on snow magazine spring 2012

VOL 26 • NO 6 • SPRING 2012 • $ 5.95

DISPLAY UNTIL SEPT 15, 2012

TUCKER HIBBERT

LEVI LEVALLEE

PAUL THACKER

COLUMNSEXCLUSIVE

FROM

SCENE IT?SCENE IT? MELGEORGES CLASSIC ANTIQUE SLED RACE MELGEORGES CLASSIC ANTIQUE SLED RACE

SKI-DOO MXZ-XRS RMOTION RIDE KINGS - THE KARPIK FAMILYCOLUMNS BY TUCKER HIBBERT, PAUL THACKER, LEVI LAVALLEE & MORE!

INSIDE

SHOOTER

ON-TRAIL, OFF-TRAIL &ALL POINTS BETWEENON-TRAIL, OFF-TRAIL &ALL POINTS BETWEEN

CROSSOFFCROSSOFF

OFFCROSSCROSS

CUSTOM SLED CORNERGOLDEN YEARS - YAMAHA GS 340 COLUMNS BY TUCKER HIBBERT, PAUL THACKER, LEVI LAVALLEE & MORE!

SKI BUYER’S GUIDE

SCENE IT: WINTER X-GAMES 2011 PICTORIAL

CROSSOFFCROSSOFFCROSSOFFCROSSOFF

SHOWCASE

SCENE IT? MELGEORGES CLASSIC ANTIQUE SLED RACE

SHOWCASE

HEATHFRISBY

INSIDE THE MINDOF THE X-GAMES

CHAMPION

CAN-AM/POLARIS COMPARO ARCTIC CAT GETS WILD 12 HEURES DE LA TUQUE

GONE

SPRINGBUYER'S GUIDE

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NEXTYEAR’S SLEDS NOWTWENTY

2013 FXR SNOW COLLECTION

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER FOR MORE SNEAK PEEKS

facebook.com/FXRRacing @FXRRacing

SNEAK PEEK

FXRRACING.COM

RE-ENTRYYamaha rider Chris Brown looks to return from orbitatop the granite tops in the backcountry of BritishColumbia. A long time Slednecks rider, Brownrecently signed with Yamaha Canada, and has beenputting a Nytro MTX through extreme paces allwinter long.

Location: British ColumbiaRider: Chris BrownPhotographer: Julie-Ann Chapmanwww.julieannchapman.com

CLICKED

CLICKED

EARLYBIRDFirst to bed, first to rise, and first to shredan overnight blessing of winter’s gold.

Location: Whistler, British ColumbiaRider: Getting the WormPhotographer: Matthew Mallory

CLICKED

It’s known as one of the most active geological hotspots in theworld for its continuous volcanic activity occurring below theearth’s crust, and its also one of the most beautiful. While therules are plenty regarding winter access to Yellowstone NationalPark, it remains one of the can’t miss snowmobiling experiencesin the world.

Location: Yellowstone National Park, MontanaRiders: YouPhotographer: Courtesy West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce

CALDERAHEAVEN

FEATURES28 SCENE IT?

MELGEORGE’S CLASSIC ANTIQUE SLED RACE

38 FRISBY'S FRONTAL LOBEINTERVIEW WITH THE X-GAMES CHAMP

42 TWENTY '13WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S SLEDS…NOW!

56 SPRING BUYER'S GUIDE

COLUMNS14 DRIFTS - PUBLISHER NOTES

RICHARD KEHOE

32 TRAIN TRACKSTUCKER HIBBERT

34 WINGING IT WITH LEVILEVI LAVALLEE

36 FOR THE RECORDPAUL THACKER

60 NUTRITION & TRAININGDREW ROBERTSON

66 KELLY SHIRES BREAST CANCER SNOW RUNSUZY STENOFF

72 FLOATBOWLPAT BOURGEOIS

DEPARTMENTS16 INDUSTRY NEWS30 CRUISIN’ YOU TUBE62 NBFSC REPORT70 OSM LISTINGS74 LAST GASP - JOE DUNCAN

10 ✪ ON SNOW MAGAZINE

28

38

42

CAN-AM/POLARIS COMPAROARCTIC CAT GETS WILD12 HEURES DE LA TUQUE

GONE

SPRINGBUYER'S GUIDEp.56

TWENTY

'13

11ON SNOW MAGAZINE ✪

COVER

p.42


President & Publisher: Richard Kehoe

Editorial Director: Pat Bourgeois

Managing Editor: Rick Bloye

Art Director: Darryl Aspin

Production Manager: Tendra Crossman

General Manager: Michael Blakoe

Sr. Manager Sales & Marketing: Matt Clark

Advertising Sales: 1-888-661-7469 Kyle Carruthers, Warren Geer, Brad Stokes

Administrative / Sales Coordinator: Harmony Kulikauskas

Photographers: Jim Urquhart, JamesLissimore, Todd Williams, Midwest SportsPublishing, Matthew Mallory, Julie-AnnChapman, Jason MacDonald, Gary Walton

Contributing Writers: Ross Antworth, Pat Bourgeois, Kyle Carruthers, Matt Clark,Peter Derry, Jeff Edwards, Tim Erickson,Tucker Hibbert, Richard Kehoe, Levi LaVallee,Ed Long, Jason MacDonald, John Sandberg,Suzy Stenoff, Paul Thacker, Jim Urquhart

Subscriptions1-888-661-7469 or [email protected]

ON SNOW MAGAZINEUnit #4, 1195 Stellar DriveNewmarket, ON L3Y 7B8ph: 905-898-8585fax: 905-898-8071toll-free ph: 888-661-7469toll-free fax: 888-680-7469email: [email protected]

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIESCONTACT 1-888-661-7469

OSM is published six times a year by OSM Publishing Ltd. Office address andundelivered copies and change of address notice is: 1195 Stellar Drive - Unit #4,Newmarket, Ontario, Canada L3Y 7B8. Telephone (905) 898-8585. Printed inCanada by Dollco Printing • Copyright 2012 OSM Publishing Ltd. All rightsreserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent ofthe 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.

VOLUME 26 NUMBER 6 SPRING 2012

We acknowledge the financial support of theGovernment of Canada through the Canada

Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities

Highway 89, Shelburne, Ontario L0N 1S6

519-925-20891-866-925-2089

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Dayco was here.Ride with confidence.

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✪ ON SNOW MAGAZINE14

Another season comes to an end,we ride away with great memoriesand embellished stories from the

few sledding months we had, well mostof us did. Earlier this winter I underwentknee surgery to repair what I thought wasa torn ACL, or Anterior CruciateLigament. Turns out, I needed to have afull ACL replacement. My winter seasonwas cut short and being an avid sledder,needless to say, I wasnʼt thrilled.

UFC Champion, St. Pierre was toldheʼd be out for a full 10 months or morewhen he had his torn ACL repaired.Doctors used a ligament taken from myhamstring to make up for the loss, the

surgery went well in early November,where I was told Iʼd be on the sidelinesfor approximately 9 months. Some mayknow this has a long recovery time, butby staying active, stretching and regularicing, and keeping up my daily routine,Iʼm closing in on those 9 months fast.

Making the best of it, I made an effort tostay positive and enjoy the company I had.I volunteered to be the OSM Wheelman atthe Throw Down this year out in Quebec inthe Abitibi- Temiscamingue Region. Thedrive was awesome and I had time tocatch up on a lot of work. My Throw Downdays started early, unloading the sledsfrom the trailer, topping some up with oil.

Mornings I met Bourgeois, Macdonald,Erickson and Edwards outside the lodging,each with their bags, dropping them at thetrailer for me to take care of. I watched asthey rode out of the parking lot all gearedup. Iʼd wheel the trailer to the next pit stop,unload their bags and checking in to thenext lodging spot. I did this for the followingthree days. It was tough not being able toride with the guys, but what can you do.

Over the rest of the winter Matt and Kyleventured out to New Brunswick to ride withRoss and Harold. Youʼll read about it in ourNovember Travel issues next season.They had a great time and it was great tosee them laughing and working together.Snowshoot was another big one we had; Imade the trip out to Montana, but wonʼt bestaring on any cover shots. I again wasnʼtable to hit the powder.

It really hit me this year, how much Ilived for the sport of Snowmobiling. Itʼstruly a passion of mine and I felt a littlelost with out it this year. I love sleddingand look forward to it every fall, countingdown the days to the first snowfall. Wellnext year theyʼll have to pry me off thesleds, Iʼll be taking every opportunity tohit the trails.

As the winter weeks went by, it alsoproved to me that the sport ofsnowmobiling isnʼt just about spinningthe track and travelling miles, a huge partof it is about the people youʼre with andthe adventures you go on. The smell ofwinter and the laughs shared with agroup of enthusiasts. It is a family sport,be that your wife and kids, a group ofneighbours, a group of guys youʼveknown your whole life, or a group ofriders you just met, itʼs all about thecompany you keep and being a part ofsomething. I walked, well slightly limped,away from this season with some greatstories and good times.

Itʼs not just about putting miles on... oris it? Either way itʼs something you dowith friends.

As always, weʼd like to hear from you.Email us with your season stories, orphotos of a great ride or just to tell uswhat thoughts. [email protected].

Until next winter, have a great summer!

YA GOTTA DO, WHAT YOU GOTTA DO!

DRIFTSRICHARD KEHOE

PUBLISHER NOTES


YAMAHAINCHING HIGHERIn their first season of factory backed RockyMountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association(RMSHA) competition, Yamaha has beeninching higher on the mountain each andevery weekend. In just their second eventheld in Afton, Wyoming, Yamaha crackedthe top-ten, thus making the transfer to themain event. Getting the job done was CableWillford, who climbed the steep Afton slopeand gave the team a boost of momentum,with the World Championships in JacksonHole just weeks away. Check our websitefor updates on the world championship hillclimb and the progress of the Yamaha effortthis spring.

TUCKER IS FIM WORLDCHAMPIONYou can get all the inside details from our boy Tucker in thisissue’s Train Tracks, but if you lack the patience to flip deeperin the book, we can tell you T-Train was crowned worldchampion in Semigorje Russia. After three convincing motosin the 2012 FIM Snowcross World Championship event,where Tucker claimed two wins and a second; 12,000screaming Russian fans and throngs of media surroundedthe now, two-time world champion in celebration. The 2012journey marked Tucker’s third trip across the pond tocompete in the FIM Snowcross Championships, and the firsttime ever the event was held in Russia. Unlike the short, bigbump courses found in North America, the FIM/Russian trackwas much longer and incredibly grueling. According toHibbert, it was one of the most challenging race situations hehas ever encountered.

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TRIPLE BUNKIN’Gabe Bunke and his Bunke Racing crew, which included fellowdrivers Aaaron Christensen and Bobby Menne, won the prestigiousSoo I-500 this past February in what may have been one of the mostgrueling on record. This was the third win for Gabe, but no doubtone of the toughest. With ice conditions marginal at best at the startof the race, the 500-mile marathon saw track conditions go frombad to worse, with several mud and dirt laden stretches exposingthemselves by the close of the 9-plus hour affair. Bunke and crew,along with their 74 Autolite Polaris, held off the only other sled on thelead lap during the last 50 laps, and Christensen collected thecheckered with a winning time of 9 hours, 24 minutes and 36seconds. Congrats!

RADERREMEMBEREDSad news hit the snowmobile racing communitythis past February, when we learned of thepassing of long-time racing coordinator BillRader on February 20, 2012, after a courageousbattle with cancer. Rader was instrumental inthe development and success of both the Ski-Doo racing program during the 1990s, and laterwith the Polaris program, both in coordinationwith his best friend and race manager, TomRager Sr. Rader was known as a hard working,positive, and incredibly smart individual whoplayed a major role in the success of so manyracers and teams. According to Rager, hisspecialty was working with young talent, suchas father-son teams, and nurturing them to thenext level. Rader grew up in Michigan’s UpperPeninsula, and he developed an affinity forracing snowmobiles and stock cars; a love thatstuck with him to the end. A devoted familyman, Rader loved to restore old vehicles,including muscle cars and vintage race sleds.Rader is survived by his Wife Tammy andDaughter Dana. God’s Speed Bill.

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Get lost. Then found again.

Ready for Adventure


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JOANISSWEEPSCOCHRANEFor the first time ever, the CanadianSnowcross Racing Association (CSRA)regional tour visited Cochrane, Ontario,where fan favorite and perennial frontrunner David Joanis, swept the Pro Openranks, both Saturday and Sunday. Thelocal appeal of Joanis had the stands wellbeyond capacity, leaving latecomers withstanding room only vantage points. InPro-Lite it was Andre Gervais taking thewin on Saturday and Jeff Sanftenbergdoing the same on Sunday.

MONSTER OF A GIVEAWAY Thanks to some glad-handing from OSM guest columnistTucker Hibbert, the kids from Thief River Falls and theMonster Energy Drink crew settled down just long enoughto orchestrate a sweet contest. The grand prize is a newArctic Cat snowmobile, complete with replica Tuckergraphics, and if you don’t have the discomfort of ahorseshoe lodged somewhere on your body and miss outon the grand prize, you could still score one of 50 Hibbertsignature Spy Whip Goggles. One entry per person isallowed until April 30th, 2012. While shot-gunning cans ofMonster is not required, it is encouraged. Visitwww.monsterenergy.com for details.

CORN-HOLIOThe debate over increasing the standard ratio of corn based ethanol in today’s fuel from 10-percent to 15 wageson. While many small-performance engine manufacturers, such as snowmobile OEMs, have internal findingsthat show that increased levels of alcohol can be detrimental to the lifespan of such engines, the EnvironmentalProtection Agency feels differently. The EPA, along with the National Academy of Sciences, (NAS) is pushinghard to bump up the ratio to 15-percent as quickly as possible. However, legislation (H.R. 3199) introduced thispast February from U.S. Representative Sensenbrenner would require the EPA and NAS to conduct necessaryscientific and technical analysis on the ethanol blends before it hits the marketplace. Corn - it isn’t just foundat your local fair anymore.


25TH ANNUAL TORONTOINTERNATIONAL SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW!2012 Dates have been set for the The 25th Annual Toronto InternationalSnowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show! Mark your calendars for Oct 19 through21, 2012 for the world’s Largest Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show, takingplace at the Toronto International Centre. Planning has begun and the 25th yearwill bring the largest gathering of Powersports enthusiasts in the Show’s history.www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com

$25,000 WONDER FOR PJOval racing great PJ Wanderscheid tookhome a cool $25,000 cash for his consistentperformance in what many believe to be thelargest series payday in snowmobile racing.The 2012 TLR Cup features six oval events,spread across Minnesota, Wisconsin, andMichigan, with a total purse of a whopping$101,000…yeah baby! The Sauk Centre,Minnesota, Amsoil and Drift sponsored racergarnered the hefty payday with a win, twosecond place finishes and three top-fives.


PLATES FOR THE MANTELMaking their return to natural terrain racingafter a brief hiatus, Yamaha racers secureda set of four #1 plates in northernWisconsin’s COR Powersports CrossCountry Racing series. Leading the packwas veteran terrain racer Nathan Titus, whosecured the Pro-Overall championship.Other big wins for the tuning fork crewcame from Ben Lindbom, who won theSemi-Pro number one plate, as well as atag-team #1 plate earned by Titus and JakeJorgenson in the team competition.

DOO IS DOG CHAMPSki-Doo racers Marc McKenna and Dusty Van Meter won what many consider to beone of the most challenging snowmobile races on the planet, as they completed the2,031-mile Alaskan Iron Dog race in record time. Racing from Wasilla, Alaska to Nomeand then on to Fairbanks, the six-day race traverses extreme terrain, and subjectsriders and their sleds to extreme weather conditions and temperatures. Racingspecially prepared 600 E-TEC powered MXZ-X Ski-Doo buggies, the duo completedthe race in 35 hours, 39 minutes, which was a new course record. Even with the ruggedterrain and fuel stops, the team averaged an incredible 57mph.

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GOOD WOODCongrats to ourfriends atInternational

Engineering and Manufacturing Inc., ofHope, Michigan, makers of Woody’scarbide runners and studs. The traction andcontrol company was given props fromPolaris recently for both the quality and on-time delivery of their products. Woody’sis the exclusive supplier of production skirunners for big P.


AN EPIC ADVENTURE AWAITSCongrats to Jim MacDonald and Jason LaGamba, they were the two lucky winners of ourWhat’s Your Adventure contest sponsored by On Snow Magazine, Polaris, and QuebecTourism. With last year’s introduction of the new Polaris Adventure snowmobile fromPolaris, we teamed up with the kids from Polaris and the province of Quebec with theidea of hosting an epic adventure snowmobile ride fitting for their new performancetouring segment and specifically the Adventure model. Unfortunately, the winter that neverwas for many of us wasn’t having it, and the epic ride has been postponed until early nextseason. The good news is, both Jim and Jason will now have the opportunity to samplethe 2013 Polaris Adventure including the new limited edition 800 version. Watch for a fullreport on their ultimate adventure ride next season and also be on the look out for detailson our next What’s Your Adventure contest with our September issue.

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RIDER DOWNSUPPORT

Our friends atSlednecks alerted us toa tragic freestyleaccident earlier thiswinter, when DylanHarju over-rotated aback flip. The results ofthe miscue left Dylanwith a serious headinjury, and in criticalcondition. According tomore recent reports,

Dylan’s vitals are great, and doctors aremonitoring the injury to his brain, but there is notimetable for recovery at this point. As thesnowmobile community so often does, supportfor Dylan and his family has been tremendous,and you can do your part by purchasing a RiderDown t-shirt from Slednecks. All proceeds fromthe sale of these tees will go to help Dylan andhis family. Visit www.slednecks.com to get yours.

BACKCOUNTRYPRIMERWant to rip it in the mountain backcountry, or maybe just feel a whole lotmore comfortable? Seasoned mountain rider and all-around good girlAmber Holt has launched a backcountry riding course, aptly namedBackcountry Basics, featuring new 2013 Arctic Cat M-Series buggies.Amber has tremendous experience and her short, but extremely wellexecuted two-hour training sessions will take place in West Yellowstone,Montana through the end of March. Arctic Cat dealers, customers, or fansof backcountry riding are encouraged to sign-up and get your ride on withone of the best backcountry instructors on snow. You can email Amber [email protected] or better yet call at 509-733-6464.

TREMBLAYAND KAMMON TOPWith only one race weekend remaining as ofthis writing, on the International Series ofChampions (ISOC) national snocross tour, theyear-end Pro-Open championship is TimTremblay’s to loose. The Ski-Doo racer chargedto the top of the pack late in the season, whileat the same time, title contender Ross Martinstruggled with on track miscues andmechanical gremlins. The result is acomfortable lead coming into the final tworaces that will be nearly insurmountable toovercome, barring a major mishap by Tremblay.The same situation is in place for Pro-Liteleader Kody Kamm, (Polaris) who has beendominating the field all season long, and merelyneeds to ride smart while in Lake Geneva inorder the leave the southern Wisconsin localewith the 2012 Pro-Lite championship in hand.


613-489-5297 jawsperformance.com

Pipes Pipes SilencersSilencersPipes

SilencersArctic CatPolarisSki-DooYamaha

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DOG GONE GOOD RIDEWhile Polaris failed to win this winter’s famed, Iron DogSnowmobile Race across Alaska, they did spread plenty ofgoodwill ahead of the race, thanks to a team of Polaris“Ambassadors” who rode the entire route with the Trail-classteams. This was all in an effort to promote the race andthank the residents and groups in the remote towns andvillages, who host and volunteer for the race each winter.Pictured left to right are: Dan Zipay - five time winner of theIron Dog, Evan Booth – winner of the race in 1993 and 1994on a Polaris, Lt. Col. Joseph Lawendowski of the AlaskaNational Guard, and Mike Bedard - Polaris SnowmobileEngineering Manager.

GOOD GADE GETS GREATWhile nearly every snowmobile magazine and a few fly-by-night websites have achance to ride and photograph all the new models during the industry Snow Shootevent, which was held this past March in West Yellowstone, Montana, the On Snowcrew did one better. With the decals still warm and the powder coat fresh, we hadthe opportunity to ride the new 2013 Ski-Doo Renegade X model, complete with newXS bodywork and 137-inch r-Motion suspension, for an extended weekend rally. Youcan check out the “Twenty-13” feature elsewhere in this issue to learn about thedetails, but after logging nearly 350 miles, we can assuredly mark the new XSRenegade X as a crossover class winner next winter. Just as r-Motion transformedthe already terrain champ MXZ-X into an even more dominant version of its formerself, the stretched 137-inch version does so to an even greater degree. Our particularunit was equipped with the Quick Adjust system, and once we dialed in the rear skid, the “longer” r-motion suspension deliveredan even better ride than its short track sibling. The new rear suspension seems to give the Renegade greater balance thanpreviously, although the larger and slightly more aggressive track contact area found on the Renegade did deliver a slight hint ofunwanted push in tight trails, compared to the 2012 MXZ-X that accompanied us. Most impressive is the rising rate skid’s abilityto deliver a controlled and comfortable ride, with little to no adjustment. What’s more, the new XS chassis delivers a few, muchwelcomed additions, most notable being the heated, easy access glove box; a standard temp gauge, which proved handy whileriding on icy, early morning spring trails; and the LED taillight that glowed brightly through dense, late night snow dust.

NEW CAT HELMSMANComing from a strong business background, Tracy Crockerrepresents the latest warm body to join Thief River Falls basedmanufacturer, Arctic Cat. After splitting the roles andresponsibilities of their snowmobile and off-road divisions intotwo separate internal business units, Cat ringleader ClaudeJordan has been hiring new leadership to steer the feline ship.Crocker will join Arctic Cat as the Vice President/GeneralManager of the ATV division (this includes Arctic’s side-by-sideofferings such as the Wildcat). Tracy previously worked withEcolab, Nabisco, and Pepsi Cola companies, and graduatedfrom the University of Iowa. No word on Crocker’s off-road/powersports experience, but we’re sure he will get hisfeet muddy in the coming months. Welcome!

© 2012 TUCKER HIBBERT

The Offi cial 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 Offi cial Merchandise Booth at an ISOC National Snocross event.

+ VISIT TUCKER-HIBBERT.COM AND CLICK THE SHOP LINK

NOW SHIPPING TO USA, CANADA, ICELAND, NORWAY, SWEDEN, FINLAND, DENMARK AND UNITED KINGDOM.$25 US DOLLARS

PODIUM TESTED, TUCKER APPROVED.

TUCKER HIBBERT TEAM MONSTER ENERGY / ARCTIC CAT PODIUM HAT2012


This early Bolens Hus-Ski awokefrom its ‘long’ slumber, just oneday prior, according to its proudowner. This is two-up riding atits finest folks.

A modern day interpretationof Little Red Riding Hoodand the Big Bad Wolf.

MELGEORGES CLASSICANTIQUE SLED RACE

ACCESSON SNOW MAGAZINE

SCENE IT?Some things are classic, some are just old, but Melgeorges26th Annual Antique and Classic Snowmobile Race has some-thing for both, and everything in between. Held on the shoresof Elephant Lake in far northern Minnesota, the annual eventcombines the elements of go, with a Le Mans style, timed raceand a drag race; and plenty of show, with a parade lap andjudged classes that includes awards for best hat and best “rat”sled. Throw in some live music, raffle prizes and good eats,and resort owners Carla and Steve Koch have all the makingsfor an epic day on snow.

Little Johnny soon learned theconsequences of inertia.

An Autoboggan puttingdown some pureWisconsin power to thesnowpack, and “owning”the two-up Sno Pony.

Blistering speeds caused themeticulous hood repair on thisbuggy to flake from speed stress.


The hidden retreat known as Melgeorges has been inoperation for 75 years, but remains an off-the-beatenpath gem in Minnesota’s northwoods.

Father Patrick O’ Flaherty steeredclear of the green sprits just longenough to make a parade lap.

A mint Sno-Bunny in full hop.

Kenny Chesney rallieda purple metal-flakeScorpion to near, sub60-second times.

OSM’s own daily commuter pulled offan impressive Burt Reynolds and out-smarted Sheriff Buford T. Justice,aboard his red Super Stinger.

Ceelo Green’s whitecounterpart tore it up onthis vintage Mustang.

If Starsky and Hutch rode sleds… these would be their rides.

Poor suspension calibrations resulted in both poorposture and stiff backsides by day’s end.

Finely tuned equipment was the norm at Melgeorges.


DAM! One last ride is "DAM" impressive.

VIEW AT WWW.OSMMAG.COMSKIP TO MY LOULive, Skip, and Laugh like a 12-year-old school girl.

VIEW AT WWW.OSMMAG.COM

DIRTYDRAWERSNever, ever wear yourbest board shorts while skipping.


O'ER DA FALLSA barrel and Niagara has nothing on these foreign thrill seekers.


2 UP.2 DOWN.These 2 lads do the polarplunge snowmobile style.


Spring has sprung and with it comes lastrides, spring storms, long sunny days,water, and throttle jockeys looking tomake the biggest splash. You got a favorite online snowmobile video you think will make the cutand appear in a future issue of On Snow Magazine? Let us know. Sendus the link along with your contact information to: [email protected] and you could score the same OSM t-shirt worn by our snowmobilepaparazzi shooters.

Marketer Shows, OSM, Richard Kehoe Productions, Inc. or Patrick J. Bourgeois and its affiliates are notresponsible for the content or actions of others in these videos. The comments expressed and the activitiesperformed in these videos do not reflect the opinions and position of Richard Kehoe Productions, Inc., MarketerShow, OSM or Patrick J. Bourgeois and its affiliates and is no way an endorsement of such comments or activities.

SPRING AHEADVIEW ALL THESE BY VISITING WWW.OSMMAG.COMAND CLICKING ON THE CRUISING YOUTUBE BANNER


TRAIN TRACKS

When I first got the news that theFIM Snowcross World Champi-onship would be held in Russia

this year, I would be lying if I said Iwasnʼt a l i t t le nervous. Deep, darkRussia…wasnʼt it not too long ago thatAmericans werenʼt welcome in thecountry? Iʼm no history buff, but knowenough to understand some seriousstuff went down between the UnitedStates and Russia. Fortunately, mynerves were quickly soothed once Istarting talking to the SGN Group, theArctic Cat distributor for both Finlandand Russia.

The sport of snowmobiling has reallytaken off in Russia over the past couple

years. In fact, Russians are fired-up, notjust over snowmobiles, but snowmobileracing as well. Once the WorldChampionship was scheduled, Iimmediately starting getting emails andphone calls about the event. I knew it wasgoing to be a big step for the sport ofsnocross and I would be crazy to miss it.

This is the third year in a row Iʼveraced the World Championship, andracing overseas has been the biggestchallenge of my career. As a team, wehave to pick and choose the mostimportant items to ship to the event. Thisyear, I was allowed to send twosnowmobiles and one crate full of gearand supplies. Itʼs a serious game of

TUCKER HIBBERT

FUR-COVERED, RACE-CRAZED RUSSIANS

On race day, I signed almost 400 posters in 30minutes at the Arctic Cat tent. This pic was snappedafter I was nearly trampled by a crowd of fur-covered,race-crazed Russians. Once I sat down, all I saw washands grabbing posters. No lines in Russia! After a

few minutes of chaos, it calmed down…a little.

After nearly a seven-hour drive northeast ofMoscow we arrived in Semigorje. The racetrack

was next to a resort on a big river. We setup campthere for the week. Evgeny from Arctic Cat’s

Moscow office kept telling me there were bears allover. Thankfully the only one I saw was stuffed in

the corner of the restaurant.

I have never seen so much media coverage at asnowmobile event. This was the fourth and final

press conference of the event. The future ofsnocross looks bright in Russia.

Our first stop in Russia was the infamous RedSquare. Here we are trying to smile in sub-zero

temps in front of St. Basil’s Cathedral. This placeand the entire city of Moscow are intense.

After the race, the fans and media rushed thepodium area. I think my dad had to throw up his

elbows a few times to make it to me.


strategy thatʼs scary, yet exciting at thesame time. How the heck am I supposedto pack everything I need to race intoone crate? Itʼs easy to take for grantedhaving a big, heated race shop, equippedwith every tool and machine you couldever need. But the shop situation aside, Ithink the biggest kicker is the pit set-up.Here in North America, I get to roll to theraces in a semi, loaded with spare partsand supplies. Unfortunately, the MonsterEnergy/Arctic Cat team transporter wonʼtfit in a crate; trust me, I tried.

The World Championship is a seriousteam effort. Although only three peopletravel with me from the US to the event,there are somewhere between 20-30people working on the project, all over theworld. The SGN Group played a huge rolein helping us arrange everything fromtranslators, to parts and tools. TheMonster Energy UK office stepped up witha communications/PR team and on-ground support. I donʼt have a picture ofmy Monster buddies who drove a supportvan and trailer all the way from Sweden tothe race in Russia, so I need to give thema shout out. Bill and Jesper - you guys aregnarly! Mission impossible complete!

Itʼs no secret that my Dad is a mastersled tuner. That, combined with his

passion for adventures into the unknown,makes him the perfect guy to have atraces overseas. Between him and Rob, Ithink they can fix any problem. Plus, theyalways make me laugh.

Lucky for me, my wife Mandi does akiller job organizing logistics. Itʼs probablyher biggest project of the race season.For months, she woke up in the middle ofthe night, making phone calls andemailing people, organizing shipments,paperwork, travel, etc. She always hasour schedule dialed.

I could fill this whole magazine with thedetails of our adventure, but these photoswill have to do. Overall, it was one of themost challenging, exciting, and rewardingraces of my entire career - proof positivethat hard work pays off! ✪

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The racetrack was huge. The day of the World Championship, I clockedover 70 minutes of race time on this bad boy. It had everything fromhuge X Games style jumps to technical rhythms to high-speed sectionswith braking bumps. With over a 1:30 lap-time, it was more like anational outdoor motocross track than a typical snocross track.

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Michael Jordan, Jeremy McGrath,Parks Bonifay, and Travis Pastranaare just a few of the many people I

am a fan of. From the Air Jordan shoes Iwore all through school, to havingeverything associated with JeremyMcGrath, (from his helmet to the samekind of dirt bike he had) to getting my firstwake board, which had to be a Parks

Bonifay pro model board, even though Icould have taped a 2”x 4” on my feet andnot known the difference. Of course, I canʼtleave out Travis Pastrana; as most youcan guess, Travis had a huge influence onme when it comes to going big.

Fortunately, Iʼve been able to meet andhang out with many of my childhoodheroes, except MJ, but being as tall asMichael, he might not see me if we didever meet, ha ha! Despite no MJ hook-up,Iʼve hung with Jeremy, Parks, and Travismultiple times, and still to this day, I think tomyself, “Holy moly, Iʼm talking with JeremyMcGrath.” I often have to tell myself tocalm down and breathe.

The first time I met Travis and Jeremywas in 2006, when we all went to Austriafor the Erzburg off-road dirt bike rally. Ispent a week literally pinching myself,wondering if what I was experiencing was

real or I was dreaming, as I rode bikes andhung out with them like it was no big deal.From that trip, Travis and the Nitro Crewinvited me to film with them in Utah laterthat summer. While in Utah, I learned howto backflip a BMX bike into Ogioʼs foam pit.Of course, once Travis heard that, hewasnʼt about to let me go home withoutflipping a dirt bike! So the next day Travistells me Iʼm going to flip a dirt bike. Hedidnʼt ask me if Iʼd like to or if I wanted totry, he simply said that was what I wasgoing to do. What do you say to someonelike Pastrana, other than, “I guess so.”

Scared to death, I went for a backflip ona 450cc dirt bike. After a couple tries, I wasable to ride away from it, landing my firstever backflip on anything! From that pointforward, my mind opened up from “Iʼm aracer” to “Hey, what if I tried this, orwouldnʼt it be awesome to do this!” Inshort, the possibilities of where I could takemy career opened up and it has led me tofreestyle, double flipping, distancejumping, and host of other random, off-the-


Hea

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A couple of future pros or X Games competitors?

Penning autographs after a heat race.

Super stoked to be chilling with Pastrana.

Throwing some love with Bonifay.

WINGING IT WITH LEVI

FANtasticLEVI LAVALLEE


wall things. For that, I need to throwPastrana a high-five for making me do thatflip. Without his encouragement andconfidence in me, I would have neverattempted that very first flip. Without that

flip, I may have never taken the path I did,and would have missed out on all the funand crazy things I have been a part of!

I could go on and on about the cooltimes I have had, and being able to hangwith some of my heroes. From being ableto help Parks Bonifay flip a mini bike intomy foam pit, or to having Jeremy McGrathshow me some bike skills after Icartwheeled down a hill in Austria, eachone is an incredible memory and ajumping point for something new in myown career and life. But enough aboutthem, lets talk about you, the fans.

I canʼt say enough good things aboutmy fans that have followed me over theyears. Your encouragement is whatmotivates me to go bigger or race harder,and because of that, I try to give back andgive a shout out, throw a high five, or signa few more autographs whenever I can. Ihave been fortunate enough to meet someamazing people that I was a fan of, andthey have forever shaped my life. Itʼs forthat reason I am so genuinely excited tomeet you and talk to you, and hopefully, Ican make the experience as cool as whenI met Jeremy and Travis for the first time.Have a great summer, and weʼll see you inthe fall. ✪

TeamLaVallee.com

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Throwing out a few high fives to the fans at Duluth.

Just keep eating right buddy and you’ll fill that helmet.

This guy wanted anautograph so bad, hemade me sign his head!

If I look a little star struck, it’sbecause I am. Hanging withthe man, Jeremy McGrath.


✪11

Icanʼt believe I am writ ing the finalcolumn for the season already. Seemslike it was just yesterday we were all

praying for snow and the season wasjust beginning. Unfortunately, manyareas are still praying for the snow thatnever showed this year. But we aresnowmobilers, and we will persevere.Hopefully, it just means we will get tentimes more snow next year, right? For aslittle snow that most of the continentalU.S. got, I think Alaska must have takenit all. I have never seen so much snow inAlaska this time of year ever. We aregoing to be riding into July at this rateand I am stoked! Spring is my favoritet ime of year. So, i f you didnʼt get achance to ride, load the family up andheard north. We have more than enoughsnow to go around!

It is hard to believe we are a couplemonths into a new year. It blows my mindhow fast time flies these days. I wasfortunate to be asked to be the residentsnowmobile expert at Winter X Gamesagain this year, and the l ive onsite

announcer. There was a ton of hype thisyear with all the talk of the double backflip, and the possibilities of the mind-blowing front flip.

Freestyle definitely did not disappointthis year. The Moore Brothers were on

point, my teammate Cory Davis threwhis r id iculous whips, Joe Parsonsdefinitely showed he had been trainingand threw down some amazing runs,Gator Wrestler included. Unfortunately,my buddy Justin Hoyer got left out ofthe medal round because of the oddformat they used this year. I wasbummed, as I know how much time heput into preparing. I donʼt make the rules;however, I just get to talk about them.

Best trick was really where theanticipation was stemming from. Frisby letthe media know that he would be trying afront flip, and Hoyer would be trying adouble back flip; both totally insane tricks,especially on a sled. I have to say I wassuper nervous for everyone in best trick.Itʼs so much easier to be a competitor thana spectator in my mind. Unfortunately,Hoyer under rotated his double and cameoh so close, but instead left Winter X witha broken arm and leg - pretty dang lucky,but a bummer nonetheless. Heath waslast to go, and barely gave any warning ashe hucked himself into the history books.He defied physics and gravity, andstomped the first-ever, front flip on asnowmobile. It was really great to seeFrisby put an exclamation point on whathas already been an amazing career. Hetruly is an innovator.

Aside from X Games, Iʼve been plentybusy with other things, including being a

FOR THE RECORDPAUL THACKER

BACK ON OUR FEETphoto by Todd Williams

photo by NoStyle Productions


part of the Iron Dog start in Alaska, tobeing a part of the Polaris dealer meetingin Orlando, FL. The line up of new Polarissleds is badass; seems they are reallydoing it right these days. But I digress,even with all of these things going on, Ihave found time to start something thathopefully, is going to be able to make ahuge impact, not only on snowmobiling,but action sports in general. I would liketo introduce the Paul Thacker SpinalCord Recovery Foundation.

I am sure by now, that most of you areaware I was injured a little over a yearago and have lost the use my legs (atleast for now, Iʼm still working my ass offto regain mobility). With that said, I reallyhave not let it slow me down. While it hasmost certainly changed my life, I still doall the things I loved before my injury.The way I figure it, if I can do it, so cananyone. Some just need a little push andsomething to believe to make it happen.That push is the basic premise behindthe new Paul Thacker RecoveryFoundation, in helping with the recoveryof athletes with spinal cord injuries. Thecost of rehabilitation and treatment isinsanely expensive, and more often thannot, insurance barely scratches the

surface when it comes to covering theseexpenses. With the foundation, I hope toreach out to the action sports communityin order to help some of our athletes getback on their feet.

The plan is to not only assist withmedical expenses, but to put some ridesand events together to bring otherinjured people together to share storiesand provide motivation. It ʼs really aunique opportunity to give back to anindustry that has given so much to meover the years. I think with the help of thesnowmobiling community, the sky truly isthe limit. For more information you cancheck out the Foundation website apt11.net or email me directly [email protected]. Itʼs going tobe HUGE!!

As I finish up here I would like to thankall of my sponsors; everyone who hasstuck by me this past year; all the fansthat have wished me well; and my family,both my personal family and snowmobilecommunity family. Itʼs been a tough roadat times, and Iʼm not sure I could havegotten through with flying colors withoutyou. Much appreciated.

Until next year, keep ripping!! ✪

www.paulthacker11.com

Twitter.com/paulthacker11

FIND ME ON FACEBOOK!

photo by NoStyle Productions


FRISBY’S FRONTAL LOBEPhotos: SCSunlimited.com


The snowmobile front flip at this year’s ESPN Winter X Gameswill undoubtedly becomesynonymous with Middleton,Idaho rider Heath Frisby.

While Heath was already regarded as one of the bestfreestyle riders in the sport, with six prior X-Games medalsto his name, the epic front flip at Winter X 2012, cementedhim as one of the best ever and will forever tag him as oneof the sport’s most influential and progressive riders. Wecaught up to the always smiling Frisby not long after hisgold medal performance to find out what was going oninside his head as he stared down the front flip ramp.


You’ve been a competitor at Winter XGames for what six years now. Youwere already regarded as one of thebest freestyle riders - what wasdifferent about this year?I think that landing the first front flip on asnowmobile has made me stand out moreas an innovative rider. I have always been atop three rider and someone who has beenpushing the sport from its conception, butthis just makes me stand out a little morefrom the pack.

It seems that after Levi nearly stuckthe double backflip a few years back,or when the Moore brothers did theirimpromptu two-up flip, the scope of XGames changed?It did change; with double flips and bodyvariables, it showed this was no longer asport for sand baggers. You have to bringeverything you can and push the limits ofwhat is comfortable, in order to stand out.

How did you come up with the idea ofa front flip?I wanted to win, and I knew a double flipwas coming, so my trick had to be at least afront flip or some sort of crazy body variable.Iʼm too fat and too old for a body variable, sofront flip it was, ha ha!

Did people in the snowmobilecommunity think you were nuts to try it?I received several comments that I wasgoing to die and this and that. What peopledon't understand is that we practice thetricks we are attempting for months on endbefore Winter X. I wonʼt do anything unless Ifeel I can land it.

How do you even practice or getyour mind in the right place to trysuch a thing?Getting my mind in the right place for thefront flip was really hard. I was fortunate tohave a great bunch of people behind me.Joe Parsons and I trained the entire wintertogether, and I really could not have done itwithout him and his familyʼs help. Theywere there every day with me, all the waytill the end.

How long did you work on the front flip?Joe (Parsons) and I worked on the trick forabout two months straight. We had to videoevery jump, change the ramp, change thingson the sled, and change how I positioned mybody, over and over. It was a lot of hard work.

The chatter just before you attemptedthe trick was that you had only landedit in a foam pit, and never on snow?That is true; the big snow landing at XGames was the first time I did the trick tosnow. Joe and I decided that it was toodangerous to attempt before. If I tried itbefore and got hurt I'm just another guytalking about how he wants to do a front flip.If I went to X Games and crashed like EvelKnievel trying it, at least I would get somesort of recognition for the trick.

It sounds like Joe (Parsons) played ahuge roll in helping you develop andnail the trick. Who else worked with youbehind the scenes to make it happen?I had the whole Parsons gang withme…Joe, Bailey Parsons, (Joeʼs wife) WildBill and Polly, (Joeʼs parents) Carl, and otherclose friends of the Parsons family. I alsohad my good friend Clow, my fiancé Linnae,and my entire family there, offering support.It was really nice having everyone aroundme while working on this trick. I couldnʼthave done it without them. Plus, the guys atMonster, Ski-Doo, and Slednecks werealways there behind the scenes too.

I think for most of us, we would havehit the brakes before even gettingclose to the ramp, no matter howmuch we practiced the trick in a foampit. What goes through your mindbefore you hit the ramp, and how doyou keep your emotions in check?It's really emotional and sometimesoverwhelming; you try to focus and you tryto just remember your training. Itʼs all youhave and you have to believe in it or you will crash.

Landing that trick at Winter X musthave changed things for youconsiderably since then? It really hasn't considerably changedanything. I still have the same greatsponsors and friends around me, and wewill continue to push the sport together, andhave fun doing it.

What’s next for Heath Frisby?I'm not sure. You will just have to wait and see.

FRISBY’S FRONTAL LOBE

T W E N T Y


'13BY PAT BOURGEOIS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NEXT YEAR’S SLEDS NOW

Peel back the bold new graphics from the latest cropof snowmobiles for 2013 and youʼll soon learn thebar has been raised once again in terms of

technology, comfort, ride, and handling. From the forwardand twisted thinking of the flexible t-Motion skidframefound in the new Summit models and the dramatic impactthe Tuner ski has to the Yamaha fold; to the return of theIndy nameplate in the Polaris stable and the testosteroneladen race replica RR model from Cat, thereʼs plenty todigest. Here are twenty that top our first look list.



Holding a Tune

Who would have ever predicted thatthe lowly, stamped steel ski fromyesteryear would eventually become thesophisticated, extruded hunk of plasticthat it is today? Available in a seeminglyendless assortment of shapes andcolors, development of the modern daysnowmobile runner is one partengineering know-how and one partvoodoo witchcraft. The kids at Yamahahave been dabbling in the dark scienceof ski designs for over a decade, and themoving target of the perfect runner hasbecome increasingly difficult to hit, asrider forward and more forward biasedweight distribution have come into play.The new Tuner Dual-Keel Ski fromYamaha attempts to find that perfectbalance of positive bite, light steeringeffort, and minimal darting, al l in apackage that is predictable in a widevariety of conditions. Just as the name

implies, the new ski features a dual keeldesign with a sl ightly angled edgebetween the two keels to reduce thepossibility of packing snow between thetwo keels. Whatʼs more, the ski can betuned for riding style and conditions byselecting from four wear bar styles; fromno carbide to an ultra aggressive, squarehost bar and 6-inches of sharpenedinsert. By mixing and matching thesecombinations, you can customizehandling traits for individual preference.The new Tuner ski also shaves one-pound (each) over the previous 8HVrunner. The new Tuner is stock goods onall trail Nytro models and will be availableas an accessory as well.

King’sJewels

Gas is your friend, and the kids fromPolaris are staying on it when it comes totheir dominating line of purpose builtmountain sleds, aptly named the RockyMountain King (RMK). For 2013, thePolaris RMK line receives the most newtech from the Roseau maker and in theprocess, sheds more pounds. The topeye-popper for technology isundoubtedly the new cog-belt drivesystem, replacing the traditional oil-bathchaincase. A concept employed byleading aftermarket shops in the west forsome time now, Polaris becomes the firstOEM to uti l ize the l ightweight andsimplistic approach. Dubbed theQuickDrive, the system is more than

gears and a belt drive; it also includes anextruded aluminum drive shaft andlightweight brake assembly. In total, thesystem delivers a claimed weight savingsof 6.5-pounds and a 21% reduction inrotational inertia. Thatʼs fancy-speak,meaning the sled should be even easierto flick in the deep stuff. Other goodsfound on the premium 2013 RMK modelsare new Powder Trac extruded runningboards that offer big hole, cheese graterclean out with improved strength; a supershort seat that makes a road bike seatlook comfortable; new light-weightbonded aluminum-end A-arms; and moreemployment of carbon fiber, most notablythe tubes in the steering over-structure.All in, and the new 2013 800 Pro RMK800 is said to tip the scales at a svelte417-pounds.

TWENTY '13 • WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S SLEDS NOW!

1

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The 2013 Apex gets sassy with a newwhite and red dip. Same stunning powerand buttery smooth steering returns.


The Emperor’s New Clothes

Whether you deem it dramatic or subtle, the new plasticadorning Ski-Dooʼs premium mountain and performancesnowmobiles represents the next generation REV in what isnow a 10-plus year success story. When the first rider forwardRev hit the snow pack in 2003, few could have envisioned theimpact the somewhat awkward looking sled would have uponthe industry. The new look Rev named the Rev-XM or Rev-XS,depending upon the application, looks to infuse greaterspecialization; improved performance; better ergonomics; easierserviceablilty; and most importantly, continued loyalty to theindustry leader. Unlike the previous XP and REV side panels,the new version can be painted for greater variations andshowroom appeal… Bling Baby.

Cross Dressing

It didnʼt take long for Arctic Cat to recognize the new marketniche tapped by Polaris last season with the Adventure. Withperformance touring in their roots, (it was Cat who practicallyinvented the touring and performance luxury segment, datingback to the 1977 Pantera) it was really no surprise that Catresponded with a pair of new XF models, appropriately namedthe Cross Tour. Available in normally aspirated 1100 power andthe stooooopid fast turbo version, (would you expect anythingless from the kings of speed) the Cross Tour adds longdistance and luxury features to the mix, such as a standardgoggle bag, rear storage rack, electric heated seat and mirrors.Calibrated in the more trail friendly LXR package with FOXZero Pro ski and front arm shocks, perhaps the best feature ofthe new Cross Tour Cat sleds is the removable two-up seat,available through Catʼs extensive accessory offering. Similar toSki-Dooʼs plus one seat, the new passenger bun will allowfuture Cross Tour owners to quickly transform their snowmobileinto a two-up tourer.


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Mix in aSalad

Seems the crew in Hamamatsu haveset down the pound cake and reachedfor the vegetables when the snackcravings hit this past off-season.Criticized in the past for being too slow toreact to market demands or refineexisting models in their line-up, the baseFX Nytro has lost 10-pounds for the newmodel year by cutting out between mealsnacks and doing the little things thatmatter. While we might not see the Nytrowearing any skinny jeans comparable tothose found on two-stroke models in thenear future, a combination of new TunerSkis (2.2lbs), HPG rear shocks (1lb), RipSaw II track (1lb), HPG front coil overshocks (2.5lbs) and thin membranewindshield (1.1lbs) has the scale pointingin the right direction…south.

Round for the Bar

Finally… those clumsy bend bars, withthe even more awkward, add-on hookedbar ends have followed the Dodo birdinto the Polaris twilight. New, one-piecehandlebars will find their way onto manyPolaris performance trail sleds for 2013including the Rush, Switchback andAdventure models. Not only did we findthe older bars to be an ergonomicnightmare, but the after-thought, curvedbar ends were both cold and delivered aharsh transition point where the insertmet the bar. The new, one-piece designforced Polaris to also develop a new, splitperch throttle block. The new bars will

offer improved control and addedcomfort, with heater elements extendingto the very end of the bar - Hooray!

TwistedThinking

Remember the days when torsionalrigidity and stiffness were the buzz wordseveryone was touting? Forget about it, atleast when talking about the new,dramatically redesigned Summit modelsfrom Ski-Doo and specifically, the newtMotion rear suspension. Looking to

make their Summit models easier to ride,and specifically easier to lay over or holda side-hill line in the powder, Ski-Dooengineers have stretched the boundaries(or should we say twisted?) ofconventional thinking with the newtMotion rear suspension. Unlike aconventional skidframe, where the railsare encouraged to work in tandem, thetMotion allows the rails to workindependently, within a relatively smallwindow. Trough the use of a triangulatedrear-arm with a ball-swivel and a splitfront arm with oval tubing, the rearsuspension can flex from side to side byas much as 4-degrees each way. Thenew suspension is mated to a newFlexedge track, featuring shortenedreinforcing rods that terminate at the trackwindow; this will allow the outer 2-inchesof the track to flex more freely. Ski-Doo isbetting these two technologies, working intandem, will result in a much-improveddeep snow Summit and subsequently,boosted sales in the west.


5

6

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With new Tuner skis and a1.75-inch lug track, the newNytro XTX could very well beone of the most versatilebuggies on snow next winter.

Lots of changes are found with thenew XM Summit series from Ski-doo.We were skeptical at first, but theradical new t-Motion skidframe ismore than hype…it works!


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ViagraTuned RR

Wanna be racers rejoice, the new for2013 F800 Sno Pro RR delivers an exactcopy of this past winterʼs Team Arctic racesled, just like those pounding terrain in theUnited States Cross-Country (USCC)circuit, but with monster truck power of800 cubes under hood. Dressed in thesame, split personality graphic packagefound on the current racer, the new RRmodel will incorporate every nuance of therace sled, right down to the race versionSlide-Action rear suspension with 7-position coupling and cross countrycalibrations. If you truly ride hard, drive apickup truck with oversize tires and neonglow tubes, or your ego is simply too bigto listen to your more practical side, the160-horespower RR is your 2013 buggy.

Kit No More

While the 1.75 Track Kit, released mid-way through this past winter for the NytroXTX, may have inadvertently slippedunder the radar with little fanfare, itʼs backfor an encore in 2013 as a stand-alonemodel. While it may seem simple, thesubtle and much improved nuances ofthe new XTX could very easily make thisthe most significant model in Yamahaʼs

8 9

The turbo option returns for2013 on the Nytro MTX.While not factory, the price istoo damn good to ignorewhile spring ordering.



lineup for 2013. While there has beenmuch debate on the true, real-world useof any crossover sled, (on-trail versus off-trail) the new XTX with its “tweener” trackis hoping to offer the best of both worldswith few compromises and plenty ofversatility. In addition to the Backcountry1.75” lug track, the new XTX also comesequipped with new extrovert drivers; side-mounted auxiliary heat exchangers forimproved cooling; the new Tuner ski;HPG front shocks; and new dual controlhand and thumb warmers.

More Steer, Less Effort

Yet another new ski will debut in 2013;this time found on most Polaris trail

performance models. Called the Pro-Steer, (no word yet if a pro license will berequired to turn them) the new skifeatures a reshaped keel that positionsless carbide and keel behind the spindle,which in turn will reduce steering effort.Other changes include addit ionalstructural ribs on the topside to increasestiffness for improved precision, andtraction bosses for boot grip in deepsnow “stuck” situations.

rMotion Crosses Over

Yeah, last year we dug the rMotionsuspension, found nestled inside thetunnel of Ski-Dooʼs premium trailperformance buggies. Heck, even afterdissing the fancy tunnel mounted knobslast spring, we found our grubby pawsfondling the big cranks from time to time

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same mistake again as we look tomassage the new rMotion knobs that willgrace premium Renegade models for2013. Proving a rising rate suspensioncan be stuffed under the tunnel and workamazingly well, we might add, the sameskid gets slightly stretched in order tosupport the 137” track found on theRenegade X, Backcountry, BackcountryX, and Adrenaline models.

An EasierClimb

After an impressive debut in 2012,with a new chassis and a host of newmodels, 2013 marks the year ofrefinement for Arctic Cat, and nowhere isthat more evident than in their M-Seriesof mountain/deep snow sleds. For 2013,Arctic looks to improve the handling andergonomics of the M-Series bynarrowing the ski-stance to 38/39-inches, (save the M800 HCR) comparedto last winterʼs 40/41-inch version. Thenarrowed stance should allow the Cat tobe more nimble in the pow, making iteasier to initiate and hold a roll turn. Inaddition, a new vertical steering post onfour-stroke turbo models will join themuch loved telescopic steering post

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found on last yearʼs M800. Lastly, dualsteering holes in ProClimb spindles, willgive riders a tighter turning radius choice.

Kid Happy

As the only manufacturer in the mix tonot offer a 120, pint-sized snowmobile forits young faithful, the new SRX 120 willbe long awaited and much welcomedaddition to the Yamaha fold in 2013.Similar to other ankle biter buggies ofdifferent colors, the Yamaha version ispowered by a governed four-stroke milldisplacing 123cc and garnering a topspeed in stock trim, near 8 miles-per-hour. However, unlike others, this onehas a production motor that matches the

makerʼs decals on the hood. Producedby an industrial power division, residingunder the gigantic Yamaha MotorCompany umbrella, the little four-strokemill delivers about 4-horsepower in stocktrim, with much more on tap once tunerdads open their wallets and let the motorbreathe. If youʼre thinking youʼve seenthis particular 120 dipped in a differenthue…youʼre right.

Indy is Back The old saying goes, “You canʼtkeep a good man down,” and

when talking Polaris snowmobiles, fewwill argue there were any better than theoriginal “square-jawed” Indy. In keepingtrue with those words, the Indy is finallyback for 2013. The original thrived on asimple premise of keep it simple and

1314

The Indy is back andafter four days of ridingwe found the Indy to ridebetter, handle better, andperform better than themore hyped Rush. Thisone is a winner.

PRESENT YOUR PPSC MEMBERSHIP AND RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT

make it work. Perhaps no other sled inthe history of the sport has a strongeraffinity, and more past owners than theIndy, and Polaris is hoping those oldflames wil l reignite into a newrelationship with the 2013 Indy 600 orIndy 600 Sp. Borrowing upon thosesimplistic principles from the early Indy,the new look version melds thesurprisingly appropriate, squared line ofthe Pro-Ride chassis and cowling, with atraditional tunnel and rear suspensioncombination, and wraps it all up withproven and dependable 600 CleanfireLiberty power. Both feature flashbackminimal graphics on classic black, withthe “Special” version featuring upgradedFOX shocks on all corners and moresplashes of color.

Price Check Aisle 13

While the manufactures typicallykeep retail prices mum until after theirrespective dealer meetings, Ski-Doowas eager to share the price of two,price point models with us as early asmid January. With the economy still inrecovery mode, the yellow giant is


15

Wraps galore are available for the Ski-dooFreeride once again, but the base olivedrab dip is a looker in person as well.

• Billet Wheels

• Billet Wheelswith replaceable rubber

• Snowflap savers

• Gas Caps

• Custom Riser’s

• Billet pull cord handles & choke levers

• Offset & re-location axles

• Big Wheel kits

• Billet grills & Snowflap plates



looking to make some noise in 2013,with two sleds at garage sale pricing.This fall, you can visit your local Doodealer and pick up a 2013 MXZ Sportwith 600 carb power for just $6999 US or$7649 Canadian. If deep snow is yourfancy, thereʼs a blue light special flashinghere as well, with a Summit Sport 800 P-TEK wearing a price tag of just $8999US or $9799 Canadian…Craigslist andKijiji be damned.

E-Spinner800

Maybe weʼve all made one too manytrips for an extra helping of cheese curds,but nonetheless, the convenience andease of electric start has continued to

grow in popularity. Last winter, Catexecutives heard this growing want, loudand clear, as no 12-volt key spinner wasavailable for the first year ProCross orProClimb 800 buggies. Fortunately, that

is not the case for 2013, as Cat hasgiven the green light (no pun intended)on the big twin starter for the new modelyear. The e-start kit will also retro fit,making 2012 owners happy as well.

16

Cat’s RR, full-on, testosteroneraging buggy. If you eat ballbearings for breakfast, pony up.

www.donsspeedparts.com

Clutch Kits, Y-Pipes & Compete Exhaust Systems

Clutch Kits, Y-Pipes & Compete Exhaust Systems


Black isBeautiful

Sometimes itʼs the little things that trulycatch our attention. Such was the case thispast winter when Yamaha showed-off theirnew “black-out” front suspension motif,found on the Nytro series. Featuring blackspindles, suspension components andcomplimenting all black bumpers, the darksinister look gives the Nytro a light andright demeanor. While we always say coolgraphics wonʼt make you faster, badasspowder coat could get you more chicks…Just sayinʼ.

Spring AdventureHunt

If youʼre looking for more giddy-up inyour Adventure for 2013, you better buyearly. The wildly successful 600 poweredAdventure from 2012 returns for the newyear, and if you act early, you can attainmore muscle under the hood. The spring-only 800 Adventure features all the sameperformance touring goodies that werestandard fare a year ago including a cargosystem, electric start, 136-inch Cobratrack, mirrors, and auxiliary power outlets.With 150-ponies nestled under the hood,the black and white big bore Adventurealso receives such 2013 improvements asthe Pro-Steer ski and one-piece handlebar.If more bling and less storage is more yourthing, check out the new Switchback Pro-RLE. Another spring-only model, the newlimited red and white sled touts ROXadjustable risers, Walker Evans fullyadjustable shocks, a rear rack, and twotrack options to choose from.

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Fitting Design

As mentioned elsewhere in our 20takes on thirteen, the new look Ski-Doo ismore than just fresh showroom bling.Both the XM and XS version have beensculpted to improve rider ergonomics andperformance for both deep snow and trailapplications. The XM version features arounded, lower hull for ease ofmaneuverability, along with an extrudedrunning board that allows the rider tostand 8-inches further forward on thechassis. Joined by a flat mount gaugepackage for stand-up viewing, new centergrab handle, shorty seat, and newhandlebar mounted controls that are lesslikely to be engaged by your legs orknees, and you have a more, purposebuilt Summit. On the flip side, the XSversion touts a rounded shape andsculpted side panels, allowing the rider tohang a knee and get low in the corners.This key, ergo change coupled withintegrated wind deflection for a warmerride, speaks to the performance trail rider.

Four MoreThan Six

During the new model, f irst lookmeeting that Arctic Cat held with thesnowmobile media this past January, twostatements were made that immediatelyhad us asking for more details. First, Catproudly proclaimed that they were thenumber one selling four-stroke companyin total retail sales, ending in Decemberof 2011. While we almost fell off ourtuning fork chair initially, given the largermarket share held by the feline brand,we can see how this could be the case.Subsequently, the data went on to showhow incredibly well the normallyaspirated F1100 did compared to othertwo-stroke competitors. While webelieve there may have been some spindoctoring of the numbers, after spendingseveral days on a normally aspiratedXF1100 in the company of comparabletwo-stroke company, we can honestlysee where the appeal lurks. ✪

19 20

The new look Ski-doo XSplatform is sleek but perhapsmore importantly, allows formuch improved serviceability.

A new Limited Editionspring only model joins the Polaris fold. Say hello to theSwitchback Pro-R LE.

Nytro RTX… all black… allbusiness… and with Tunerskis… much improved.


buyer’s

guideSPRING

BELLY PAN CLEANERFROM BIO-KLEENSledBrite Belly Pan is a biodegradable, non-toxicsnowmobile cleaner/degreaser that specializes inremoving black exhaust stains and deposits fromsled exterior. Safe on decals and plastics, thiscleaner and degreaser quickly and safelyeliminates black streaks, carbon and petroleumdeposits, clutch belt dust, oils and regular build-upSimply spray on and wipe clean. Never, ever, everput a sled away dirty please. www.biokleen.com

TORCOPENETRATINGLUBRICANTA trick when storing the sled for the season is alittle dusting of penetrating oil, sprayed over all themoving parts, to displace moisture and protectagainst rust. The PL-50 from Torco Oil is a multi-use lubricant that will put a light film on all slidingand pivot points, and will not harm plastic orpainted surfaces. The PL-50 also works as anexcellent fogging oil. Lubrication and fogging inone can? Itʼs like magic. www.gammasales.com

www.snowmobilehoodcleaner.com

See website for a dealer near you.

High Performance Sled Cleaning Products

NEW

THE VERTICAL FROM FXRWarmer weather is on the way. It might be time to considera soft-shell layering jacket for the warmer riding days. TheVertical from FXR is wind and water resistant, with warm,moisture wicking bonded fleece interior. With cool featureslike a waterproof front zipper, waterproof side vent zippers,two waterproof chest zippers, and what we think is the bestfeature, an inside Lycra pocket and ear bud retentionsystem for your phone, GPS, or MP3 player.www.fxrracing.com

DRAGON SUNGLASSESSimply put, it is springtime, and you need a newpair of sunglasses. The new Orbit from Dragonoffers 100% UV protection, grilamid framematerial, and a 5 barrel stainless steel springhinge. All features aside, the LCV (look coolvalue) is set pretty high on these bad boys.www.gammasales.com


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SLEDWRAPSCrying in your cereal because the season is wrapping up andthe sled is about to be put away? What about a spring projectthat will keep you in touch with your sled, and have youpeaking under the cover all summer long. A new wrap fromSledswraps could be the answer. Sledwraps.com has fulltunnel and tank add-ons for every 2013 model available, andoffer free colour changes on the largest selection of designs.Watch for their new website that will make ordering andcustomizing online even easier. Just donʼt forget - Wrap itbefore you ride it. www.sledwraps.com

SCOTT JACKET AND PANTSNew from Scott, is the faux denim Montley TP Jacket andEnumclaw TP Pant. Made from lightly insulated, TriPhasewaterproof and breathable material, with features like zip ventilation,power skirt, Lycra cuffs, removable hood and adjustable waist andwrists. Did we mention it looks like denim? www.micasport.com


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buyer’s

guideSPRING

C-TEK BATTERYCHARGERThis is a must have item this spring for putting awaythe sled. The Smart Charger from C-Tek is aboveall, an optimal maintenance charger for seasonalvehicles with batteries up to 100Ah. This handycharger is fully automatic, and will analyze, fix,charge and maintain your battery throughout the offseason. Once it is finished charging, it willautomatically switch to a maintenance phase, whichis a patented pulse charging mode. The best part isthat it can be connected for months. Fit it andForget It. Could you ask for anything more?www.ctek.com

STARTRON FUEL TREATMENTWith todayʼs new fuel demand and the introduction of ethanol-blended fuels, it is time to use atreatment that keeps up. StarTron Enzyme Fuel Treatment is an innovative, unique and very effectiveway of solving wide range fuel-related problems. Engines powered by StarTron treated fuel, starteasily and run smoothly, even after sitting idle for extended periods. Additionally, StarTron helpsprevent phase separation that can occur when water and ethanol bond together and then “fall out” ofthe gasoline, resulting in degraded fuel and ultimately, an engine that canʼt perform at its best.www.starbrite.com

Vehicles shown with optional accessories.

•Fully Amphibious•All Season•All Terrain

•Up to 6 Passengers

Call for a FREE TEST RIDE! 1-877-274-6288 • ARGOutv.com

COBRA WINDSHIELDThe season is wrapping up, and maybe you were not happy with the way thestock windshield performed on your Polaris. Powermadd, makers of theCobra Windshield have unveiled a new windshield that will fit 2010-12 Rush;'11 RMK 800, Switchback 800; '12 RMK, Switchback. The new shieldfeatures a hard-line, aggressive design that matches the sled's style andprovides maximum protection. The shield comes in a clear with a black fadeat the bottom and is available in a Tall (20.5") and Mid (19") height. Cobrawindshields are made from premium, optical-grade polycarbonate for abrilliant surface and distortion-free viewing. www.powermadd.com

HEAVY DUTY DELUXE COVERAre you still using that old, ripped, mildew stinkcover this season? It might be time to invest on yoursled. The 600D polyester deluxe cover from RoyalDistributing covers the entire snowmobile from skisto seatback. It has a Polyester felt windshield andhood area with an expandable lycra adjustmentsystem that that will fit to all sizes. Most importantlyit is approved for trailering. Please donʼt be the guytrailing your sled with a half inch of road salt on thehood. Available at www.royaldistributing.com


I've had the great opportunity to write forOSM for a couple of years now, and youreaders have been fantastic. I’ve received alarge number of emails regarding training,nutrition and other general fitness and healthquestions. Thank you all for that! The readersof this great magazine are obviously fans,racers, or enthusiasts of the sport ofsnowmobiling; so by nature, you’re active. I’veheard comments like, “it's all the machine, theriders just sit there…”

I hear that from fitness professionals andpeople who don't know the demands of ridinga sled on a trail, never mind in the mountainsor racing on a track! This tight knit communityof snowmobilers tend to be active, so I don'twant to offend any of you by busting out mysoap box here, but the trends in our societywith respect to our nutrition, exercise andgeneral health are appalling and we need toact fast.

Now, by no means do I think the averageperson needs to train like my top end athletesdo; the average person wouldn't have thetime, and for the athletes, it's their full time job.However, the parents out there, their kids, andall the rest of us, need to be active everyday!You don't need to run a marathon, or go to thegym for 4 hours a day, but try to take the dogfor a walk, or take the kids out for a walk moreoften. Go for a trail ride if you have that ability.Play a game of basketball, volleyball or floorhockey. Good grief, I remember growing upwhen all the kids in the neighbourhood wereout in the middle of winter or the heat of thesummer, it didn't matter; we only wanted toplay street hockey! Now the kids are justsitting around on the couch, hooked up tovideo games and lounging inside. This lack ofexercise has even prompted some gamemanufactures like Nintendo and Wii, to take abreak and go outside mid-game! Some videogames available for the Wii, Playstation Moveand the X-box 360's Kinetic are actually greatfor you, as you’ll need to get up and move toplay the game.

This leads me into my next point; in order tohave an effect on your health, it has to have aneffect on you. In other words, if you standthere and sway your hips back and forth whileplaying Dance Revolution, while also eatingchips and drinking pop, you might not beachieving a whole lot. Like I stated previously;walk the dog, play volleyball, go snowshoeing, or whatever it takes. Fresh air is sogood for you.

If you’re currently extremely overweight,don't go out and run hills right away. Consultyour doctor first, and come up with a healthplan to make a change. We don't want anyonehaving a heart attack because I said to go outand be active!

I watch the TV show, The Biggest Loserwhenever I can. I enjoy it and I have told someof my clients to watch it. What do I like aboutit? Some of the workouts I've seen have beenon a beach, climbing stairs in office buildings,and even in the gym; they’re practicalexercises. The trainers on the show do a greatjob of varying the workouts from ropes tosandbags, to intervals on the treadmill orelliptical. That variation in activity is the pointI'm trying to make; don't get stuck in the rut ofthe same old, same old!

More recently, I’ve had two parents of myathletes start working out, inspired by thepassion their kids had for training. Both Dadshave lost over 30 lbs each, and this is from asimple change like watching what they eat andexercising 3-4 days a week. They aren't

starving themselves, talking some goofy pill, orfollowing some trendy, new diet. Just regularexercise and clean eating; it’s that easy.

I started this soap box session by sayingthat I believed our community of snowmobilelovers are active. Be that they’re weekendwarriors, or even the mechanics in the pits;they can move lightning fast. Having seen twoathletes, inspired by good eating and physicalactivity, achieve such results, I believe we canhelp spread the word! For al l the racersreading this; maybe you can inspire yourparents or mechanic to eat better, or maybetake them to the gym with you twice a week.Trail riders and mountain maniacs; take one ofthe guys or girls you work with on a ride withyou. Not only will they appreciate our greatsport by buying a new sled and getting asubscription to the greatest magazine – OSM,but they are getting active!

Why, all of a sudden did I feel the need tobust out my soap box? Well, almost five yearsago, I was doing seminars about healthyeating and I was targeting young hockeyplayers, when I came across a shocking study:For the first time in over 70 years, kids enteringkindergarten were expected to die before theirparents! This information shocked me. With allof our medical advances and modernmedicines, we had found a way to gobackwards. And why? Lack of exercise andpoor nutrition!

I was originally going to submit a completelydifferent article for this issue, talking about thecore and some new thoughts on how to bettertrain these muscles, when I received anupdate from a medical site I subscribe to. Wemay be getting worse, not better. Let's all worktogether and help our friends and familiesbecome more active, live a healthier life style,and get them out riding and walking. Let's leadby example and help ourselves, while sendinga message to the next generation to discover ahealthier lifestyle!

Thank you for reading, and if you need anytips on workouts that you can do anywhere, orhealthy eating suggestions, please don’thesitate to contact me. In late August we willbe hosting our third annual Evolved /Motopark / OSM Boot Camp for all racers, sostay tuned for dates and more information.

“Do today what others won't, so tomorrowyou can do what others can’t.”

Drew RobertsonSports Nutritionist / Conditioning [email protected]

NUTRITION AND TRAININGDREW ROBERTSON

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62Snowmobiling is New Brunswick’s Winter Tourism…

www.nbfsc.com

The New Brunswick Federationof Snowmobile Clubs

La Fédération des Clubsde Motoneige du Nouveau-Brunswick

NBFSC Celebrates 30th Anniversary,Wall of Fame Weekend

The 2012 winter tourism season has been theNBFSC’s celebration of 30-years of organizedsnowmobiling in New Brunswick. Multiple eventswere spread out over all three months to offer avariety of opportunities to participate and toinclude as many snowmobilers, member clubs andCorporate Partners as possible.

The NBFSC’s 30th Anniversary just completedand celebrated its largest weekend of the year, inBathurst, on March 2nd to the 4th, 2012.

Our 30th Anniversary Wall of Fame weekendwas combined with our annual Irving OilPresident’s Ride this season. NBFSC CorporatePartner Atlantic Host was our base as more than100 Club Presidents, volunteers, Past Presidents,Wall of Fame members and Corporate Partnersjoined together for a weekend of fun, recognition,memories…..and a Ride!

Our first Wall of Fame, in 2007 was created andcelebrated during our 25th Anniversary. Twenty-five deserving volunteers from all Zones in NewBrunswick, including the very first NBFSC Board ofDirectors from 1982 were inducted that evening.Many of the current members were in attendanceon Saturday evening as five new NBFSC Wall ofFame members were inducted.

In 2012 we are pleased to have inducted to theNBFSC Wall of Fame:• John MacLellan, Woodstock Trailmakers S.C.• Margaret McCann, Fredericton S.C.• Bernard Savoie, Club Motoneige Voyageur

(Lameque)• Darryl Stothart, Nepisiguit Sports Lodge S.C.• Don Kenny, Nepisiguit Sports Lodge S.C.

These five new members were all honored atSaturday evening’s banquet. President, Jody Towerwelcomed everyone to the weekend on Fridayevening by thanking all those who came beforehim and giving special thanks to the new mem-bers. Master of ceremonies was NBFSC PresidentJody Tower who handled the evenings ’ events onSaturday.

The Atlantic Host has been the home of theNBFSC’s Wall of Fame and with recent renovationswe will now have a more prominent display, of all30 existing members of the Wall of Fame. We aregrateful to Keith and his team for always ensuringthat the NBFSC’s best volunteers have such a lovelyand prominent home.

On your next snowmobile trip through Bathurstwe encourage you to take time to visit the 30plaques of all the members, just a few feet aroundthe corner of the Atlantic Host’s main lobby.

63La motoneige est le Tourisme d’hiver du Nouveau-Brunswick…

www.nbfsc.com

La saison du tourisme d’hiver de 2012 amarqué la célébration par la FCMNB de 30ans de motoneige organisée au Nouveau-Brunswick. Plusieurs évènements furent réal-isés sur une période de trois mois de sorte àoffrir une variété de possibilités de participeret d’inclure autant de motoneigistes, declubs membres et de partenaires commerci-aux que possible.

Le 30e Anniversaire de la FCMNB vient decompléter et de célébrer sa plus importantefin de semaine de l’année, à Bathurst, du 2au 4 mars 2012. Notre fin de semaine duMur de la renommée de notre 30eAnniversaire était combinée avec notreRandonnée annuelle Irving Oil des prési-dents pour cette saison. Le partenaire com-mercial de la FCMNB, Atlantic Host, étaitnotre base alors que plus de 100 personnes(présidents de clubs, de bénévoles, d’an-ciens présidents, d’intronisés au Mur de larenommée et de partenaires commerciaux)se sont rassemblées pour une fin desemaine d’amusement, de reconnaissance,de souvenirs… et une Randonnée !

Notre premier Mur de la renommée en2007 fut créé et célébré lors de notre 25eAnniversaire. Vingt-cinq bénévoles méri-tants de toutes les zones du Nouveau-Brunswick, y compris le tout premierBureau de direction de la FCMNB en 1982,furent intronisés ce soir-là. Plusieurs des

membres actuels étaient présents le samedisoir alors que cinq nouveaux membresétaient intronisés au Mur de la renomméede la FCMNB.

En 2012, nous avions le plaisir d’introniser au Mur de la renommée de la FCMNB : • John MacLellan, Woodstock Trailmakers • Margaret McCann, Fredericton • Bernard Savoie, Club Motoneige

Voyageur (Lamèque)• Darryl Stothart, Nepisiguit Sports Lodge • Don Kenny, Nepisiguit Sports Lodge

Ces cinq nouveaux membres furent toushonorés lors du banquet du samedi soir. Levendredi soir, le président, Jody Tower, asouhaité la bienvenue à tout le monde àcette fin de semaine en remerciant tousceux qui sont venus avant lui et en remer-ciant plus particulièrement les nouveaux

membres. Le maître de cérémonie était leprésident de la FCMNB, Jody Tower, qui adirigé le programme du samedi soir.

L’Auberge Atlantic Host est le siège duMur de la renommée de la FCMNB et, grâceaux récentes rénovations, nous auronsmaintenant une plus grande visibilité pourtous les 30 membres du Mur de la renom-mée. Nous sommes reconnaissants à Keithet à son équipe pour toujours s’assurer queles meilleurs bénévoles de la FCMNB aientun affichage si beau et bien en vue.

Lors de votre prochaine promenade enmotoneige à travers Bathurst, nous vousencourageons à prendre le temps de visiterles 30 plaques de ces membres, juste àquelques pas en sortant du hall principal del’Auberge Atlantic Host.

La FCMNB célèbre son 30e Anniversaire – Fin de semaine du Mur de la renommée


Snowmobiling is New Brunswick’s Winter Tourism…

The New Brunswick Federationof Snowmobile Clubs

La Fédération des Clubsde Motoneige du Nouveau-Brunswick

President’s Report…

It’s that time again for a mid-season update fromNew Brunswick. It has been a busy season so far withour 30th Anniversary and the NBFSC hosting manyevents. To start with the weather has not been allthat good to us this year but better than most ofCanada. That being said the Northern part of theProvince has had good snow with the Southern justgetting open the first week of February, at least 85%of the trails were open for the month of February.

Our first of the 30th Anniversary events was heldin Doaktown on January 21st. The event was hostedat our Corporate Partner O’Donnell’s Cottages. Agood time was had by all with demo ride, BBQ, cake,antique sled show and to top it off with a bon fire.We raise money for Easter Seal who is also celebrat-ing their 30th Anniversary. Our next event was heldat Adair’s Wilderness Lodge in Shepody on the 28Jan. With the weather not cooperating and littlesnow the event was still quite successful thanks tothe devotion of owners Larry and Ida Adair alongwith long-time volunteer Vern Seeley. Again withour toy snowmobile races and 50 / 50 tickets weraised over $200 for Easter Seals.

With little snow in Zone 8 we had to make the callon Sunday morning to move our “Go Snowmobiling”ride to Doaktown for the 31 Jan. The NBFSC in part-nership with SANS (Snowmobilers Association ofNova Scotia) and PEISA (Prince Edward IslandSnowmobile Association) host these rides each year,one day in each Province. With the support of thesnowmobile manufacturer District Sales Managers(Arctic Cat - Chris Thebeau, Ski-doo BRP – RickLingley and Yamaha – Pat Hick & Clad Cock) we wereable to provide a wonderful day of riding on our“White Gold”. This year again we had the pleasure ofhaving the Premier of New Brunswick the Hon.David Alward along with five Ministers (Hon. Trevor

Holder, Hon. Blaine Higgs, Hon. Claude Williams,Hon. Robert Trevors and Hon. Bruce Fitch) and hostMLA Jake Stewart. We are very fortunate to havesuch a great partnership with our ProvincialGovernment, which supports New Brunswick’s win-ter tourism. Everyone had a great day of riding andour host, corporate partner The Ledges Inn, pro-vided an excellent lunch and the prefect spot tostart and end the ride.

We just finished up our 3rd annual GroomerWorkshop in Edmundston on February 18th, againanother successful event thanks to the manufac-tures and our Trail Manager Kyle Good. Participantswere able to try new groomers and also take in sem-inars on equipment. This same weekend was ourSnowarama with Easter Seal at MactaquacProvincial Park. This was monumental as each groupcelebrates its 30 year partnership in New Brunswick.Many activities were taking place such as a pokerrun, demo rides and toy snowmobile races to namea few. A special thanks to BRP Skidoo and the deal-ers of New Brunswick for sponsoring this event.

Our next event is March 3rd in Bathurst hosted byour Corporate Partner The Atlantic Host Hotel. Wewill be having our Irving Oil President’s Ride and the30th Wall of Fame Event. Five years ago, on our 25thAnniversary we created the Wall of Fame, which canbe viewed year around at the Atlantic Host, and thisyear, we will be adding five more inductees to theWall. Right around the corner is the Trans CanadianSnowmobile Trail ride across NB March 6-8th, start-ing in Sackville and ending in Edmundston. The final30th Anniversary Ride-In event will take place onMarch 17th at Chalets Restigouche in KedgwickRiver.

As most know we have installed GPS units in eachof our groomers to give an active trail condition sta-tus this year on line. As this is the first year and withnot great snow conditions, we are working out thebugs to make this system better. We have taken thesuggestions from our members to incorporate andmake the system better, all this takes time so pleasebe patient as we work on these changes and chal-lenges.

In closing I would like to say thank you to all thevolunteers who make this organization work, alongwith the land owners who allow us to use their land.We have built great partnerships over the 30 yearsand would like to grow these even more in thefuture and that is why “Snowmobiling is NewBrunswick’s Winter Tourism”. For any informationregarding our events or stories of past events andtrail conditions / status please check out our website www.nbfsc.com

64

NBFSC Club President, Jody Tower

La motoneige est le Tourisme d’hiver du Nouveau-Brunswick…

www.nbfsc.com

Encore une fois, le temps est venu pour unemise à jour du Nouveau-Brunswick à la mi-sai-son. La saison est assez occupée jusqu’à dateavec notre 30e Anniversaire et la FCMNB quiorganisait plusieurs évènements. Toutd’abord, la météo n’a pas été favorable pourtout le monde cette année, mais mieux quepour la plupart du reste du Canada. Ceci étantdit, la partie nord de la province a reçu de labonne neige ; la partie sud ne s’est ouverteque durant la première semaine de février etau moins 85 % des sentiers étaient ouvertspour le mois de février.Notre première activité du 30e Anniversaireeu lieu à Doaktown le 21 janvier. L’hôte decette activité était notre partenaire commer-cial, O’Donnell’s Cottages. Tout le monde s’estamusé : des promenades de démonstration,un BBQ, du gâteau, une exposition demotoneiges anciennes et un feu de joie pourclôturer le tout. Nous recueillons des fondspour Timbre de Pâques, qui célèbre égale-ment son 30e Anniversaire. Notre prochaineactivité avait lieu chez Adair’s WildernessLodge, à Shepody, le 28 janvier. Même avec lamétéo qui ne coopérait pas et le peu de neige,l’activité fut tout de même une réussite grâceau dévouement des propriétaires Larry et IdaAdair, ainsi qu’au bénévole de longue date,Vern Seeley. Une fois de plus, avec nos coursesde motoneige-jouets et nos billets 50 / 50,nous avons recueilli plus de 200 $ pour Timbrede Pâques.Avec peu de neige dans la Zone 8, nous avonsdû décider le dimanche matin de reporternotre randonnée « À vos motoneiges » àDoaktown pour le 31 janvier. La FCMNB, enpartenariat avec la SANS (SnowmobilersAssociation of Nova Scotia) et la PEISA (Prince

Edward Island Snowmobile Association),organise ces randonnées à chaque année, unejournée dans chaque province. Avec l’appuides Directeurs commerciaux de districts(Arctic Cat - Chris Thebeau ; Ski-doo BRP – RickLingley ; et Yamaha – Pat Hick & Clad Cock),nous avons été en mesure d’offrir une mer-veilleuse journée de randonnées sur notre «Or Blanc ». Une fois de plus cette année, nousavions le plaisir d’accueillir le Premier ministredu Nouveau-Brunswick, l’Hon. David Alward,accompagné de cinq ministres (l’Hon. TrevorHolder ; l’Hon. Blaine Higgs ; l’Hon. ClaudeWilliams ; l’Hon. Robert Trevors ; et l’Hon.Bruce Fitch), ainsi que le député-hôte, JakeStewart. Nous sommes très fortunés d’avoirun si bon partenariat avec notre gouverne-ment provincial, qui appuie le tourismed’hiver du Nouveau-Brunswick. Tout le mondea profité d’une merveilleuse journée de ran-données et notre hôte, le partenaire commer-cial “The Ledges Inn”, a fourni un diner excel-lent et ce fut l’endroit parfait d’où partir etrevenir avec notre randonnée.Nous venons tout juste de finir notre 3eAtelier annuel sur les surfaceuses àEdmundston, le 18 février, une autre activitéréussie, grâce aux fabricants et à notreGestionnaire des sentiers, Kyle Good. Les par-ticipants furent capables de faire l’essai denouvelles surfaceuses et aussi de participer àdes séminaires sur l’équipement. Cette mêmefin de semaine, il y avait également notre ran-donnée Snowarama avec Timbre de Pâquesau Parc provincial de Mactaquac. Ce fut uneactivité monumentale puisque chaquegroupe célèbre son partenariat de 30 ans auNouveau-Brunswick. Il y avait plusieurs activ-ités, telles qu’une randonnée poker, despromenades de démonstration, des coursesde motoneiges-jouets, pour n’en nommer quequelques-unes. Des remerciements partic-uliers à BRP Skidoo et à ses concessionnairesau Nouveau-Brunswick pour avoir parrainécet évènement. Notre prochaine activité est prévue pour le 3mars à Bathurst, dont l’hôte sera notre parte-naire commercial, l’Auberge Atlantic Host. Cesera l’occasion de notre Randonnée annuelleIrving Oil des présidents et l’activité de notre

30e Mur de la renommée. Cinq ans passés,lors de notre 25e Anniversaire, nous avonscréé le Mur de la renommée, que l’on peutvoir à l’année longue au Atlantic Host, et cetteannée, nous allons y introniser cinq autrespersonnes. Tout juste à côté se trouve le sitede la Randonnée de motoneige transcanadi-enne à travers le Nouveau-Brunswick du 6 au8 mars, partant de Sackville et se terminant àEdmundston. La dernière activité du 30eAnniversaire aura lieu le 17 mars aux ChaletsRestigouche, sur la rivière Kedgwick.Comme vous le savez, nous avons installé desappareils GPS dans chacune de nos sur-faceuses pour nous donner un état à jour desconditions de sentiers en ligne cette année.Puisqu’il s’agit de la première année, et que lesconditions de la neige n’étaient pas extraordi-naires, nous sommes en train d’éliminer lespépins pour améliorer le système. Nous avonsreçu les suggestions de nos membres et nousvoulons les incorporer pour améliorer le sys-tème ; tout cela prend du temps, alors soyezpatients alors que nous travaillons sur ceschangements et ces défis.En terminant, j’aimerais dire merci à tous lesbénévoles qui font en sorte que cette organi-sation puisse fonctionner, ainsi qu’aux pro-priétaires de terrains qui nous permettentd’utiliser leurs terres. Nous avons bâti desolides partenariats durant ces 30 années etnous aimerions en accroître le nombre àl’avenir ; c’est pourquoi « la Motoneige est letourisme d’hiver du Nouveau-Brunswick ».Pour plus d’information concernant nos activ-ités et nos anecdotes sur les activitésantérieures, sur les conditions/état des sen-tiers, visitez notre site Web au www.nbfsc.com

65

Rapport du Président…

66 ✪ ON SNOW MAGAZINE66 ✪ ON SNOW MAGAZINE

LUCKY 13KELLY SHIRES BREAST CANCER SNOW RUN

Kellyʼs legacy continued strong this yearthrough the amazing enthusiasm thatriders brought to the 13th annual KellyShires Breast Cancer Snow Run. 121amazing ladies suited up on February 2,2012, and hit the gorgeous Muskokatrails. By raising over $400,000.00 forbreast cancer patients across Canada,the ladies brought the 13 year fundraisingtotal to over $3,000,000.00! This is aremarkable feat that proves how passion-ate snowmobilers are about making adifference in the lives of those battlingbreast cancer. This is an amazingsuccess story that even original Co-Founders, Kelly Shires and Suzy Stenoffcould not have envisioned when theinaugural ride took place in 2000. Kellylost her personal battle with the disease inOctober 2004, but her spirit was felt bythose riding in her honour on this specialweekend.

Again this year, the Ontario eventcommittee decided to bring back the vibefrom earlier years when the group

completely took over a resort. This yearʼsevent took place at Hidden Valley Resortin Huntsvil le, which has become afavourite to those riders who have attend-ed year after year. “The owners and staffat Hidden Valley Resort have embracedthe charity. Whether you are dealing withthe owners; managers; front desk staff;chef; kitchen staff; maintenance or house-keeping; they all contribute to making theSnow Run Volunteers and Participantsfeel at home,” said Barb Mair, eventRegistrar.

The event kicked off on Friday eveningwith a fun MeetʼnʼGreet, hosted our byemcee, Carey Moran from KICX 106FM.Itʼs always a great night to catch up withold friends and mingle with the new ones.Camaraderie, games and dancing wereenjoyed by all, and highlighting theevening was the decorated bra contest,sponsored by Parkbridge Lifestylecommunities. Congratulations to ShellyKerley, this yearʼs decorated bra winner.Participants also had the opportunity to

shop at the “Pink Market,” where a varietyof vendors offered great items in supportof the cause.

Saturday morning started off with abrisk temperature of -10, but the spirit andenergy were high, and the air was filledwith excitement as the ladies prepared tohead out on the trails. The judging panelsecretly viewed the designs for the


decorated sled contest. Everywhere youlooked you could see pink; from sleds tosuits to pink wigs and wings! Openingceremonies commenced with a welcom-ing speech by Co-Founder, Suzy Stenoff,followed by a heartfelt moment of silencein memory of those who lost their battle tothe disease and to those battling it everyday. A special, pink hot air balloon wasignited and sent on its way as a tribute toKelly by repeat participant Alison Walker.Taking it up a notch prior to hitting the

trails, the ladies showed super spirit asthey danced to the event theme song“Man, I feel like a Woman” by ShaniaTwain. The theme song was chosen byKelly Shires years ago to represent thespirit of the event, and it ral l ies anunexplainable enthusiasm from thecrowd. Even though this snowmobileseason we have experienced limited trailsystems in various areas, the trailcommittee planned a perfect route, andthe ladies experienced a wonderful

160km ride on fantastic trails. A specialthank you goes to the MSR, Hill & GullyRiders and the Algonquin SnowmobileClub that helped to make the day andtrails exceptional. Participants rode withtheir team of choice and comfort levelincluding; Team Turtle, Team Rock,Dream Team and the Hooter Haulers.Each team rode their designated routesto Dorset for lunch, and then headedback to Hidden Valley Resort to be greet-ed by hot chocolate and treats beforehitting the showers to get ready for theSaturday night gala.

The evening gala was kicked off with awarm welcome by Mistress ofCeremonies, Beverly Thomson, Co-Hostof Canada AM and a breast cancersurvivor. Beverly was able to enjoy theride, courtesy of Dave Larmand from BRPInc. Kellyʼs Father, Bob Childerhose, wason hand to start off the meal by sayinggrace, and tell the group a little aboutKelly, prior to enjoying a wonderful dinner.Special thanks to our dinner sponsoragain this year, Royal Distributing. Aspecial thank you goes to Taera McLeanfor being our guest speaker and providingus with an exceptional video presenta-tion, re-capping the day and past year offundraising events. Surprise cheque

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KELLY SHIRES BREAST CANCER SNOW RUN


presentations were made by the team atRoyal Distr ibuting, FXR Racing andHidden Valley Resort. The event was fullof fun including speeches, awards, silentand live auctions, raffles and give-aways.Congratulations to the following awardwinners:Betty Black Memorial Award (highest pledges)Trina ChruszczKelly Shires Memorial Award (creative fundraising)Jelisa St. PeterKim “Sparks” Fish Memorial Award –(love of life)Lindsay DraperSled Ed Award – Funny Mishap on the trails Taylor Dale

The grand finale of the banquet is theannouncing of the winners of ourannual raffle who were:1st prize - 2012 Ski-Doo (donated byBRP and Factory Recreation, Midland)Sonya Stuckless-Aikman, Cambridge2nd prize - $500 Gift Certificate forRoyal Distributing (donated by RoyalDistributing, Guelph)John Meares, Muskoka3rd prize – Stay for 2 at Hidden Valley Resort (donated by HiddenValley Resort) Valts Groskropfs, Fergus

After dinner, the group continued toembrace Kellyʼs favourite saying, anddanced like nobody was watching into theearly hours. Sunday morning, everyonewas treated to breakfast before headinghome, full with wonderful memories.Special appreciation goes to the OntarioEvent Committee, who works so hardthroughout the year– Sarah Adams; BrianFish; Barb Mair; Blair Munn; DaraHaggarty; Helen Stenoff; Suzy Stenoff;Jeff Wice; Joan Wice and Deanna Wright;along with every single volunteer whomade this event intimate and colossal atthe same time, in Kellyʼs Honour.

Particular gratitude to all of oursponsors, with special mention to ourplatinum level sponsors; BRP INC.; ChokoDesigns; Divas Snow Gear; FactoryRecreation – Midland; FXR Racing; RoyalDistributing and The Toronto InternationalSnowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show.Your unwavering support gives us thestrength to make an impact together –thank you.

Sincere appreciation is extended toeveryone who participated in this event.Whether you were a first time participant,volunteer or sponsor; without you, none ofthis would be possible! Thank you forkeeping Kellyʼs legacy and dream alive.

We look forward to seeing you February 1-3, 2013 for the 14th Annual event! And besure to come and visit us at the upcomingToronto Snowmobile, ATV & PowersportsShow, October 19-21 at the InternationalCentre; just follow the pink carpet!

We are also very excited to announcethat the 7th Annual Randonnee DesNeiges de Kelly Shires took place inSherbrooke, Quebec, Feb 11, 2012, andraised over $274,000 for the Quebecchapter of the charity. For more detailsvisit www.randonneedesneiges.org

Calling all ATVs - We are excited toannounce that the charity will be hostingits 3rd annual ATV ride, in conjunctionwith the Spring Jam ATV event in Parry

Sound, April 27 & 28th. Come out andride your quad for the cause, withproceeds to the Kelly Shires BreastCancer Foundation. For details pleasevisit www.trax4bc.com

The Kelly Shires Foundation providesfinancial assistance to breast cancerpatients across Canada, for items that arenot covered by OHIP or private medicalplans. To learn more about the event, orto make a donation, please visitwww.breastcancersnowrun.org. For moreinformation on the charity, visitwww.kellyshiresfoundtaion.org

Together we DO make a difference!

Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow RunDONATION FORM

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For much of the snowbelt, this pastseason was one weʼd rather soonforget. Oh sure, there were pockets of

epic snowfall, just ask our friends to the farnorth in Alaska, where depths reachedbeyond 20-feet. But even in areas wherethere was consistent and pleasantly deepsnowfall for much of the season, the endcame abruptly, with record warmtemperatures and mid-March motorcyclerides replacing planned “one last burn”rides for many of us.

From the outside, a winter such as theone we just experienced is an assured signof doom and gloom for the still recoveringsnowmobile industry. Not a day went by thispast winter, when a neighbor wouldnʼt makean uneducated comment of the imminentdemise of my favorite winter pastime. Whiletheories range from a freak anomaly toforewarned, dramatic cl imate changedubbed global warning, (one that Iresoundingly disagree with by the way) itʼshard to argue the fact that this past winterwas one of the warmest ever on record.

In my home community of Minneapolis andSt. Paul, the proverbial hub of snowmobileactivity in North America, records werebroken from December through March. Infact, as I pen this column in early March,our late snowpack has completelyvanished, and temperatures are expectedto climb past 70-degrees!

It ʼs also hard to argue the fact thatsnowmobiling is alive and well, and in many

cases, far healthier as an industry than ithas been in the past 10 years. After strugglingwith decreasing sales, and an overburden ofnew models being produced by not-yet-ready-to-face-the-facts manufacturers, theindustry eventually self corrected itself. Buildnumbers were reduced, dealer inventorieswere cleaned up, and overall, model countswere slashed.

Then in 2010-2011, we were blessedwith an incredible winter, with snow comingoften and early, and staying late.Consequently, early orders and pre-seasonsales were some of the best experienced inrecent years, and by mid-December of2011, many savvy dealers were healthierthan they had been for many years.

Yet, despite all this inside the huddleinformation, it ʼs the mindset of theenthusiast that really matters. In over 20-years of covering this sport as a journalist,Iʼve learned to never underestimate thepositive thinking of a snowmobiler. Itʼs beensaid, snowmobilers are the eternaloptimists. Problem - Heavy rain in themiddle of December? Snowmobiler ʼsAnswer - At least thereʼs no snow pack todestroy. Problem - Sub-zero temperatures inJanuary, but no snow in the forecast?Answer - A perfect opportunity to ensure theswamps and rivers are frozen sufficiently,before the big one hits. Yup, no matter thesituation, snowmobilers can find a silverlining when it comes to snow and cold.

Still, this winter I had my doubts. By the

end of February, rideable snow had yet toshow face, and in its place were severaldays with temperatures well abovefreezing. Even January, typically our mostfrigid month, saw temps creep near 50-degrees!

Despite these set-backs, hard-coreenthusiasts made alternative plans. Withsleds in tow, trips to Michiganʼs UpperPeninsula, the high speed groomed trails ofQuebec, and to the mountains in the farwest were scheduled and enjoyed. Yet, itwas the casual r ider that would be ofgreatest risk to loose from the snowmobilefold. Whether they purchase a used sled, ora new one, the casual r ider is thesnowmobiler who enjoys an evening ridefrom home, or perhaps takes a few trips tothe cabin each season. More importantly,itʼs the casual rider who makes up the bulkof our estimated 1.5 million registeredsnowmobiles in North America; a numberthat has remained relatively flat, despitesignificant swings in new snowmobile salesover the past 25 years.

While its true we have lost a significantchunk of casual riders in recent years dueto poor snowfall, competing interests, andthe rising cost of participation, many havestayed true to the sport, despite thesechallenges.

Then it happened. With winter nearlyover, at least according to the calendar,suddenly Old Man Winter made anappearance, and it was a dramatic one atthat. In a little over five days, many parts ofthe snowbelt were inundated with snow.From the mountains of the west, to theheart of the sport in Minnesota, Wisconsin,and Michigan, the snow piled up fast andfurious. More importantly, the casual ridersfollowed. In the days that followed theheavy snows in my little part of the world, Isaw countless riders; many on older sleds,and many with young riders and familyjoining them, enjoying the late arrival ofwinterʼs bounty.

The winter of 2011-2012 may have beenshort and sporadic, but the winter seasonremains alive and well. Whether you are aseasoned snowmobil ing veteran, apassionate enthusiast, or a recreationalrider; those few lasting memories of lastwinterʼs ride has each of us optimisticallylooking forward to the next one. ✪

FLOAT BOWLPAT BOURGEOIS

OUT WITH A BANG

Last thing you raced? I went TerraCross ATV terrain racing with DarylRath. The courses are gnarly with rocks, logs,mud, and a lot more. I wasn’t that good, but itsure was fun.Last food on your plate, you questionedputting in your mouth?Quail Eggs, while in Aspen, Colorado.Last snowmobile you rode?Polaris RMK 800, with Chris Burandt.Last time you were hassled by the man?About a week ago… I was pulled over for mytruck being a few inches too tall. Could it be mytires were over inflated… ha ha!Last time you stayed up all night?Every year for about the past ten; we pull an all-nighter at Jimmy’s in Aspen, Colorado. Last place you traveled to? I just got back from Russia. I was there for theFIM World Championship snowcross. Later inMarch, I’ll be heading to France, Sweden, andFinland.Last band you listened to that you thoughtkicked ass?Kid Rock… its not the latest, but its too damngood to ignore.Last television show you watched andthought WTF?Gold Rush… Great show, but just shows you canput anything on TV these days.Last snowmobile you crashed?All of them, ha ha. My nickname was the“Logger” when I raced cross-country.

Last thing you saw that blew your mind?The EXO Skeleton by Unequal; it’s a newprotection system that Levi LaVallee is wearing.It’s amazing what it is going to do for all ourathletes. Kevlar based impact protection for headand body. Last near-death experience?Drinking at Jimmy’s in Aspen, Colorado…ha ha.Last thing your mother always told you do?Treat others as you would have them treat you. Ishould have listened to her more.Lasting snowmobile memory? I had the best ride ever with Chris Burandt atRabbit Ears in Colorado last year. We were in 6-feet of fresh powder and I couldn’t see a thing allday. Or it could be the start of the 1994 I-500cross-country race. We were on the river, outsideof Thunder Bay; temps were 20-belowFahrenheit, with a brutal wind chill. I was runningopen water to pass guys who chose to ride alongthe side of the river. There were also those sevenattempts at Jackson Hole; I never made it overthe top, but what a ride. Hmmmm, there aresimply too many to list.Last thing you read?OSM magazine, what else?Last time you laughed so hard, you nearlywet your pants?Every day; laughter is the key to life.Last person you hugged?My Grandfather; he is 94-years-old and my idol.

Last time you were injured?Knock on wood; it hasn’t happened very often,despite a lot of “offs”. About 10 years ago I blewmy ACL out, pretending I could ride my dirt bike.Last celebrity you met?I am fortunate to be around many with the X Games. Last project you worked on that you weretruly excited about?All of them, or I wouldn’t work on them. Last time you went on vacation? I like to think my work is my vacation, but I did goto a friend’s wedding in Mexico a few years back.That was a true vacation.Last beer you recently drank?Grain Belt Nordeast, with Toni Haikonen, nearthe Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. Last time you went over 100mph?Far too often; hence the reason for too manyspeeding tickets and getting hassled by the man.Last words of advice? Enjoy life to its fullest because its too short, andrespect the people around you. You don’t have tolike them, but respect them.Last shout out to sponsors?I would like to thank HMK; Mystik Lubricants;Nielsen; Prinoth; BVK; FOX Shox; EVS; all theManufactures; ESPN X Games; Unequal; and allthe amazing athletes I have been so fortunate towork with over the years. Special thanks to GlenKafka; Sportech; ERX; Haydays; PK; KK; RG;MG and all the staff that have worked side-by-side with me over the years.

Drawing upon his Minnesota roots and his early days as across-country and snocross racer, Joe Duncan has becomerecognized as the sport’s preeminent promoter and organizer.Before Winter-X, Joe founded the World SnowmobileAssociation, (WSA) the organization often viewed as the oneresponsible for laying the groundwork for today’s nationalsnocross tour. For the past 15-years, Duncan has been thesport organizer for ESPN’s Winter X-Games, and has beenconducting snowmobile and other powersports events allover the world. When we tracked him down, he just returnedfrom Russia, where he helped organize and run the FIM WorldChampionship Snowcross.


JOE DUNCANXFS

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