – think Indy of the ’80s and ’90s, and Indy EDGE models at the turn of the century. Is the latest machine worthy of the name? At the time of its debut, we wondered if the “Indy” name should have been mated to the Rush. One of our favorite features
The Missing Link
of the Rush is its Indy-esque styling, specifically its long snout and hood vents, reminiscent of the old squarejaws. But an Indy was synonymous with “great handling snowmobile” and the Rush may have damaged that name in its first year on snow. After a ski change
and other calibrations to the front end improved its bite, will Indy handling return to P world without the sometimes finicky Pro Ride rear suspension? First impressions are that the 2013 Indy SP is the missing link in evolutionary terms – a more logical
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TESTED 2013 OSM
Polaris
Indy SP
model progression to succeed the former IQ series trail machines. The Indy, like the Rush, retained the IQ’s best-on-snow front suspension, and its inside-the-track conventional skid frame makes the machine behave predictably Polaris. A bit
The “Indy” name of former fame let consumers expect a good handling, good performing snowmobile at a good value. The “Indy” decals are not a broken promise in waiting on the Indy SP.
of ski lift without being unstable, a little corner push that robs some corner speed but not corner confidence with the factory calibrations that were light on the limiter strap, high on rear spring and light on front shock spring preload – the only
adjustment available, by the way, on the Fox IFP aluminum-body shocks on the Indy SP. The shocks are capable for the vast majority of trail terrain and help keep the price somewhat modest. What made the former Indy machines popular and kept them on “best buy” lists was its performance certainly, but also its value. At a list of $8,999, the Indy SP is the most sled for the money in the Polaris lineup, and less expensive than other similar performance sleds in the middleweight class. But its chief value competitor – the new MX Z Sport 600 carb from the French Canadians with EPA credits to spare– lists for $2k less.
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*Rebates vary by model; see dealer for details. **â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ride Freeâ&#x20AC;? for 6 Months: This is a limited>=<;:988;7:>65>:=4:4321;0>:>9:07;/=>:5..79-5,:879<:+*:)3>9:(='5'0;&:%+*)($:9':#35,=";/: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : .370654;4:"'5'0;/:/37='!:>6=4:.79!75< : : : : : 88;7:<5 :'9>:2;:09<2=';/: =>6:0;7>5=':9>6;7: : : : : : : : : : 988;74 :=4:4321;0>:>9:065'!;:5'/:<5 :2;:; >;'/;/:97:>;7<='5>;/: =>693>:837>6;7:'9>=0; : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ;;: : : .57>=0=.5>='!:7;>5=,;74:897:09<.,;>;:/;>5=,4:5'/:09'/=>=9'4 : : : : : : : =/;:(7;; :<;5'4:>65>: 9,57=4: : : : : : : '/34>7=;4 : '0 : : =,,:.5 :>6;:='>;7;4>:0657!;4:9':2;65,8:98:>6;:.370654;7:3'>=,: :<9'>64:879<: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : >6;:/5>;:98:.370654; : : : : 9:"'5'0='!:0657!;4: =,,:2;:544;44;/:>9:>6;:034>9<;7:3'>=,: :<9'>64: : : : : : : : : : : : : : 879<:>6;:/5>;:98:.370654; : : : : :+6;:75>;:879<:09'>750>:='0;.>=9': =,,:2;: : : : : : : : : : 5>;4:879<:9>6;7: : : : : ,;'/;74:<5 :-57 : : : 9'>6, :.5 <;'>:5'/:094>:98:29779 ='!: =,,:-57 :/;.;'/='!:9':5<93'>: : : : : : : : : : : : : 29779 ;/:5'/:/9 ':.5 <;'> >75/; : : : : ='=<3<:5<93'>:>9:"'5'0;:=4:
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SPOILED S SPOR S TS SPORTS A.T.C CORRAL 5531 Main St Stouffville, ON L4A 7X5 Phone: 905-640-2212 atccorral@bellnet.ca www.atccorral.com
EDGE PERFORMANCE PEAK POWERSPORTS 19890 HWY 11 4325 Harvester Road, Unit 12 Bradford, ON L3Z 2B6 Burlington, ON L7L 5M4 Phone: 905-775-1717 Phone: 905-681-7270 edgesales@edgeperformance.ca gary@peakpowersports.ca www.edgeperformance.ca www.peakpowersports.ca
READY POWERSPORTS 430 Hensall Circle Mississauga, ON L5A 1X7 Phone: 905-896-1600 ready@readypowersports.com www.readypolaris.com
SPOILED SPORTS 1898 Baseline Rd, Bowmanville, ON L1C3K3 Phone: 905-436-6487 info@spoiledsports.com www.spoiledsports.com
TESTED 2013 OSM
Polaris
Indy SP
Shocks that we used in the 90s –aluminum body IFPs that worked just fine – are applied to the new Indy SP. The outfitting is simple, effective, and lacking elaborate valving, knobs, and remote reservoirs; they don’t add $1,000 to the list price.
The Indy’s 600 CFI engine is an advantage over a duo of weathersensitive carbs, and per usual from Roseau, clutching on the Polaris is spoton perfect for mid-range throttle response. The engine has new calibrations for MY13 to help improve its efficiency, but miles-per-gallon still lags behind the class for riders who compete for who spends the least at fill ups. Certainly the Polaris faithful are thrilled with the Indy return, and it fills the gap in the evolutionary fossil record linking IQ to
Pro Ride. We expect the Indy to be a platform for more models coming in subsequent model years as a value performance category, and future versions of the Pro Ride rear suspension with Rush nomenclature to remain the hero, bigbump capable machines for buyers with larger numbers on their W2s. ✪
Like the Rush, the long cab and hood vents take a cue from modern automotive styling and combine edgy, slim modern with Indy retro.
Tunnel Paks (Arctic Cat, Polaris, Ski Doo, Yamaha)
Chrome Alloy Front/Rear Bumpers (Arctic Cat, Polaris, Ski Doo, Yamaha)
Console Pads (Arctic Cat, Polaris, Ski Doo, Yamaha)
Float Plates (Arctic Cat, Polaris, Ski Doo, Yamaha)
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TEAR
BENCH RACING, PIT GOSSIP AND PODIUM PARTIES BY GOODWOOD & BEERSTEIN
ver since the Bat Signal went up from the newly-formed USXC cross-country snowmobile racing circuit, about the Classic IFS class, Beerstein and I have been spending 12-hour days getting my old MX Zx 440 ready to race. That old rotary 454 engine has still got some smoke in it, that’s for sure. I’ll tell you what; those guys at USXC are smart to get that class going, because there are a lot of wannabes like me who idolized the guys who raced those sleds. Guys like Hibbert, Struthers, Pake, Wolff - legends! I guess the guy behind the whole USXC deal is Brian Nelson; he’s a legend too - won two I-500s one on a John Deere. They say nothing runs like one... must be true. So, what’s up with USCC; weren’t they the ones running cross-country? Well, word on the street is that since Pat Mach passed away, his family kept it going in his honor (classy move for sure). They must have decided to finally hang it up. Pat was a great guy; I met him at a race once. You’d never know he was the guy in charge, as he treated everyone like he really appreciated you being at his race. Let’s hope USXC continues that sort of grassroots-style of racing, since everyone likes to go fast once in a while, right!? Speaking of cross-country and legends, you can buy a sled that’s pretty much a copy of the one Gabe Bunke used to win the Soo I-
E
500 last year, straight from the Polaris race eyes on the potential dollar amounts that other shop (use the back door). They’re expensive teams could possibly be spending within the buggies, but word is they’ve sold a few next five minutes, if everyone had something already and there is going to be a bunch of like that. Fortunately, there are still some old Roseau’s finest, parked on the grid this racers around who remember the days of twin coming February. They say the best way to trackers and the cubic dollars that went into make a small fortune in racing is to start with racing those, and sanity won the day. Sounds a large one, but D.J. Ekre and Ryan Simons like the class will basically become an proved you don’t need the biggest wad of improved class with a stock chassis and a cash to compete at that race. Those guys finished second on a nearly stock buggy. Word is that all it had was worked-over shocks and a Speedwerx motor (that’s good stuff right there). Since we’re on the subject of small fortunes, there’s a rumor that the snocross rules for the Pro class will change this year (collective gasp). Last year, the top class was an open class, which means pretty much the only rules were minimum weight and engine size. Word is it was starting to get a little crazy, and some team busted out a full carbon fiber chassis snowmobile. It didn’t work, TERRAIN FOR TATS…THAT THE WORD ON THE STREET ON YOUNG BENDER’S FUTURE. but it sure opened some
FORMER CROSS-COUNTRY RACING LEGEND BRIAN NELSON IS AT THE HELM OF THE NEWLY FORMED USXC. LOOKS LIKE CROSS-COUNTRY IS STILL ALIVE AND KICKING KIDS.
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DOWN WE’RE GONNA MISS THE SOFT-SPOKEN TJ GULLA AT THE BIG ISOC NATIONALS… THAT DUDE WAS CLASS WITH A CAPITAL C. heas/pipe package for the engine. Need to make noise, ya know; the kids with the flat brim caps love it. Ironically, (or maybe not) the guy who rode that carbon chassis sled, Brett Bender, retired at the ripe young age of 25. The 2009 Pro Rookie of the Year left to tattoo, or get tattoos, or have a tattoo removed, or something like that… maybe all the above? Anyway, the kid had two National wins and finished second in Pro Open points in 2009, (not too shabby eh?) T.J. Gulla was Bender’s teammate and he retired too. Gulla is only 31, but he seems much older because he busted into the Pro class with Warnert Racing when he was a teenager. Gulla was a consummate professional (that means class act) and will be missed for sure. Pro snocross seems to be drying up in Canada, but despite that, Ken Avann’s CSRA circuit continues to grow from the bottom up. And, in somewhat of a shocker, CSRA has pulled the plug on its ISR affiliation (yup...another collective gasp). But really, when you have such a massive base of riders in the Junior and Sport class, who cares? Five-time Pro points champ Iain Hayden will be back to defend his title, (again) but Pros Dylan Hall, Dave Joanis and Joey Sagan will all be racing a full schedule south of border, (ISOC) only
PJ HANGING IT UP?? FOUR EAGLE RIVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WOULD HAVE YOU SMILING TOO.
hitting the CSRA events on open weekends. Who knows; after losing his ride with BOSS Racing, maybe Derek Ellis will show up and race Pro - seems like it’s up for grabs, eh? Not wanting to follow in the footsteps of the eternally-young Jacques Villeneuve and race till he drops, P.J. Wanderscheid has hinted he may retire soon as well. What the heck, the four-time Eagle River World Champ’s got nothing more to prove and, with a new little baby in the house, he’s probably thinking that life at home would be a lot more fulfilling. While we’re on the subject of Champ 440, even though it’s got no real feeder class, it just keeps growing. There were over 20 Champs at Eagle River this past winter, and there’s a bunch of new blood in the mix including Jordan Wahl, Joey Fjerstad, Nick VanStrydonk (ding ding a big winner at the Derby) and Ryan Kniskern. After buying a used Champ, Kniskern surprised everyone with his speed and landed a ride with the deep-pocketed TLR Racing, replacing Joel Diamond. Not everyone thinks he’s so awesome though; he reportedly caused more than one crash last season and the normally level-headed Gary Moyle confronted him after a heat race and pushed him down onto the ice in front of all the fans. There’s a lesson in there somewhere. ✪ ON SNOW MAGAZINE
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WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS MAKE ROOM ON THE MANTLE FOR MORE HARDWARE...
HERE’S WHO WON BIG LAST WINTER
IAIN HAYDEN CSRA Another season - another championship. Iain Hayden made it one for the thumb last year when he won his fifth CSRA National Snocross points championship. Not only did he lock it down, it wasn’t even a contest as Hayden was 40-points clear of his next closest competitor, making the final races of the season, closer to a trail ride for the big man on CSRA campus.
RYAN SIMONS CROSS-COUNTRY Although he only won one Pro 600 race last season, Ryan Simons was able to nail down his second straight Pro 600 cross-country points championship. Formerly a snocross specialist, Simons traded short track rhythm for reading terrain at blistering speeds. He clearly has what it takes to put his name amongst the greats in terrain racing.
NICK VANSTRYDONK
ER
At just 21-years-old, Nick VanStrydonk is leading a youth movement at the top levels of ice racing. He was the fastest rider on the track all weekend at last year’s Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby, and stole the win with a daring pass on the last corner of the last lap. Cue Freddie Mercury please.
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TIM TREMBLAY ISOC It’s safe to say the smart bet for last season’s ISOC Pro Open points champion would have been favorites, Tucker Hibbert or Ross Martin. However, it was the brash and fast Tim Tremblay who proved he belongs in the conversation, after claiming his second Pro National snocross points title. His first came during his rookie Pro season in 2010 when he won Pro Stock. Somehow, we don’t think this will be his last.
JOEL DIAMOND GP VALCOURT A win on the historic Valcourt oval is prestigious enough, but to win on a Ski-Doo? Well, that’s like winning at Monza in a Ferrari. You see, Valcourt is, and has been, Ski-Doo’s private test track and it’s their home race. Safe to say that Joel Diamond got the VIP treatment and a year’s supply of top-shelf poutine, after his Champ 440 win at last season’s Grand Prix.
GABE BUNKE SOO The Soo I-500 is riding a wave of resurgence and the 2012 field saw more talent and factory support on the grid in more than a decade. As the race wore on, the ice disappeared and Gabe Bunke pounded through the dirt holes to his third Soo win on a brutally rough track
KYLE TAPIO JACKSON KING OF KINGS On his way to being crowned King of Kings at the 2012 Jackson Hillclimb, Kyle Tapio won two class titles and the Improved and Mod King titles. It was a historic performance for the rider from Battle Ground, Washington, (sounds like a kickass place to live) placing him amongst the heroes of hillclimbing.
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TIME TO CHANGE YOUR SPARK PLUGS... WHY NOT UPGRADE TO AN NGK IRIDIUM IX PLUG?
THE SPARK PLUG THAT IS FUN TO RIDE.
MARC MCKENNA & DUSTY VANMETER IRON DOG With Alaska in the depths of an epic winter, and conditions about as good as they get for this grueling event, the 2012 Iron Dog was one of the fastest on record. Two former champions, Team 17’s Marc McKenna and Dusty VanMeter teamed up to win the 2,000-mile race on their Ski-Doo buggies. With a 44minute gap to second place, they were probably showered and headed to the bar before the rest of the field made it into Fairbanks.
Better performance for faster starts, quicker acceleration and excellent reliability.
JEAN-GUY AUCOIN & STEVE GIRARD CAIN’S QUEST It’s believed that the explorer Jacques Cartier found Newfoundland such a forbidding land that he dubbed it “The land God gave to Cain.” What better place to hold a 1,500 snowmobile race? Jean-Guy Aucoin and Steve Girard claimed victory at the 2012 Cain’s Quest, making it the third straight win for Ski-Doo in the short, seven-year history of the event.
WWW.NGKSPARKPLUGS.CA 76
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PETTER NARSA CLASH OF NATIONS
TUCKER HIBBERT FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP When you travel halfway across the world, then jump into a car and make a seven hour drive over less-than-stellar roads into the wilds of Russia for a snowmobile race, you better win; and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what Tucker Hibbert did at the 2012 FIM Snowcross World Championship. He nabbed his second FIM title in Semigorje, Russia, beating out Petter Narsa and Adam Renheim.
While Petter Narsa came up short in Russian, he garnered international redemption by winning the inaugural Clash of Nations snocross event. Not only did Petter win, but he passed ISOC Pro Open champion Tim Tremblay to take the victory. Held in a natural rock amphitheater in Falun, Sweden, Clash of Nations is a little like a mini Winter X Games with Big Air snowboarding and ski events, as well as snocross and freestyle snowmobiling. Narsa will be racing a full National snocross schedule in the U.S. this season, so watch for him.
HWY 47, 3 Douglas Rd
Uxbridge, ON 905-852-5884 9055--8522--5 5884 84
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ON I T CAP ST E T CON
CAPTION THIS PHOTO Send us your best caption for this photo and one lucky winner will receive a pair of “game changing” OSM My Package underwear. Sorry ladies, but they do make a great gift for the man in your life. The winning caption will appear in the next issue of OSM as well as on our website (www.osmmag.com) and our FaceBook page.
SEND YOUR CAPTION TO INFO@OSMMAG.COM
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ike any deserving “barn find”, the aptly named Larson’s Arctic Cat Barn located in western Minnesota is found near the end of a narrow and barely maintained gravel road that intersects with rolling farm fields and small pocket lakes. The cache of vintage Arctic Cat sleds and parts is virtually indiscernible from the road, although the equally extensive collection of International trucks and Scouts is not. Ironically enough, we reacquainted ourselves with owner Dan Larson this past summer while searching for vintage International parts for a “binder” daily driver. Before we knew it, we found ourselves in Larson’s “barn” and staring smack dab in the face of what could very well be the epitome of the definition of ‘barn find’. Don’t bother asking if the desirable stuff is available, Dan has “intent” for the cool stuff, but he does have a sufficient supply of 1968 to 1997 parts for sale along with more of the same for Scouts and International pickups. You can email him at scoutsupply@tds.net if you are buying or selling.
L
Much of the “newer” stuff shares the tall grass with Laron’s International stash. 80
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Smaller “finds” are scattered throughout the property. Check out the air-cooled Cross Country Cat in the back.
New old stock Cat belts in the original packaging can bring a tear to your eye.
A couple of old Chaparrals join the Arctic Cat fray of hoods, chassis, tracks, and suspensions.
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CELEBRATING
25 Years Come Celebrate the 25th Year! Join the Thousands of Powersports Enthusiasts that come from across North America to the Toronto International Centre, for the 25th Annual Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show. Nothing Bigger! Nothing Better! Nothing more Exciting! www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
October 19 – 21, 2012 ctober 19 through 21, 2012 will mark the 25th Anniversary of the Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show taking place at the International Centre, where parking is free. Join the tens of thousands of Powersports enthusiasts and check out Huge Manufacturer Displays with all the 2013 Sleds and ATV’s. Take in Live Freestyle shows, ATV and Snowmobile racing, and meet Levi LaVallee at the show! Plan your trips at the show with the many tourism booths. Find what you need
O
amongst the many aftermarket products. Tickets are now on sale. Sponsored by Mystik Lubricants, the 25th Annual Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show will have entrances at both Halls 1 and 3, where you’ll enter the largest Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports show in North America. You’ll see manufacturer corporate displays decked out with all that’s new for the 2013 lineups. Only at the Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show
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Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show • October 19 – 21, 2012
will you meet the Aftermarket Distributors with their massive displays of quality products, and a huge selection of the latest products for 2013. Every Hall offers something new and exciting. NEW TO THE SHOW!! First time ever in the history of the show, Sponsored by Swabbies / Bio Kleen, The USED SNOWMOBILE & ATV MARKET. Register your Machine to be sold on the show floor October 19-21, 2012. $25 registration fee per vehicle, or $35 registration fee includes one adult day admission ticket.
Also new to the show, Win Trophies and Cash Prizes at The Powersports Custom Competition presented by OSM, North America’s leading snowmobile magazine, and ATV World Magazine. Register on-line at www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com today and be apart of show history.
SNOWMOBILES, ATVs, PARTS, CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES: Not only will you find the best brand names in the industry; regardless of what you need, want, or can’t live with out; be that accessories, parts or clothing, if it’s to do with a Snowmobile or ATV, you will find it in one of the aftermarket exhibitor displays at the Show.
BOOK YOUR RIDES, PLAN YOUR TRIPS, PURCHASE YOUR PERMITS at the show. Discover new adventures for you and your family, by visiting the many tourism booths spread throughout the Show. Pick up your Trail Maps and purchase your Snowmobile Permits right at the show! Tourism representatives from all over will be on hand to answer questions and build your family’s travel plans.
SPONSORED BY Ultimax Belts in the Outdoors Event Area - bigger then ever, once again hosting the sickest, electrifying Freestyle display in Canada! Crazy tricks, daring jumps from Heath Frisby, Joe Parsons and Jeff Mullin, to name a few. Don’t miss it! Show times will be posted at the Front Entrance of the show and also in the official show program distributed at the entrance of the show. Mark your calendars now for the weekend of October 19-21, 2012! THE DAYCO HP/HPX/XTX 120cc SNOWMOBILE Race will run all weekend and is one of the most exciting
crowd pleasing events at the show, where the crowds grow and take over the grandstands, cheering on these pintsized racers. In the OSM CUSTOM SLED VILLAGE you’ll be introduced to some of the most radical custom sleds you’ll ever see, along with some of the more innovative, futuristic designs in todays market.
VINTAGE SNOWMOBILES, who’s not interested in vintage these days?... Visit the Antique and Classic Snowmobile Club’s booth to view some of the best restored antique snowmobiles in Canada.
ROYAL Distributing and VP Racing Fuels will sponsor the enormous “OUTDOORS EVENT AREA”. Ultimax Belts is on board sponsoring the out of control Freestyle Event, and DAYCO HP/HPX/XTX will again sponsor the 120cc Snowmobile Race and the Phantom 250 Snowmobile Race. Dodge will be on site offering test rides at the Show, come take one for a ride!
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A FAMILY ADVENTURE YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS, Enroll your family for the OFSC Driver Training courses 1-705739-7669, check out the massive Race Haulers found in the Snowcross racing section in hall 3 and meet Levi LaVallee at the show!! Visit the Outdoors Events Area for an amazing freestyle show; all included in the cost of admission. No matter what your age, no matter what level rider you are, come out and be a part of North America’s Largest Snowmobile and ATV Show, the Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports show, there’s something for everyone!
The 25th Annual Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show will celebrate its 25th year over the weekend of October 19-21, 2012 at the International Centre. Mark your calendars now! Don’t miss the largest gathering of Powersports Enthusiasts over one weekend in one place! If you require more information on the 25th Annual Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show, to purchase advanced tickets, or to be an exhibitor at the show, call 1-888-661-SHOW (7469). www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
TORONTO SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW • OCT 19-21, 2012 • TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CENTRE • www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
N R U B T S FIR
s ’ r e y u b guide We thought we would dedicate this Buyer’s Guide to the stuff that many of us often forget to purchase before our first ride. At some point it’s happened to all of us; being unprepared for the first ride and making the night before, a complete hair scramble just to get out and ride…so we’ve put together a legitimate list of items, gear, accessories, etc., that you should have at hand.
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This is an important one; don’t forget a spare belt - ever! No matter if you have just purchased a shiny new sled, or if you are bringing the old girl out of the barn, you always need a spare, regardless of the condition of the one wrapped around your clutch. Remember that a worn belt also affects the performance of your sled, so putting a fresh one on always helps. When you're talking to your buddies afterwards you can use the term - being up the creek without a paddle. What you call the creek is your business. Dayco has three different types of belts for you to choose from, depending on your application. There is a HP, HPX and of course, the mother of all belts - the XTX. www.dayco.com
DRI WASH ‘N’ GUARD OK, this might be more of a gift for some people. If your buddies call you Pigpen or the Sloppy Joe of the group, you might want to think of washing your sled. This year, you can plan ahead and shock your friends with a clean ride. Going on in seconds and buffing out quickly, even making Mr. Miaggi proud. Now go and wax it off so Mr. Miaggi can be proud. This product is also back by a 100% personal satisfaction guarantee. www.snowmobilehoodcleaner.com
HOLLAND LAN
DING
T URS BATH
PERFORMANCE
DAYCO BELTS
CENTRE
19890 Highw Highway way 11,, Box B 1240,, Bradford, Brra adforrd, d, ON
WWW.EDGEPERFORMANCE.CA WWW W..EDGEPER RFORMANCE.CA 905-775-1717 7 86
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FXR OCTANE HELMET One drop changes everything when you’re talking about helmets, and so does age. Why not get a new helmet before the snow flies? After all, it is protecting your most important part. You can pretty yourself up a bit by purchasing an Octane Helmet, and it’s easy to keep smelling fresh over the season with the removable/washable liner. Features include multiple vents, light weight, and two-stage expanded polystyrene foam. This is the lightest polycarbonate helmet on the market to meet SNELL approval. www.fxrracing.com
NGK SPARKPLUGS If we need to tell you to replace your plugs for the new season, please stop reading this and enjoy riding your sled with the mouse-house in the air box, and the stale fuel. If you are replacing your spark plugs like almost everyone does, then maybe it is time to upgrade the plugs. Yes, we said upgrade. The Iridium IX spark plugs from NGK offer extreme ignitability and superior anti-fouling. The Iridium alloy that makes up these plugs has an extremely high melting point, which is designed for today’s high-tech, high-performance engines. The best upgrade is the snap you are going to feel at the trigger. The Iridium IX offers outstanding acceleration with high fuel efficiency. Buy an extra set and enjoy your riding this season. And if your sled catches fire and burns to the ground; be sure to collect your spark plugs from the ashes before the insurance guy comes to assess, cause they’re almost as good as new with the Iridium.www.ngksparkplugs.ca
TAVISTOCK FALL FAIR September 6-9, 2012 www.tavistockfallfair.com/
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’s r e y buguide
EPI PRO SERIES CLUTCH KITS If you couldn’t figure out why your buddy’s sled was a little faster last year, even though it’s the same everything, and you’re lighter than he is by 100lbs...What gives? Well, let’s be frank; he’s not telling you everything about his sled. And we’re not sure how much stock there is in the theory of your sled was built on a Friday afternoon at 4pm of a long weekend, while the flu was going around. When he lifts the hood, you can’t see anything different. Chances are one of two things; he has had engine work done, or in most cases, there’s a clutch kit involved. We like the Pro Series EPI offers. You’ll notice your acceleration from a stop, and corner to corner acceleration will be quite different. The Pro Series Clutch Kit includes Helix springs for your secondary and primary clutches, and a set of weights. The best part of this kit is that it will put your buddy onto a much needed, Richard Simmons workout program. www.epiperformance.com
SCOTT TYRANT SNOWCROSS GOGGLES How did you store your goggles last year? Did you wear them riding your ATV or UTV? Nothing can be worse than scratched up lenses and a dirty or worn out strap. Chances are, you should be in the market for a new set. New from Scott this year is the Tyrant Snowcross Goggle, and not only does the Tyrant have Opti View lenses and the patented FIT system, which optimizes face fit, but this year Scott has added a Revolutionized Air Management (RAM) system, which incorporates venting directly into the frame. Pretty slick if we do say so ourselves. One of the best features of the Tyrant Goggle is that you can wear them to bed to complete the look with your Batman Underoos. www.scott-sports.com
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FXR – FREERIDE TRILMANITAE HOODIE A step up from a regular hoodie, so why own a regular model when you can own a deluxe? It’s designed to be worn both to the trail and on the trail, which was a bit of shock for us to accept. But it’s true and we backed this up by wearing them at Snow Shoot in West Yellowstone this past March. The stretchy, windproof, waterproof, breathable tri-laminate shell material keeps you both warm and dry. There is actually a full list of features to know about this hoodie, but after the windproof and waterproof, we like the fact that it made us look cool. www.fxrracing.com
SUPERGLIDES II PRO WITH NON-SLIP DESIGN Getting ready for the season does not mean all things for your sled. Don’t forget about the trailer or sled deck. The new and improved SuperGlide II Pro has some pretty unique features, like Oval Mounting Channels to prevent warping and allow for expansion. It also has Improved Moisture Venting to prevent premature wood rot, and comes in a full 8.5” wide width to accommodate single and dual runner skis. Lastly, the new SuperGlide II Pro comes with an industry first; a non-slip design that has traction knobs built right into the glide. We were thrilled to see this feature added, but we are seriously going to miss the ‘Michael Jackson moon walking’ our ass out of the trailer. www.superclamp.net
AMSOIL Often overlooked in the fall is the grease which helps make everything move smooth. AMSOIL has reformulated their Synthetic Water-Resistant & Multi-Purpose Greases to provide even better protection and performance in a wide range of applications. The water-resistant grease is an extreme pressure grease that provides exceptional film strength, shear resistance, adhesion properties and mechanical stability. Its water washout and spray-off resistance are outstanding for a sled that is frequently exposed to water, snow and ice. www.amsoil.com
CTEK BATTER CHARGER How accurate does this sound? The air is a little cooler, summer is over, and you thought it was time to take the cover off and have a peak at the old girl in the shop. You opened up the cowling and you forgot to disconnect the battery. It’s a common thing and the US 800 from CTEK is your answer. This charger is an optimal maintenance charger for seasonal vehicles with batteries up to 100Ah. This handy charger takes its own readings and then begins to charge the battery. Once it is finished charging, it will automatically switch to a maintenance phase, which is a patented, pulse charging mode. The best part is that it can be connected for months. So you can relax at the beach all summer long next year, staring at the beach volley ball courts, knowing that there isn’t anything else you need to be doing. www.ctek.com ON SNOW MAGAZINE
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’s r e y buguide
SLEDWRAPS.COM So you pulled the cover off this fall and realized that last winter took a toll on the ol’ buggie? It’s time to wrap it - or maybe you are the guy that needs to be different? It’s time to wrap it. Better yet; you want to surprise your lady with a pink sled to show her you how much you love her and want to apologize for that stag you attended in Vegas this summer? It’s time to wrap it. Sledwraps.com makes it easy and has everything from camo to skulls, to hot pink and zebra print. Don’t see a colour you like? Just let them know and they can change the colour (at no charge BTW). Don’t see a design that suits your taste? They also do custom wraps. Just don’t forget what they say – Wrap it before you ride it. www.sledwraps.com
C&A OUTLAW SKIS If you can’t remember your last ride being epic, then maybe it wasn’t. By the end of the year, your sled should be cornering like its on rails. You have had months and months behind the bars, and the last six months of it staring at you in the garage. If it’s not cornering like Cole Trickle’s race car in Days of Thunder, you might want to invest a pair of skis. Try a set of C&A Pro’s Outlaws, which have a deep 1 1/2" centre keel and 5/8” double outboard keels, giving you a lot more control. The Outlaw will stop your sled from pushing in the corners and darting down the trails. In the words of Cole’s Crew Chief, Harry Hogge, “these skis are perfectly matched to the snow conditions, just hold your line”. www.sledpro.com
The Ultimate Hunting Machines
$9,99500 . ARGO 6x6 Frontier 580
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EXTREME OFF-ROAD PERFORMANCE 90
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TEAM INDUSTRIES TIED SPLINED CLUTCHES Who doesn’t like buttery smooth shifts? Both upshifts and backshifts are smoother with a Tied Splined Clutch, over your stock clutch. When you’re trail riding, your RPM’s are all over the place, especially in technical sections. Why not make riding your sled as smooth as Barry White’s vinyl records were? A key feature of this clutch is that its moveable sheave opens axially to the stationary sheave, without rotational movement. This translates to no scrubbing motion on the belt face, keeping the clutch running cooler, and maximizing drive belt life. www.team-ind.com
TRICKED TOYS Let’s be honest here; you need to have some ‘cojones’ to install these billet wheels with nasty nuts on your sled. Just saying that sounds tough. If you show up for your first ride with a set of these, nobody will even think about butting in front of you at the fuel station. These wheels and nuts transform your all around, nice guy sled, making it a chariot worthy of being in the Colosseum, fighting tigers and gladiators. These wheels are the same width and thickness as your stock wheels, allowing your mechanical skills to really shine here- they simply just bolt on. The rubber on these wheels fit into a machined groove. Why do you need to know this? Because if it ever gets damaged, it’s replaceable. www.tricked-toys.com
This winter, hundreds of thousands of snowmobile enthusiasts will tune in attentively to The Intrepid Snowmobiler on 106 radio stations coast-to-coast! SkyWords Media is proud to offer you the unique and affordable opportunity to reach these winter warriors with radio tags.
Call SkyWords Media for a quote! 905-470-7655 ON SNOW MAGAZINE
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NUTRITION AND TRAINING DREW ROBERTSON
WE TRAIN THE BODY - NOW TRAIN YOUR MIND TO COMPLETE THE PICTURE! Summer is winding down, and we’re looking at our snowmobiles, wondering when we are going to get on and make some miles. Well, hopefully Mother Nature has a ton of snow planned for us this year and we can get out and ride to our hearts content. In this article, I will be addressing the racers out there, so next article I promise I will direct it to the trail and sport riders; sound fair? In the past I have touched on various forms of training, and different aspects of nutrition, and in this article I’m going to cover my favorite part of training; the mental side training and competing. Some of us seem to have no outward signs of any problems; we come across confident and strong, but in our heads we’re worrying. We second guess ourselves. To become a true warrior, we need to not only be in shape physically, but mentally as well. I have always believed that hard physical labor will help with our mental strength. Think of the military for example; they combine hard physical training with teamwork, honor and discipline. All to make sure they are mentally strong. Now, just to be clear, I do like how military training operates, but not all of their approaches do I condone. For one, I don’t think we need to yell and demean people to motivate. Instead of pushing people off the cliff so-to-speak, we need to lead by example and have the person want to jump on their own. Now before you go jumping off cliffs, let me explain. The cliff I'm talking about is the cliff of trust and absolute belief in your program and training. So how the hell does this apply to you, the racer? Well, think about this; if you have total confidence in your readiness, both physically and mentally, you would be a formidable force on the track. Now let’s get to the 'good' stuff. How are we going to tear you down and re-program you to be able to confront any and all things that get in your way? One of the first things we can do is train more outside. I’ve said this before; training in the gym, or with gym equipment lacks that 'real' world touch. Go get a big tire, a sledge hammer, fill two large sand bags, and get some Olympic rings and a mountain bike or road bike. Remember this; there is a difference between working out and training. Training is about using our bodies in the same manner that we race. Your program should always be evolving in order to provide as many different stimuli as it can, in order to
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constantly challenge the body in new ways. Test yourself and see how far you can push yourself. My opinion is that people are twenty times more capable than they think they are. I always tell my athletes, “Fail, never quit.” I’ve seen many athletes quit before they were actually tired. Push yourself to new limits and change your comfort zone. We’re going to break Mental Training into categories: ATTENTION CONTROL We need to learn to become more aware of our thoughts, and then determine if those thoughts are negative or positive. Negative thoughts will sap our strength and our energy, and need to be stopped! Positive thoughts on the other hand, need to be focused on. Now this sounds easy; ‘it's my mind and I know what I'm thinking’, however, there are thoughts that pass just below our conscious level. They can affect our mood, drive, and overall energy. Think of those hard training sessions when you get to the point when you feel like you can’t possibly continue. If you let those tiny thoughts of, “I can’t do it; what about my knee? Is my sled fast enough?” You will psyche yourself out and end up quitting. Where your mind goes, your body will follow. If you think you can, you will. BODY CONTROL This is where we learn to control the body through breathing and concentration. Here’s an example: You’re watching a scary movie, the music is getting louder, you know the crazy psycho is under the bed, and the pretty girl is coming into the room… Watching this, your heart might start to race, and your extremities might get cold as the blood in the body rushes to your core in a flight or fight response. This is an example of your mind controlling your body, though not through your conscious direction. We want to be able to direct the mind, and thus direct the body. One thing I have seen work is breathing exercises, coupled with visualization; through breath control and thinking about certain things, we were able to feel warmer. Think about it this way; if before a race, before you head out of the trailer; you stop, close your eyes and breathe; thinking about different areas of the track, breathe; think about the corners; breathe and so on… This will calm you down, and when on the track, breathe; relax, and calm your mind!
BREATH CONTROL This is about taking time and actually putting thought into something we do all the time without thinking. Try this exercise: inhale for 5 seconds; hold your breath for 5 seconds; exhale for 5 seconds; hold the exhale for 5 seconds; repeat for as long as you can. This will help with lung capacity and will calm the mind. I have read a lot on this, and one guy was talking about getting through ‘Hell Week’ with the SEALS. He said that while doing the 14 mile runs, he would just think about breathing, and he would hold for a 2 count on the inhale and was amazed at how time just flew by. He also talked about the times he didn’t use this technique and how he struggled with the runs. When he concentrated on his breathing, the mind was calm and thoughts of failure or the pain he was enduring were unable to enter. CONCENTRATION Concentration and breath control can go hand-in-hand. However, we want to emphasize the focus on the moment; right here, right now! If you worry about the future, or more specifically, the outcome of a race, you can easily get overwhelmed. Take the race or the hard workouts, and break them down into smaller pieces; this way they are more manageable. Breath control will help with concentration. Working on one aspect of awareness will have an effect on another. MEDITATION Developing the discipline of listening deeply while not actively thinking of anything sounds different, but think of it this way; breathe deep and let your mind be still. You want to remain in this state until you’re not thinking about breathing, but listening to your breathing. Listening to everything around you without thinking about anything is tougher than it sounds, but this will help clear your mind. One thing I’ve found is that it does bring things to the surface. Try to meditate each and every day; I like to do it both in the morning and at night. We train the body, now train your mind and complete the picture!
Drew Robertson Sports Nutritionist / Conditioning Coach drew@evolvednutrition.com www.evolvednutrition.com
The New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs La Fédération des Clubs de Motoneige du Nouveau-Brunswick
A whole lot of NEW, in New Brunswick for Snowmobiling in 2013. The NBFSC and especially our club’s volunteers have been busy; aren’t we all these days? The most common asked question we always seem to receive is, “what’s new”, for this coming season? There is a whole lot of NEW in 2013 and we are going to lay it out here, tempt you, and inform you and hopefully leaving you wanting for more…. Yes we are going to continue on our NBFSC website; www.nbfsc.com, with a regular column of “What’s New” but in this years’ OSM articles we are going to highlight and expand on some of the changes, happenings, events and generally better or new things that will interest our regular readers, members and tourism guests. To begin with, the NBFSC has elected a new President to lead the volunteer Board of Directors. Sandy Young from Moncton is also from one of the largest snowmobile clubs in New Brunswick, South Eastern New Brunswick Snowmobile Association (SENBSA). They have an average of 600 trail permit members annually. Sandy is now at the helm of the Federation. See Sandy’s President’s welcome adjacent to this. He has a few new things to announce also. As we are all snowmobilers what could be more exciting than new snowmobile trails? More snow….yes we agree, however, since we are not in charge of that, we will predict and announce what we can control. NEW Trails in 2013 We have not seen this many new trails for a few years however with a small and steady growth since 2007 - thank you for buying your Trail Permits - the volunteers and clubs are able to expand and develop better reroutes with the growth in membership size. In short form, this list below is what we can all expect to look (99% certain) forward to in 2013: NBFSC Trail #42, near Miramichi: There will be a new trail route in 2013. Trail # 42 is the provincial link between the Cities of Fredericton and Miramichi. At the northern end after you ride north through Blackville our Miramichi Sno-Goers club has obtained a new trail to ride into Miramichi to connect with NBFSC # 52. NBFSC Trail #15, in Fredericton: Trail numbers are changing on the north side of Fredericton to guide provincial riders and tourists to NBFSC Corporate Partner, Ramada, the only hotel in the city limits accessible by trail. All services, accommodations, food and fuel will be within a few 100 meters of Trail #42 now, still at the end of Local Trail # 720.
www.nbfsc.com Snowmobiling is New Brunswick’s Winter Tourism… 94
NBFSC Trail #15, around Acadia Forestry: There will be a completely new trail routing for Trail #15 between Fredericton and Chipman with a new crossing of the Little River. The new trail runs north of the Federal Land we could not obtain permission to ride in; Acadia Forestry. (Special thanks go out to JD Irving and Jeff Chase for assisting us with finding a new authorized and permanent trail.) You will be able to access the new trail at a new intersection of Provincial Trails # 42 and # 15 (on the old NBFSC Local # 719). This new trail will be shown as ‘under development’ on the paper and interactive NBFSC maps. NBFSC Trail #15 at Salisbury, near Moncton: The western end of NBFSC #15 will now properly connect into the trails around and near Moncton region. It will encompass former sections of Local Trail # 820 and connect to NBFSC Provincial Trail # 34 near Salisbury. NBFSC Local Trail #376: This new Local Trail is not confirmed as of yet (August) but may be ready and authorized when winter arrives. It will be in our Zone 3 and essentially link the communities of TracadieSheila, from NBFSC Trail # 48 in the east through Allardville to NBFSC Trail # 19 between Nepisiguit Falls and Bathurst. NBFSC Trail #130: This is a new (some old sections) of snowmobile trail through the City of Edmundston. With the loss, some years ago of NBFSC Provincial Trail # 12 due to winter ATV Trails, it has taken a long time to reconnect Edmundston. Local Trail # 130 will allow you to access NBFSC Corporate Partners, Best Western and also the local Ski-Doo dealer Martin’s Equipment. It is also a more direct (shorter) access to the Quality Inn when arriving from the south. NBFSC Trail #44, near Mactaquac: Provincial Trail # 44 will now be routed from Mactaquac Provincial Park, south across the Mactaquac Headpond right beside NBFSC Corporate Partner, Riverside Resort. Riverside is still at the end of Local Trail # 723, now just meters off of # 44. Trail # 44 will now connect further south with NBFSC Trail # 32 using former NBFSC Local Trail #’s. All of the new trails and new changes will be reflected on updated 2013 NBFSC trail maps. The changes have also been entirely captured on the upgraded 2013 Interactive trail maps for 2013. In our next, “a whole lot of NEW”, article we will review the new (paper) trail maps, new revised website, revised interactive trail maps, an updated snowmobile trip planning feature and the new updated trail status feature with all updates for 2013.
Beaucoup de NOUVEAU au Nouveau-Brunswick pour la motoneige en 2013. La FCMNB et surtout les bénévoles de nos clubs ont été occupés ; n’est-ce pas le cas pour nous tous de nos jours ? La question la plus commune que l’on se fait demander est : Quoi de neuf ? pour la prochaine saison. Il y a beaucoup de NOUVEAU en 2013 et nous allons vous détailler le tout ici, vous tenter et vous informer en espérant de vous laisser en appétit pour plus encore… Oui, nous allons continuer sur notre site Web de la FCMNB ; www.fcmnb.com, avec une chronique régulière sur « Quoi de neuf ? », mais cette année, dans les articles de l’OSM, nous allons mettre en vedette et approfondir certains des changements, des événements et des nouvelles choses qui vont intéresser nos lecteurs réguliers, nos membres et nos touristes en visite. Pour commencer, la FCMNB a élu un nouveau président pour diriger le Bureau de direction bénévole. Sandy Young, de Moncton, vient également de l’un des plus grands clubs de motoneige au Nouveau-Brunswick, SENBSA (South Eastern New Brunswick Snowmobile Association). Ils ont en moyenne 600 membres avec permis de sentiers par année. Sandy est maintenant à la tête de la Fédération. Le message de bienvenue du président par Sandy est à côté de celui-ci. Il a également quelques nouvelles choses à annoncer. Puisque nous sommes tous des motoneigistes, quoi de plus excitant que de nouveaux sentiers de motoneige ? Plus de neige… oui, on s’entend ; cependant, étant donné que l’on ne contrôle pas cela, nous allons prédire et annoncer ce que l’on peut contrôler. NOUVEAUX sentiers en 2013 Nous n’avons pas vu autant de nouveaux sentiers depuis plusieurs années ; cependant, avec une croissance limitée mais constante depuis 2007 – merci pour votre achat des permis de sentiers – les bénévoles et les clubs sont capables d’augmenter et de développer de nouveaux parcours selon la croissance du nombre des membres. En format succinct, la liste ici-bas contient ce à quoi l’on peut s’attendre (99 % certain) en 2013 :
Sentier #42 de la FCMNB, près de Miramichi : Il y aura un nouveau parcours de ce sentier en 2013. Le sentier # 42 est le lien provincial entre les villes de Fredericton et Miramichi. À l’extrémité nord, après avoir voyagé en direction nord à travers Blackville, notre club Miramichi Sno-Goers a obtenu un nouveau sentier pour se rendre dans Miramichi pour connecter avec le FCMNB # 52. Sentier #15 de la FCMNB, à Fredericton : Les numéros des sentiers vont changer du côté nord de Fredericton pour guider les motoneigistes de la province et les touristes vers le Ramada, partenaire commercial de la FCMNB, le seul hôtel à l’intérieur des limites de la ville qui soit accessible par motoneige. Tous les services, hébergement, nourriture et carburant seront dorénavant à moins de 100 mètres du sentier #42, encore au bout du sentier local # 720. Sentier #15 de la FCMNB, autour d’Acadia Forestry : Il y aura un parcours complètement nouveau pour le sentier #15 entre Fredericton et Chipman avec une nouvelle traverse sur Little River. Le nouveau sentier passe au nord des terres fédérales pour lesquelles nous ne pouvions pas avoir la permission de traverser ; Acadia Forestry. (Des remerciements spéciaux à JD Irving et Jeff Chase pour nous avoir aidé à trouver un nouveau sentier permanent autorisé.) Vous aurez accès au nouveau sentier à la nouvelle intersection des sentiers provinciaux #42 et #15 (sur l’ancien sentier local # 719 de la FCMNB). Ce nouveau sentier sera affiché comme étant « en chantier » sur les cartes interactives et en papier de la FCMNB. Sentier #15 de la FCMNB à Salisbury, près de Moncton : L’extrémité ouest du #15 de la FCMNB sera maintenant bien connecté aux sentiers autour et près de la région de Moncton. Il va inclure des anciennes sections du sentier local # 820 et connecter avec le sentier provincial # 34 de la FCMNB, près de Salisbury. Sentier local #376 de la FCMNB : Ce nouveau sentier local n’est pas encore confirmé en ce moment (août), mais pourrait être prêt et autorisé quand l’hiver arrivera. Il sera dans
notre Zone 3 et il relie essentiellement les communautés de Tracadie-Sheila, du sentier # 48 de la FCMNB vers l’est à travers Allardville jusqu’au sentier #19 de la FCMNB entre Nepisiguit Falls et Bathurst. Sentier #130 de la FCMNB : Il s’agit d’un nouveau sentier de motoneige (avec certaines anciennes sections) à travers la ville d’Edmundston. Depuis la perte quelques années passées du sentier provincial #12 de la FCMNB à cause des sentiers d’hiver de VTT, il a fallu bien du temps pour reconnecter Edmundston. Le sentier local # 130 va donner accès aux partenaires commerciaux de la FCMNB, au Best Western et également au concessionnaire local Ski-Doo, Martin’s Equipment. C’est un accès plus direct (plus court) au Quality Inn en arrivant du Sud. Sentier #44 de la FCMNB, près de Mactaquac : Le sentier provincial # 44 sera dorénavant acheminé du Parc provincial de Mactaquac, en direction sud à travers le réservoir de Mactaquac, juste à côté du partenaire commercial de la FCMNB, le Riverside Resort. Riverside est situé à l’extrémité du sentier local # 723, maintenant seulement à quelques mètres du # 44. Le sentier # 44 va maintenant connecter plus loin au sud avec le sentier # 32 de la FCMNB en utilisant l’ancien # du sentier local de la FCMNB. Tous les nouveaux sentiers et nouveaux changements seront reflétés dans les cartes de sentiers mises à jour de la FCMNB pour 2013. Les changements ont également tous été captés sur les cartes de sentiers interactives pour 2013. Dans notre prochain article « beaucoup de Quoi de neuf ? », nous allons aborder les nouvelles cartes de sentiers sur papier, un site Web révisé, les cartes de sentiers interactives révisées, une fonction de planification de voyages en motoneige qui est mise à jour, ainsi que la nouvelle fonction mise à jour sur l’État (conditions) des sentiers avec toutes les mises à jour pour 2013.
www.nbfsc.com
La motoneige est le Tourisme d’hiver du Nouveau-Brunswick… 95
The New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs La Fédération des Clubs de Motoneige du Nouveau-Brunswick President’s Report…
Dear Snowmobilers, It was a great honor to be elected as the twelfth President of the NBFSC since 1982, the year of our Federation’s incorporation. The NBFSC has had a multitude of great leaders who in thirty plus years have worked tirelessly with all the volunteer member clubs to ensure the NBFSC is a leader not only in Canada, but also in North America. Snowmobiling is New Brunswick’s Winter Tourism - White Gold. The NBFSC is proud of our past accomplishments. I just returned from the 44th International Snowmobile Congress, hosted in Massachusetts this past June (2012) where again New Brunswick ’s snowmobiling community was recognized nationally and internationally. New Brunswick’s own BRP, Ski-Doo dealer, Mark & Kim MacDonald from Miramichi , N.B. were awarded the Canadian Council of
Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO) National Snowmobile Dealer of the Year – for all of Canada. Congratulations to the team at City Argo Sports in Miramichi for this major accomplishment. At previous Congresses the NBFSC has been awarded, three times, the CCSO’s Canadian Snowmobiler of the Year; Evelyn Broad, Bob Walsh and Harold McCann. The biggest surprise at Congress came when Mr. Ed Klim, President of the International Snowmobile Manufacturer’s Association (ISMA) announced that the NBFSC was the Canadian winner of the ISMA’s “Go Snowmobiling, Take a Friend” Campaign in 2012, again, for all of Canada. I would like to thank Past NBFSC President’s Leon Bourque and Jody Tower for carrying this torch since the beginning of ISMA’s program. The NBFSC has participated since the very beginning in 2008. We have taken hundreds of people snowmobiling including a multitude of Government Ministers and Premier Hon. Shawn Graham and for the past two winters current New Brunswick Premier, the Hon. David Alward. I would like to recognize and thank the volunteers. I never imagined when I began volunteering that I would be so honored to lead this great group of individuals that provide all of us with the White Gold trails, season after season. Last, thank you to Premier Alward and his team. I have spent most of this summer being introduced to the key departments and his Ministers that the NBFSC works with year round. Their continual support of the NBFSC ensures that we all have better trails, more secure trails and a winter tourism product that is gaining North American recognition. If you have played a part in this 30 year success, thank you. Looking ahead to New Brunswick’s 2013 White Gold Sandy Young, NBFSC President
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Rapport du Président… Chers motoneigistes, Ce fut un grand honneur d’être élu en tant que douzième président de la FCMNB depuis 1982, l’année de l’incorporation de notre Fédération. La FCMNB a eu une multitude de leaders exceptionnels qui, pendant plus de trente ans, ont travaillé sans relâche avec tous les clubs membres bénévoles afin de s’assurer que la FCMNB soit un leader non seulement au Canada, mais
aussi en Amérique du Nord. La motoneige, c’est le Tourisme d’hiver du Nouveau-Brunswick – l’Or Blanc. La FCMNB est fière de ses réalisations précédentes. Je reviens tout juste du 44ième Congrès international de la motoneige, qui avait lieu au Massachusetts en juin dernier (2012) où, une fois de plus, la communauté des motoneigistes du Nouveau-Brunswick fut reconnue à l’échelle nationale et internationale. Mark & Kim MacDonald, concessionnaires BRP - Ski-Doo de la Miramichi, au Nouveau-Brunswick, se sont mérités le Prix du Concessionnaire de la motoneige de l’année présenté par le Conseil canadien des organismes de la motoneige (CCOM) – pour tout le Canada. Félicitations à l’équipe de City Argo Sports, à Miramichi, pour cet accomplissement exceptionnel. Lors de congrès précédents, à trois reprises, la FCMNB a reçu du CCOM le prix du Motoneigiste de l’année pour le Canada : Evelyn Broad, Bob Walsh et Harold McCann. La plus grande surprise au Congrès fut quand M. Ed Klim, président de l’ISMA (International Snowmobile Manufacturer’s Association), a annoncé que la FCMNB était, une fois de plus, la gagnante canadienne de la campagne « Allez faire de la motoneige, Amenez un ami » pour 2012. Je veux remercier les
anciens présidents de la FCMNB, Leon Bourque et Jody Tower pour avoir porté cette torche depuis le début du programme de l’ISMA. La FCMBC y a participé depuis le début en 2008. Nous avons amené des centaines de personnes en motoneige, y compris une multitude de ministres du gouvernement, le Premier ministre Shawn Graham, et durant les deux derniers hivers, le Premier ministre actuel du NouveauBrunswick, David Alward. Je veux reconnaître et remercier les bénévoles. Je n’avais jamais imaginé quand j’ai commencé à faire du volontariat que je serais si honoré de mener ce merveilleux groupe d’individus qui nous apportent ces sentiers de l’Or Blanc, à chaque hiver. En terminant, des remerciements au Premier ministre Alward et son équipe. Durant l’été, j’ai été présenté aux ministères clés et à ses ministres qui travaillent avec la FCMNB au cours de l’année. Leur appui continu à la FCMNB fait en sorte que nous avons de meilleurs sentiers, plus sécuritaires et un produit du tourisme d’hiver qui se fait reconnaitre en Amérique du Nord. Si vous avez joué un rôle dans ce succès de 30 ans, merci. Nous avons hâte de revoir l’Or Blanc du Nouveau-Brunswick en 2013. Sandy Young, président de la FCMBC
www.nbfsc.com La motoneige est le Tourisme d’hiver du Nouveau-Brunswick… 97
THE KELLY SHIRES LEGACY FINANCIALLY HELPING THE BATTLE AGAINST BREAST CANCER
he big “C”- cancer. It is a word that is all too well known by many of us. Chances are that during some point of your life, you will know someone who has to take on this crazy disease and do all they can to survive. A reality that we hope one day will only be a word in the dictionary and a distant memory. What does cancer have to do with snowmobiling? Well, I would like to share a story with you of a courageous young woman who found a way to bring the world of snowmobiling into the fight against breast cancer, through one strong legacy that continues today. You may be new to the sport, or you may have been sledding for years. Odds are, that somewhere along the way, you have heard about the Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow Run. It’s an all-women, charity snowmobile event that raises money to help financially assist those who are diagnosed with breast cancer across Canada. Kelly Shires is a name so widely known within the snowmobile industry, marine industry and within the breast cancer community. Although you may have heard her name throughout the years, you may still wonder - who was Kelly Shires? Kelly’s story began like this; she was not your average young woman. If you had a chance to meet her, or have a business dealing with her, she certainly left an impression with you as someone who had an enormous love of life. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Kelly moved to the Mississauga area in the
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early 70’s. She was a very adventurous person. She had her real estate license, pilot’s license, and a passion for boats and snowmobiles. She was never one to shy away from trying something new or to go after that dream, regardless of what anyone else had to say. She was determined to succeed at whatever she dreamed of. Kelly was a very positive person who chose to make lemonade out of the lemons she was given, instead of letting anything defeat her. Then came along that dreaded “C” word and Kelly handled this challenge no differently than any other in her life. At the age of 34, life could not have seemed to be any better. Kelly was happily married, running a successful dry land marine business and expecting her first child; the future was looking bright, and that was when tragedy struck. It was over Christmas 1996, when Kelly found a lump on her breast. She immediately had it checked by doctors and learned that she had breast cancer. Kelly faced numerous surgeries, the termination of her pregnancy, chemotherapy and the loss of their business. The following years proved to be challenging, but Kelly never gave up. She faced this battle with all the determination she had. Kelly had proven to be a very strong woman with a big heart. Her experiences had given her a new outlook on life, and right away she knew she wanted to help others diagnosed with breast cancer that may be facing many of the same challenges. Kelly experienced first-hand, every aspect of the disease from diagnosis to treatment to living with cancer. Being the perceptive person she was, she quickly realized there was an enormous gap in the system. There seemed to be avenues to get help with the physical, mental and emotional aspects of a diagnosis and treatment but, there was no real help for the financial aspect. If you have been lucky enough to never have had to deal with a diagnosis/treatment, you may assume that the government of private health care will cover the costs of your needs, and this is not always the case. As you may or may not know, going through a diagnosis and treatment can be very
costly. Medications; prosthetics; wigs; lodging and parking, etc. can add up really quickly, especially at a time when you most likely are unable to work due to fatigue, appointments and treatment. Again, not everyone qualifies for unemployment assistance, and some do not even qualify for welfare. So here you are, battling for your life with these extra expenses, when you may have a reduced income or no income at all. This is where Kelly really identified a strong need for help; to alleviate that financial concern, so that people could focus on their recovery and not financial stress - that was her goal. The idea to develop a Trust Fund to assist patients with breast cancer developed while Kelly and a good friend were having a conversation about the financial aspect of the disease. It didn’t take long for the concept to be born, and the planning for the First Annual Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow Run For Fun was underway. This Trust Fund was set up to financially assist breast cancer patients with expenses that are not covered by extended health care programs and/or public healthcare programs. Kelly wanted the fundraiser to have the theme of “Women helping Women” which seemed to be a perfect fit with the sport of snowmobiling and Kelly’s passion for the sport. Kelly lost her lengthy battle with breast cancer on October 31, 2004. Her legacy and dream continues to thrive with the help of Co-Founder Suzy Stenoff, along
KELLY SHIRES BREAST CANCER SNOW RUN
with the Board of Directors and a valued group of volunteers who work tirelessly in Kelly’s Memory. In 2006, Director Isabelle Dusastre successfully fulfilled a dream of Kelly’s to start chapters across the country, with our second chapter in Quebec. Being a volunteer-run organization, it has been a struggle to open additional chapters across the country, but the group is grateful for the satellite fundraising rides, dinners, dance and golf tournaments that have launched into annual events, with proceeds coming
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back to the charity. The newest event launched for the charity is an ATV ride known as TraX4 Breast Cancer. As intuitive as Kelly was, there was no way to forecast the success of her dream as it continues to grow today. Kelly’s dream pulled together three amazing concepts. First, it gives female sledders an avenue to have their own sledding weekend and let loose. Secondly, it raises breast cancer awareness with such a unique event. And last but not least, it raises much needed funds that go directly to those battling breast cancer. Although the theme is “women helping women” there are ways for everyone to get involved. We have the most amazing male volunteers who work tirelessly in the cold to ensure that we have a fantastic day on the trails. They do everything from helping to park truck and trailers, load and unload sleds, and top up our fuel at the lunch stop. They treat all the riders with VIP status, and we are so lucky to have their support. Some of them have also come up with some very unique ways to help raise money for the cause because they realize that breast cancer isn’t a battle that one fights alone. Helping someone through their journey takes a team of people, from their
medical team to their family, friends, and co-workers rallying around them with support – it affects us all. Over the past 13 years, the Ontario chapter (which offers assistance all across Canada) has raised $3 million dollars. The Quebec Chapter, (that assists breast cancer patients in Quebec) over its 7 years of operation has raised over $880,000.00. Everyone involved in Kelly’s legacy are all very proud of what has been accomplished, together with your help. These funds have helped hundreds of breast cancer patients across the country, many who have “paid it forward” after they have recovered, knowing that this assistance made a difference in the success of their recovery. Most recently, our Ontario chapter was honoured to receive its first legacy donation from a wonderful woman we were able to help, although she now joins Kelly as one of our Guardian Angels watching over us. It is quite astounding to see how great the need for financial assistance is today, as the charity goes into its 14th year. Part of our commitment to breast cancer patients across Canada is to host our 14th Annual Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow Run - February 1, 2 & 3, 2013 at
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Hidden Valley Resort in Huntsville, Ontario. For event details please visit our website at www.breastcancersnowrun.org While we know it is not feasible for everyone to be able to participate in our annual Snow Run event, we would like to open the door and offer encouragement for anyone who would like to fundraise for the charity. Fundraising can be really fun and such a rewarding experience; you just have to let your creative juices flow and find a fun fundraising initiative that works for you! If you are hosting a fundraiser in honour of Kelly’s dream, we would respectfully ask that you let us know about it and we will offer any guidance we can provide. Please email us your ideas or questions at info@breastcancersnowrun.org We are pleased to announce that we are once again holding our annual raffle with the addition of an early bird prize, which you will not want to miss out on! Early bird winners will be drawn at the upcoming Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show. The remainder of prizes will be drawn at the 14th Annual Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow Run on February 2, 2013. Tickets are only $10.00 and currently for sale at Factory Recreation in Midland,
Royal Distributing locations, Can-Am “ride says it all event” in Muskoka and at the Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show in October. Early bird Prize - Can-Am Outlander 400XT ATV – donated by Can-Am and Factory Recreation, Midland. 1st Prize – 2013 Ski-Doo MXZ 600 ACE – donated by BRP. Inc, and Factory Recreation, Midland. 2nd Prize - $500 Gift Certificate for Royal Distributing – donated by Royal Distributing 3rd Prize – One night stay for 2 at Hidden Valley Resort, Hunstville – donated by Hidden Valley Resort.
Make sure you come and visit us at the Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show at the Toronto International Centre in Mississauga – October 19, 20 & 21st. Follow the pink carpet!
To find out more about the annual Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow Run event or make a donation, please visit www.breastcancersnowrun.org. For information on the financial assistance program, please visit www.kellyshiresfoundation.org.
Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow Run
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FLOAT BOWL PAT BOURGEOIS
THE DIRTY YELLOW GAME
Technological advancements spurred by Yellowstone are many, starting with the original Arctic Cat Yellowstone Special in 2000 which became the first modern, full-production 4-stroke snowmobile in 2002.
“Damn dirty sleds!” Those were the words of a former college buddy who just finished reading a report issued by the National Park Service this past June. His presumptive affirmation of the report’s accuracy caught me a bit by surprise. The last time I had seen him, we were chugging cheap beer, ogling at the latest incoming freshmen women, and doing just enough academically to get by. However time, a very liberal significant other, and years of the ‘earth is falling,’ environmental brain washing had taken their toll on the guy. In some ways I felt sorry for him, but for the most part I was mad as hell. From nearly the moment I landed my first job in the powersports world in 1993, the Yellowstone debate has been percolating on the political and industry horizon. Initially, at least for a young, longhaired kid, it seemed like someone else's problem, in a state and location that was far, far, away. After all, when was I going to ride a snowmobile in the park, and more importantly, why would I? Yet, just as time had changed the perspectives and beliefs of my former friend, it has been equally effective on my own as well. The government mandated reduction of snowmobile emissions, as outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has dramatically changed the landscape of snowmobile technology over the past 10years. Snowmobiles have become more complex, more expensive, and without a doubt, cleaner. The level investment in time, money, and resources by the manufacturers and snowmobile organizations is staggering. Yet, despite these hurdles, we as an industry have persevered and not only met the requirements, but in many cases, exceeded them. As a result, we not only have cleaner 104
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snowmobiles as it relates to emissions, but we also have more fuel-efficient and reliable sleds as well. You could say it was a tough trade-off, but one I’ll bet most of us wouldn’t want to give up now that we’ve experienced the benefits of cleaner technology. Yet, all the effort was for not, at least according to Gary Bishop and Brent Schuchmann of the chemistry department at the University of Denver. The two gentlemen, along with assistance from the Yellowstone National Park Service, tested two rental fleet snowmobiles last March, along with a handful of snow coaches (the preferred vehicle by many environmental organizations to gain access to the park). Three environmental groups - National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) immediately supported the published results, which claimed modern snowmobiles were dirtier than their older counterparts. It’s no surprise that all three of these groups would like to see snowmobiles eliminated from the park for good. Upon closer inspection, the report is filled with what one industry expert called “mystery data”. The snowmobiles were procured from a rental fleet in West Yellowstone, and it was said that one of the two sleds was not running smoothly and may have suffered from “tuning problems”. In addition, a portable emission-testing device was used that was never certified or designed for these types of tests. In addition, none of the variables such as temperature; snow conditions; specific vehicle speed; vehicle rpm; weight of the driver, and other factors were never recorded or even considered in the report. Ironically, the tests were conducted in West Yellowstone at the same time all four manufacturers were on-
hand for an industry rollout of the new 2013 models. No OEM was ever asked for assistance. (The full report can be downloaded at www.osmmag.com). Somewhat blindsided by the report, the manufacturers, in a united voice through the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA) are preparing a rebuttal, and as you might expect, the battle over Yellowstone remains far from over. I’ve realized that the Yellowstone tussle is more than a fight to continue to allow snowmobile access to America’s most renowned and cherished park. It’s also not about the local winter tourism communities such as West Yellowstone that have been decimated over the past 10-years, due to the severe restrictions that have been placed on snowmobile access. Frankly, I’ve come to realize it’s not about snowmobiles at all. The political and end-game agendas of organizations such as the National Parks Conservation Association and National Resources Defense Council can be debated. However, these groups, similar to the pro-snowmobile organizations on the other side of the table are in many ways, merely pawns in a much bigger game. At its most basic level, this is a fight about access...access for all to public land. Yellowstone, like so many other national and state parks and forests, is land that was designated by early leaders of this country with the foresight and understanding that these are special places; places where everyone should be allowed to enjoy them. Over the past 20-years I’ve read countless articles, listened to numerous opinions and arguments, and seen the political pendulum of the Yellowstone debate swing from side to side. This latest “dirty sled” attack is yet another swing in the debate, and unfortunately, the finish line (if there even is one) is still out of sight. For many, the Yellowstone debate has grown tiring, and like many of you, I’m sick and tired of the game…but likely, so too are they. While it seems nearly impossible for one voice to make a difference, this November it can (at least for OSM readers south of the border). Ask your candidates the tough questions, demand tougher answers, and understand where they stand on the issues important to you; then make your voice heard loud and clear, without saying a word. ✪
LAST GASP
CARL KUSTER
If you followed snocross during its heyday of the late 1990s, you’ll know Carl Kuster from his days as a top snocross athlete and a member of the Blair Morgan Racing Team. But long before Carl was turning laps at Duluth National or the Winter X Games, he was honing his deep snow chops with his father in the backcountry of Revelstoke British Columbia. After retiring from competition, Carl set his sites on fulfilling his dream of creating a ride destination lodge. Along with his wife Shelley, Carl recently fulfilled that vision when Carl Kuster Mountain Park (CKMP) became a reality. The ride camp is designed for sledders of all abilities and offers an experience like no other. Carl along with a top-shelf staff of riders, teachers, and hosts, serve up camp packages ranging from 1 day to 3 days. You can learn more about his camp at carlkuster.com. We caught up with Carl this summer to get his last words before the first snow of the season.
Last snowmobile you owned? 2012 163”, 2012 154” Turbo with LOTS of Titanium Traction! Last snowmobile you vowed you would never own again? I never met a sled I didn’t like. Some just didn’t work well on the fuel we were allowed to run. Last person who truly inspired you? I really admire all of the Ford projects Carroll Shelby has done, especially the GT 40. One day I’ll have that vehicle in my garage! Motocross legend Doug Henry is someone I met a few times and he’s a truly humble, genuine guy. Also, I can’t leave out my ol’ Pops… I can only hope I will get to learn everything he can teach me! Last time you pulled an all-nighter? Party wise it’s been a looooong time. Work wise it was when we built CKMP, it literally felt like we pulled all-nighters 74 days in a row. I’m sure glad I had great people beside me. They called me the warden of Carl Kuster Mountain Prison. Last movie you saw? Safe House – it’s a conspiracy theory type flick. My buddy Denzel Washington did a good job in that movie and the guy is not bad on a sled either! LOL Last song you listened to? I think I have around 7,000 songs on my 106
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iPod, but the last cool band I saw live was an Australian trio that plays rockin steel guitar, rockabilly, blues mix. They put on an awesome live show! Mason Rack Band - look them up! Last great idea you had that made you think... ‘Hell yeah’? Can’t tell you about that one just yet, but you will freak-out when it arrives. Last time you traveled overseas? I went to Switzerland in 2008. We had family over there. They were super strict when it came to riding snowmobiles though. Last time you went over 100 mph? According to the last 2 photo radar tickets I received, not that long ago. Last amazing snowmobile ride you had? Easter weekend with my father, my wife Shelley and Kelly. We had an honest 23 feet of powder with not a cloud in the sky. To top it off, we broke some new terrain with 4000’ descents. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! Lasting snowmobile memory? Passing Kirk Hibbert at a Sno-X race in Thunder Bay. I looked up to him, so it was a defining moment for me. Last rock star you met? Gordie Johnson from Big Sugar, he played at our club and has a sweet
signature series Gibson guitar. Last thing you raced? A shopping cart 5-minutes ago. Once it’s in your blood, it never really stops! As far as motorized, an Aero-charged SkiDoo at Jackson Hole this past March. I never really rode a well set-up turbo before. Man, are they fast! It takes some getting used to. Last time you were injured? I did this 340’ gap jump… well not really. LOL. It wasn’t nearly that dramatic. I didn’t check the depth of a hotel kiddy pool and I took my son down the waterslide sitting on my lap. It turns out, the pool was very shallow, so I limped out of the landing zone while kids laughed at me. PUNKS, I splashed them all! Ha-ha. Last person you hugged? My son, he’s 3 years old and he pulled a wheelie off the front steps. Guess he should’ve had his “ super cape” on. He’s such a rambunctious daredevil. Last thing you hope you’ll be remembered for? Great patience and some of those ideas that are still rolling around in my head. Last words of advice? Never stop when pointed uphill in really deep powder!
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