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EYES OFMARCHWith temps nearing 80-degrees, racers found a trackfilled with slush and slop during the final ISOCNational snocross race in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.Pro Bobby LePage was forced to ditch his gogglesearly in the race, giving shooter Wiegele an unabatedshutter to Bobbys determined glare.

Location: Lake Geneva, WisconsinRider: Bobby LePagePhotographer: Joe Wiegele, No Style Productions.

RARE BIRDWe must always be riding in the wrongplace at the wrong time. Sightings likethis of Maria Sandberg staying cool onthe windward slope during a spring rideare too far and few between.

Location: On a slope we're notRider: Maria SandbergPhotographer: Lasse Dahlberg

UNDER

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COVER

p.52

FEATURES28 SCENE IT?

HAYDAYS 2012

44 DAILY COMMUTE:2012 SWITCHBACK ADVENTUREONE WINTER. OUR TAKE.

46 TIME MACHINES1960 SKI-DOO MODEL K60

52 UNDER 9KOUR TOP 4 PICKS THAT WONT BREAK THE BANK

67 2013 SKI-DOORENEGADE X 800RTHE DIFFERENCE OF INCHES

70 TEARDOWNBENCH RACING, PIT GOSSIP AND PODIUMS

72 RACKS OF RIDEMODERN SUSPENSIONS REVEALED

92 APPAREL GUIDE

COLUMNS14 DRIFTS - PUBLISHER NOTES

RICHARD KEHOE

36 TRAIN TRACKSTUCKER HIBBERT

38 WINGING IT WITH LEVILEVI LAVALLEE

40 FOR THE RECORDPAUL THACKER

42 FORWARD THINKINGHEATH FRISBY

100 FLOATBOWLPAT BOURGEOIS

DEPARTMENTS16 INDUSTRY NEWS34 CRUISIN YOU TUBE49 TAKE 5 - MADE IT MYSELF50 ANCHOR OF THE MONTH90 INDUSTRY 411 - DIVAS SNOWGEAR102 LAST GASP - BROCK LINDBERG

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12 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

President & Publisher: Richard Kehoe

Editorial Director: Pat Bourgeois

Competitive Editor: Jim Urquhart

Copy 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 Warren Geer, Brad Stokes

Administrative / Sales Coordinator: Harmony Kulikauskas

Photographers: James Lissimore, John Sandberg, CJ Ramstad Archives, Brett Moist, Joe Wiegele, Jim Urquhart, Juan Pablo Acevedo, Gary Walton

Contributing Writers: Ross Antworth, Jeff Edwards, Tim Erickson, Heath Frisby,Tucker Hibbert, Levi LaVallee, Ed Long, JasonMacDonald, John Sandberg, Suzy Stenoff,Paul Thacker, Sandy Young

Subscriptions1-888-661-7469 or info@osmmag.com

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIESCONTACT 1-888-661-7469

VOLUME 3 NUMBER 2 OCT 2012

ON SNOW MAGAZINEPO Box 303Saint Michael, MN 55376Tel: (888) 661-7469HEADOFFICE Unit #4, 1195 Stellar DriveNewmarket, ON L3Y 7B8, Canadaph: 905-898-8585fax: 905-898-8071toll-free ph: 888-661-7469toll-free fax: 888-680-7469email: info@osmmag.comwww.osmmag.com

OSM is published five times a year by OSM Publishing Ltd. Officeaddress and undelivered copies and change of address notice is: P.OBox 303, Saint Michael, MN 55376. Telephone (888) 661-7469. Headoffice address is 1195 Stellar Drive - Unit #4, Newmarket, Ontario,Canada L3Y 7B8. Telephone (905) 898-8585. Printed in Canada byDollco Printing Copyright 2012 OSM Publishing Ltd. All rightsreserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without writtenconsent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicitedmanuscripts. Subscription rates for magazine $19.00 per year, $29.00 for2 years. $37.00 for 3 years.

Intypical OSM style, a few of us from ourCanadian office road tripped it out toNorth Branch, Minnesota for our firstsnowmobile event of the season - Haydays.Matt, Jeff and I loaded up and started headingdown the Highway where we drove throughthe night, as we opted to spend an extra dayin the office prepping this issue.

After 14 hours in a crew cab, we were prettyexcited to get there and meet up with the restof the crew. We timed our drive so perfectlythat we actually made it to Haydays ahead ofMacdonald, Erickson, Urqhart and Bourgeois,who all live in Minnesota or close enough.

We, like most of the exhibitors at Haydays,couldnt wait to get back to our hotel room fora shower to rinse off the full days worth ofdust. For those of you that havent attended,its a farmers hay field; very dirty and dusty.Whatever Mother Nature throws at you outthere is what you have to deal with; mud, rain,heat, dust, etc. Weve seen it all. We, ofcourse planned ahead; we had 2 campertrailers lined up for us on site, which had allthe comforts of a hotel but on a much smallerscale. The beds arent as good, and theshowers had no water pressure, not tomention we had to conserve water, andtheres no restaurant, or a turndown service.

As soon as we arrived, we began setting upour booth located just outside the racetrack.The rest of the guys arrived shortly after.Bourgeois blamed his tardiness on picking upNick Nelson (ATV World editor) from theairport, and that finding his pizza oven was notan easy task. At the time I thought the inclusionof the pizza oven was strange, but later I fellhard for that little stainless steel blessing.

By late Friday afternoon our booth was setup and ready for onlookers, and we were allready to get on our way to the renowned Swapmeet. With a full list of items we wanted topurchase, we were like children on Halloween,busting with anticipation to race out for trick-or-treating. Maybe Bourgeois was a little moreexcited then the rest of us. He had a minerslantern strapped to his head and a bag for hisgoodies. We just wore our regular hats.

We toured the swap for hours but keptcoming up short. We even rented a golf cart tohelp us get around faster. The Swap wasgood, but we didnt f ind nearly as manycollectables or old machinery as we hadhoped. Most swappers that we spoke to saidthat those hard-core swappers were nowdoing business on Thursday. Not sure howthis was fair to us, as the swap doesntofficially start until Saturday morning! We aresupposed to be the ones that get the jump onthe rest of the attendees, but well know fornext year.

Most of us were looking for older gear, mancave collectables and of course oldsnowmobiles. With out much luck, we endedup finding one leather suit that would havebeen close to making Bourgeois list, andalthough it matched his newly acquired Moto-Ski, which was the only purchase the seven ofus made at the Swap, the suit was far tooshort to even try on. Other than the cart rentaland late night taco stand, (which was lined upall night; Im pretty sure they just did a shiftchange, but Matt would know for sure, as hespent hours there) we all got skunked.

Next year well be prepared for the Thursdayshowdown in the swap. The OSM booth willneed to be functional come Thursday, giving usmore time to scout out the swap and get ajump on the deals and rare relics.

Our next event will be the Toronto InternationalSnowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show,celebrating our 25th year. The Show is set forOctober 19 through 21, 2012 at the TorontoInternational Center. Mark your calendars toattend the largest gathering of snowmobile andATV manufactures at one place at one time.Royal Distributing will be giving away $100,000 inRoyal Distributing gift cards to Attendees at theShow. Joe Parsons and Heath Frisby will bethere flipping sleds, and Levi LaVallee and MysticLubricants will be making a guest appearance.And for the first time ever in the history of theshow: The USED SNOWMOBILE & ATVMARKET. You can register your Machine to besold on the show floor. Also new to the show -Win Trophies and Cash Prizes at ThePowersports Custom Competition presented byOSM and ATV World Magazines! You can visitwww.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com forregistration forms.

Until next time, Ill be gearing up for a snowywinter and shopping for my own pizza oven.

ON SNOW MAGAZINE14

LETS GET THE SEASON ROLLING!

DRIFTSRICHARD KEHOE

PUBLISHER NOTES

Nobody was as excited or asprepared as Pat to get into the thick of

the late night swap.

New food vendor next year OSM Pizzeria.All we need is a pop up tent and more fuel forour generator. Or slogan would be You think it

looks bad. Just wait till you taste itLike kids waiting to go out on Halloween.

Dayco was here.Ride with condence.

www.dayco.com

NEW RED ANDYELLOW RACEBUGGIES LAUNCHED

Just as they have for the past several seasons, both Ski-Doo and Polarislaunched their new race sleds for the upcoming season at Haydays. Polariswill continue to campaign their one-off race sled based upon the now well-aged IQ chassis. The big news from the Polaris camp is an all-new Liberty600 engine package that touts new cylinders and cylinder heads forsignificantly increased horsepower according to the official word fromPolaris. Other key changes include great range of adjustability on theWalker Evans shocks including rebound controls on the rear track shockand a new 15-inch wide track with an all-new lug pattern. The track is aquarter-inch wider than the previous design with hopes of improving dry-sugar snow hole-shots. No doubt the IQ racer is a proven winner, but thedotted line between race sleds and consumer sleds is becoming more andmore faded at the Polaris camp.

Just across the dirty road, the crew from Valcourt also peek-a-booedtheir new race buggy at Haydays, where the focus for 2013 was all abouthandling. A new front suspension will grace the 600RS this season that inessence sports a taller overall spindle geometry to reduce bump steer andunwanted camber change. New upper and lower arms attached the tallerspindle to the XP chassis and a new shock calibration on all cornerscompletes the handling improvement exercise. The engine, which was all-new last year, also receives tweaks in the form of new cylinder design, newVforce3 reeds, new pistons, and a revised exhaust system. The newfoundpower will be harnessed with revised clutching and gearing calibrations.No word if Ski-Doo will offer a factory cross-country kit to convert thesnocross ready sled for the rigors of high-speed natural terrain.

INDU

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KYLE PALIN

16 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

18 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

BUSINESS AS USUAL ATUSCC EAST USCC East Race Director Erik Frigon (pictured) has bought the USCC East circuit along withBob Byron. When USCC founder Pat Mach started the East circuit in 2009 he tapped Frigon tohelp run it and after that season it was pretty much self-sufficient. With USCC announcing it hasceased operations, Frigon cut a deal with the Mach family to buy the assets and the name andhis group will continue on like nothing happened. So, to the casual fan, all this USXC, USCC andUSCC East stuff might be confusing. Heres the scoop: USCC is done. USXC is brand new andit is owned and run by cross-country legend Brian Nelson. It will pick up mostly where USCCleft off, racing in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan and will run theI-500 as well. USCC East - well, nothing has changed. So there ya go.

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NEWSGET BACK WITH BRP The kids at Ski-Doo announced an interesting program just as thedoors to the Haydays dirt festival opened. Dubbed the Originalsthe program offers genuine parts to owners of older Ski-Doosnowmobiles (1998-2007) at discounts up to 50% off. To sign up forthe promotional code and to order parts, direct your browser to

www.genuine.parts.ski-doo.com. In addition to smokingdiscounts, everyone who registers for the discount will

be entered for a chance to win a new 2013 Ski-Doosnowmobile completely tricked out with genuineSki-Doo accessories.

ON SNOW MAGAZINE20

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ISOC NATIONAL ON CBS SPORTS While the ISOC National snocross circuit still hasnt figured out is nationalschedule (lots of politics here folks) they have inked a deal with CBS SportsNetwork to televise the entire 2012-2013, 16-race season. These 16 half-hourshows will air beginning Sunday, December 30, then air weekly after that. ISOCkicks off its 2012-2013 schedule at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Minnesota,November 25-27. Every show will be filmed in HD so youll pretty much beeating roost right there on your couch.

WIN A BOYESEN RAGE CAGE

Its hard to believe but the kidsfrom Boyesen are celebratingtheir 40th anniversary this yearand to honor the occasion andthank their customers past andpresent, the company will begiving away a performance RageCage once a month, every

month, for a year! All you have to do is sign up at their websitewww.boyesen.com and sign up. One winner will be announced every monthstarting at the end of September and running all the way through 2013.

HIBBERTS BASEBALLCAREER A SHORT ONE Baseball fans who love snocross got a real treat when 10-time Winter X Gamesmedalist and five-time WX snocross gold medalist Tucker Hibbert threw out thefirst pitch at the September 12th game between the Twins and Royals. Hibbertsintroduction drew cheers from the Target Field crowd but, after a miffed wind-up,Hibberts pitch went far to the left and hit the dirt before home plate. I startedmy wind-up and then I got distracted, said Hibbert. Hibbert said he hadntplayed or thrown a baseball since he was little and he quit because he was waymore interested in things like motorcycles driving by the field. Hey, You cantdeny your destiny.

SLEDNECKS15 IS HERE After getting an early promotional copyand seeing the Haydays premier outsideon the big screen, we couldnt helpgiving the latest film from our fearlessfriends another plug. Every year theriders and production crew forSlednecks seem to outdo themselvesand number 15 is no exception. Getyours online at www.slednecks.com andtell 'em your friends at OMS sent ya.

22 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

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CELEBRATING 25 YEARS!October 19 - 21, 2012 will mark the 25th Anniversary of

the Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & PowersportsShow taking place at the International Centre, where parkingis free. Join the tens of thousands of Powersport enthusiastsand check out Huge Manufacturer Displays with all the 2013Sleds and ATVs. Take in Live Freestyle shows, ATV andSnowmobile racing, and meet Levi LaVallee at the show!Plan your trips at the show with the many tourism booths.Find what you need amongst the many aftermarketproducts. Tickets are now on sale. 888-661-SHOW (7469)NEW TO THE SHOW!! First time ever in the history of theshow: The USED SNOWMOBILE & ATV MARKET.Register your Machine to be sold on the show floor October

19-21, 2012. $25 registration fee per vehicle, or $35 registration fee includes oneadult day admission ticket. Also new to the show, Win Trophies and Cash Prizesat The Powersports Custom Competition presented by OSM and ATV WorldMagazines! For further information on the USED SNOWMOBILE & ATVMARKET, or The Powersports Custom Competition, to purchase advancedtickets, or to be an exhibitor at the show, please call 1-888-661-SHOW (7469) orvisit www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com

The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1955-58) was the first successfuloverland cross of Antarctica via the South Pole. The journey of 3,473 km (2,158miles) took 99-days (November 1957 to March 1958). While successful, thejourney was not without mishaps as this photo indicates.

OH SH#T MOMENT

FEELING THE GOODNESSOF T

One thing Ski-Doo has struggled withon the mountainside is how well itsSummit buggies feel when side-hillingor carving the pow. They just didnttransition smoothly from upright tobeing on their side very well and even askinny minis ski stance and a few othertweaks didnt really work. The 2013sleds feel a pant-load better to ridethanks to the tMotion skid. The tMotionhas an articulating rear arm that allowsthe rails to move semi-independentlyfrom each other and, combined with theFlexEdge track; its as smooth as butterin the steep-n-deep(thats how thekids say it). Whats this all getting at?Well, Ski-Doo has a kit that convertsany Summit REV-XP with an SC-5M skid to atMotion. At $319.99 (you can also pony-up for a FlexEdge track too) its worthevery penny. Trust us.

MECH 5

SM-2XL $300 3XL $325

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24 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

X IS BACK Just as our season premiere issue was getting dabbedwith ink, our pal Joe Duncan, the sports most prominentpromoter of extreme events, sent us a text with just threewords, X IS BACK. Yup, after casting aside bothsnocross and speed and style last year in favor of afreestyle only snowmobile program, ESPN brass has hada change of tune (or is that heart) and will once againfeature snocross at what is likely the biggest and mostwatched snowmobile competition in the world. Whiledetails have not yet been announced, Duncan is planningat least two qualifiers. Word from the ego patrol is thesequalifiers will be stand-alone events and not held inconjunction with an existing ISOC National Snocross race.

LAUNCH WITH LEVI AT TORONTOINTERNATIONALSNOWMOBILE SHOWOur boy Levi LaVallee will be at this years Toronto InternationalSnowmobile, ATV and Powersports Show thanks in part to our friends atMystik Lubricants. You can be assured Levi will be signing autographs,posing for photos, shaking hands with the men, hugging the ladies, andkissing babies. Levi will also be guest announcing the live freestyleshows. Make plans to attend now, October 19-21 at the InternationalCentre. Visit www.torontosnowmbileatvshow.com for details.

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NEWS

ON SNOW MAGAZINE

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NEWS

613-489-5297 jawsperformance.com

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26 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

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YELLOWSTONE BACK PEDDLE You should know by now that the Yellowstone debate will likely never goaway, yet just when it seemed the number of snowmobiles allowed into thepark would be bumped up slightly for the coming season, the Park Servicehas taken two steps back. After floating a preferred plan earlier thissummer which would have increased the number of snowmobiles allowedin the park each day by 162 units, the park has backtracked on its stance,instead opting to stay the status quo. That decision, while still allowingsome access to the park, is not what snowmobile proponents and areacitizens were led to believe would be the rule this winter. The back peddlemove is being linked by industry insiders as another example of the ParkService having ties to close to extremist environmental groups who want tosee snowmobiles eliminated from the park.

The Nytros not fast enough for you ground and pounders? Getthis, Yamaha just announced they will offer a trail superchargerfor the FX Nytro that adds 45-horsepower to the Genesis 130FIengine. No need to bust out your calculators, weve done themath already and thats a total of 175-horsepower, people. Thesupercharger kit was put together by Mac Randolph fromMountain Performance Inc. Randolph is a wizard with this kindof thing and hes been putting superchargers on Yamahassince at least 2007 when he was making Phazers with way toomuch power. The kit works seamlessly with the stock fuelinjection and accommodates the stock exhaust so you cankeep our non-riding trail neighbors happyya hear?

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28 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

ACCESSON SNOW MAGAZINE

SCENE IT?

HAYDAYS 12The big one came and went, but not before ourOSM crew dissected the swap, glad-handed thebrass, gorged ourselves on late night tacos, andbrought back some fine Minnesota dust to ourToronto office. Heres how the big one wentdown through our lenses.

Photos: Pat Bourgeois and Matt Clark As always, there was grass drag at Haydays. Rumor has it the boys andgirls squeezing the trigger on the new kitties were looking good.

Friday night we found a full-on party bus justtwo rows into the massive swap. Againstbetter judgment, and shouts of no cameras,we captured this image before making ourway out the rear emergency exit.

We learned our lesson last year after walking over 10 miles.We scored a rental cart for a mere 50 green backs and thelatest copy of OSM the battery died five rows later.

Well hydrated and tired, we were happy to find anything to lean on.

One year later, themysterious Panther seatreturns to the swap. Thistime Rich passes on theopportunity to own thisfine leopard print gem asecond time around.

29ON SNOW MAGAZINE

After already having purchased a Moto-Ski runnerthe night before, Bourgeois was awe struck whenhe came upon this fine leather Moto-Ski leather.

Yeah kids its still soft after 30-plus years.

By 6:15am on Saturday morning, buyers for theswap were stacked up like cordwood outside theentrance gate flush with cash.

Vintage freaks Mac and Cheesefound this triple Boa-Ski withinthe vintage display early Fridaynight before a thick layer of dustcovered its pristine hood.

Would you buy tacos from this guy at2:00am? Best damn late night grub atHaydays was found at Fusion Tacosthis year. We dined there both Fridayand Saturday nights.

The Haydays swap has become more of a flea market in recent years, versus a full-on snowmobile swap. Love it or leave it, youll find anything for sale here.

A young entrepreneur from Hermantown, Minnesota, was hawking hoods, tracks, andsuspensions. We stumbled across these skids late Saturday while his mom was on security duty.

By lowering ourselves to the basic male instinct level, the OSM booth was hopping asMickey and Jennifer handed out the latest issue and posed for photographs.

Unwilling to let Haydays die for another year,Bourgeois fired up the generator and pizza ovenfor a Sunday evening cookout as vendors flockedto the exit gate. It aint over till I say its over.

30 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

ACCESSON SNOW MAGAZINE

SCENE IT?

HAYDAYS 12

FXR hired Fabio to help out in their booth this year.

Seems everyone is jumping on the boost game. TheAerocharger folks had this force fed beast on display inside

the corporate Ski-Doo booth. Hmmmmmm?

With Tom Rager Sr. announcing his retirement, long timePolaris racer and cross country ace Corey Davidson,

looked for some final words of wisdom.

Yamaha gave their most loyal customers some extra loveat Haydays with a sneak peek at some future graphicsand a bag of swageverybody loves a free T-shirt eh?!

Jason Houle from StraightlinePerformance was spotted with his sonduring Ski-Doos Friday night meet and

greet. Hey everyone loves free food.

Ski-Doos new Marketing Director for snowmobiles,Philippe Normand was introduced to the snowmobiling

fray with a baptism by fire weekend at Haydays. The guy was pumped to take it all in.

31ON SNOW MAGAZINE

You know youre in Minnesota when the best-wrappedsled at Hay Dizzle was done up in the iconic GrainBelt beer brand courtesy of the kids at Racewerx.

The newly launched Unites States X-Country organization wason hand with a swank new trailer and signing up way moreracers than expected for the forthcoming season. Looks likecross-country racing is gonna be on the gas this winter.

TerraCross was the main attraction at Haydays this year,and Nick Nelson, editor of our sister publication ATV World,tried his hand at the closed course competition. Here Nickwas leading the pack before getting punted by Rath andlosing a rear drive axle. He finished the final in fifth.

32 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

ACCESSON SNOW MAGAZINE

SCENE IT?

HAYDAYS 12

This guys mad skills allowed him to hopthe rear gate and score VIP parking.

Levi LaVallee was all over Haydays,including a stint in the Mystik

Lubricants booth to sign autographsand get photos with his fans.

Blown Motors has been makingwaves in the social cyber world

all summer. They showed face atHaydays with lots of flags outside

and gear inside.

This is what a slow Sunday at Haydays looks like.

34 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

EPIC FAILAGAIN

HUMAN BRAKEProof positive skiers should take the chairlift.

VIEW AT WWW.OSMMAG.COM

AND AGAIN

HEADPLANTNo helmets are required when your head is already this dense.

VIEW AT WWW.OSMMAG.COM

WATER POLOMom always told you not to play down by the river, now you know why.

VIEW AT WWW.OSMMAG.COM

The epic chute-climb videoending in a massivedownhill slide of sled,rider, and ego, down anincredibly long and rocklined chute returns withtwo new alternative videoviewpoints. We just cantget enough of this one. VIEW ATWWW.OSMMAG.COM

An epic classic returns,stupid skier tricks, and moresledders who are all wet.

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.

EPIC FAILS

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

You got a favorite online snowmobile video you thinkwill make the cut and appear in a future issue of OnSnow Magazine? Let us know. Send us the link alongwith your contact information to: info@osmmag.comand you could score the same OSM t-shirt worn byour snowmobile paparazzi shooters.

36 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

TRAIN TRACKS

Ive always been an Arctic Cat guy;everyone knows that. When I was little,I rode my Kitty Cat, literally into pieces.My Dad never had any trouble getting thehood off, mostly because I already had itoff for him. I guess you could say I wastesting and tuning at a very young age.

Growing up, I loved to ride and Icouldnt get enough of it. Id blast throughthe ditches before I got on the bus forschool, and rip around the yard until myMom flashed the porch light for me tocome in at night. I even have a picture ofme sporting my cowboy boots while

riding my Kitty Cat in the summer!I still love to ride, but now all my time on

a sled is spent racing or officially testingand tuning. It doesnt leave time forrecreational riding, but this year there areno excuses. Im making time to ridebecause I just introduced my newProCross F800 Race Replica snowmobile.

My replica sled has been in the designpipeline for a few years. When Arctic Catasked me if Id like to work with them ona signature consumer sled, it was quitean honor. I was excited and nervous atthe same time because I knew it had to

be unique and truly reflect me.We drafted a concept and timeline,

and then got to work. The goal: toproduce a snowmobile that had the triedand true features of my race sled; couldbe ridden aggressively, yet still handlewell for trail riders and of course, lookmean! After countless hours in meetings,working with engineers and stylists, welaunched my race replica this fall atHaydays.

Im really excited how it all cametogether. Heres a quick run down on thesignature details that made the final cut.

TUCKER HIBBERT

MEET MY RIDE

www.tucker-hibbert.comTwitter.com/hibbert68Facebook.com/TuckerHibbertYoutube.com/TuckerHibbertTV

37ON SNOW MAGAZINE

Ive always been particular about the cut ofmy windshield. When the ProCross chassiscame out last fall, I knew I wanted to design

a custom windshield to race with. Armedwith a roll of tape and a tin snip, I got to

work. After a few rounds of revisions withSportech, we finalized the cut and did a

limited run for the race season.

Dont be surprised if you see white skissneak-up on you on the trail this winter. Younever know, it might even be me! Get moredetails on the ProCross F800 Tucker HibbertRace Replica sled including exclusivephotos at www.osmmag.com.

The first time I raced with white skis wasthe 2000 Winter X Games. We all knowhow that worked out, so the white skis

stuck. Now, Im almost superstitious aboutit! A few years ago, I decided to paint myrails white; it really tied in the white skis.

For my replica, it was a no brainer to addwhite skis and powder coat the rails white.

I am so pumped on how the graphicsturned out. They have the same design

elements of my 2013 race graphicsincluding the glossy/matte double H

on the side panels.

Finally, whats a replica race sled withoutnumber plates? These are the same number

plates Ive raced with since 2004. Iveadapted them to three different chassis. I

just love the way they look.

Its no secret that FOX Shox makes the bestsuspension components in the industry. Ive beenracing with FOX Shox my entire career and first

started testing with Kashima coating two years ago.The gold coating fills the little holes on the shock body

to reduce friction. My replica sled is the onlysnowmobile on the market that comes stock with

Kashima coated shocks. Only the best! I even run aKashima coated fork and shock on my mountain bike.

The replica hand guards not only lookcool, but they protect your hands from

wind and roost!

38 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

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Hanging with Jasper Brinkley of the MinnesotaVikings and his over-the-top body guards.

Found one of my favorite pics while growing up this summer. Looks like I wasnt afraid

of the throttle or air as a kid either.

My summer fun included a weeklong houseboat tripon Lake Vermillion. Our boat was outfitted with the

proper number before we left the dock.

We stopped in Tower, Minnesota before departing onthe houseboat. Its known as one of the coldest

places in the United States. Im not sure if I look likean Eskimo or Don King!

The summer was also filled with photo andvideo shoots. Here I show the cameras how

fast I can slam a can of Red Bull.

WINGING IT WITH LEVI

BITTERSWEET GOODBYES

LEVI LAVALLEE

I was a little nervous after being asked to speakat Tom Rager Sr.s retirement announcement atHaydays. Tom has been instrumental to mysuccess and I can never thank him enough.

September is always a bittersweettime for me; summer is coming to aclose, meaning no more warmnights and no more fun on the lake. Ofcourse, at the same time it also meansHaydays is upon us, along with football,snowmobiles and snow! This year was nodifferent and as usual, there was a pile ofactivity leading up to the fall seasonincluding a houseboat trip on LakeVermillion, multiple video and photo

shoots, and a few sponsor appearances.However, Id have to say the highlight forme was turning 30! I cant believe I madeit! Someone told me It is all down hill fromhere. I replied with, Im just excited Imade it to the hill! When you do sillythings like me, each year is like a victorytrophy! LOL. Do I feel older? I think mymind has more knowledge, but I think itstill works like a little kids does. And whatabout my body? I think any additional

aches that I have are probably fromspending half of my twenties recoveringfrom injuries! Ha ha! Overall, Im feelingpretty good about things.

Haydays is always a special event forme. I have been going to Haydays since Iwas a little kid, and each year I get just asexcited to go as I did back then. This yearwas one that will stand out for me though.Tom Rager Sr., the Polaris Race Directorsince 2000 is retiring, and Polaris

39ON SNOW MAGAZINE

acknowledged his retirement at Haydays.To recap Toms time at Polaris, Rager Sr.and his crew were able to take a strugglingrace program and transform it into one ofthe most successful race programs insnowmobiling. Toms passion forsnowmobiles, racing, and victory, iscontagious to be around. Toms honest,straightforward hand shake typeapproach is honorable on all levels and issomething I admire about him to this day.

I was asked to speak at his retirementannouncement, and I said I would behonored to! As I started preparing my

speech I realized that it was going to be atough one for me. Tom was the first personto really give me a chance in racing, andeven though I had many ups and downs,he continued to believe in me. I wasdetermined to not let him down, andeventually things started coming around.What he believed I could do started tobecome a reality. I started getting on thepodium, and eventually I won Prosnocross championship; a lifelong dreamof mine. I thank Tom for all the patience hehas had with me and all my antics over theyears. I imagine it is a race directors worst

nightmare when one of his riders says hewants to do a double backflip in the middleof race season! To say I have nothing butrespect for Tom Sr. would be anunderstatement. Tom has allowed me tolive my dream and do things that I wouldhave never imagined.

Although I will miss working with TomSr., the future of Polaris Racing is in greathands with Tom Sr.s son. Tom Rager Jr.was my first mechanic when I startedracing on the factory Polaris Team and hasbeen heavily involved with the Polaris raceprogram for as long as I can remember. Iam 108% sure that Tom Jr. will take offrunning, right where Sr. left off!

With Haydays behind us, everything hasbeen focused on the upcoming season.Last year was a good one for our team,but this season we have our sights sethigh hold on tight, its gonna be anawesome season.

TeamLaVallee.comStay Connected

Twitter.com/Levi_LaValleeFacebook.com/LeviLaValleeFanPage

Hanging at Haydays once againanother awesome time.

All dressed upin my newArctiva gear fora photo shoot.

I love the TV screens in Times Square.They make me look at least 5 8 ha ha!

My appropriately decorated 30th birthday cake.

40 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

11

Hello all! Fall is in the air and as I sitand write this months column, Iam riverside on the mighty KenaiRiver, for the 5th Annual Fall Classicfishing trip. Im up bright and shiny to getmy work done before we launch for a fullday of slaying world class RainbowTrout. For the past 5 years, I haveinvited my fr iends and sponsors toAlaska for a fall trip that rivals no other.Its my way to give back a little to thosethat have given me so much over thepast years. We always have a greatgroup and of course, this year did notdisappoint. From fellow athletes andteam managers, to sponsors andfriends, this years group was one of thebest ever and of course, we are having atotal blast. Unfortunately, for anyone whois an avid fisherman, youll have to waittill next issue to get the pictures from thisyears adventure.

Its hard to believe that just this pastweekend, I was back in Minnesota forHaydays. Every year, this event blows my

mind. Its great to see all the manufactures,the aftermarket companies, and of course,the fans who all come together to celebratethis great sport we all love. This yeardefinitely was no different. The mullets,

short shorts, and hats curved enough to fitin a mailbox were in large abundance. Themanufactures had all the latest models ondisplay and a few even unveiled their newrace sleds as well. TerraCross was also onin full glory with both the side-by-sides andATVs ripping it up. It blows my mind howguys like Doug Gust and Darryl Rath ripthose utility quads like they are sport quadson a moto track. I even hopped in myBristows Polaris RZR 900 and took somelaps. Such a blast!

This year I was fortunate to be part ofthe Polaris program, with a chance tohang with Levi LaVal le and ChrisBurandt. As part of the Polaris camp, I

FOR THE RECORDPAUL THACKER

GETTING BACK TO MEWinter is coming and Imstoked to bet back in thesaddle and not justimprove upon my adaptiveriding skills but moreimportantly, start pushingthe boundaries once again.

Photos Courtesy of Joe Wiegele of No Style Productions

As the sun set on Haydays after day one, I joined the Slednecks/FOXShocks after party to watch the premiere screening of Slednecks 15.

I was also part of the TerraCross broadcast crewand spent time interviewing several athletes

including my pal Levi LaVallee. It was no surpriseLevi was having an awesome time.

got to sit through the ceremony, whichrecognized Tom Rager Sr. sachievements at Polaris, prior to hisretirement at seasons end. Tom is agreat individual and an amazing racemanager who has had so much successfor so many years. I wish him nothingbut the bestyou will be missed.

Of course Haydays isnt just aboutwhat happens during the day; thenight l ight is a big part of i t too,especially for industry folks. Saturdaynight started off with theSlednecks/FOX Shocks VIP party -great food, cold beverages, and thepremiere of Slednecks 15 is reasonenough to cal l i t a great t ime.Afterwards, the party moves over to thePT11 trailer, with good tunes and plentyof shenanigans. Once again, Haydaysleft an impression not only on my mind

but my liver as well, that fortunately willlast until next year!

Im super stoked to hear that Speedand Style and Snocross is back atWinter X Games this year. Its such ahuge part of elevating and growing oursport and its great to see it back. Whileits still early to make a call, there are somany great athletes that are capable ofwinning any of the four events, that Ihave no doubt it is going to be one ofthe best X-Games ever. Every year itseems that someone steps forward,does something crazy, and takes oursport up another notch. Hopefully, theadaptive snocross element will get backin the mix soon as well, so I can dosome shredding myself.

I have to say that I am really excitedfor this upcoming winter season. Myinjury is coming up on two years, andeven though there is still plenty more for

me to learn about living a normal day-to-day life, it is getting better and betterwith each passing day. I am morecomfortable getting back to the activitiesthat I was so used to pre-injury. I amstoked to get on a sled and once againpush the limits of what I can do andhopeful ly, get back to pushing mymachinery as well. Slowly but surely, Iam getting back to my old self. Not sureI ever left, but definitely feeling morelike myself these days! I am ready to geton the track, back to the mountains, andback to what I love.

Until next time!PT11

41ON SNOW MAGAZINE

www.paulthacker11.comTwitter.com/paulthacker11FINDMEONFACEBOOK!

One of several Grizzly bears we saw while on the5th Annual Fall Classic Alaska fishing trip. Watchfor complete details on this years trip along withphotos in the next issue of OSM.

It feels good to get behind the wheel or thehandlebars of anything with a motor

it feels like home.

The PT11 rig rolled into Haydays shiny andbrightit didnt leave that way.

42 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

Well here I am better late thannever! When the crew from OnSnow Magazine (OSM) askedme to be a part of their guest editorialcrew, I jumped at the chance.Unfortunately, my busy summer and ahuge freestyle show in British Columbianear the end of summer prevented mefrom making my introduct ion in thepremiere September issue. So here Iam, one issue later, and Im honestlystoked to me a part of the magazine.

I just finished up 17-days of insanefreestyle work at the Pacific NationalExhibit ion Fair (PNE) in Vancouver,British Columbia. This show is put on byPerformance Product ions, and theathletes perform three 30-minute showsa day. The name of the freestyle show isEvolution of Extreme, and it featuresmotocross riders Ted Culbertson andKeith Sayers; freestyle quad rider CodyElkins; two street bike stunt riders inSean Westgate and Sean Oglevie; andme. The show format is really cool as itrecaps how freestyle has evolved into itscurrent state. Ive done a lot of shows inmy career, but I can honestly say this isone of my favorites. To make it evenbetter this year, we decided to rent a

house for 20-days versus living out in ahotel for that long. It was nice be able toretreat to our little man cave at the endof the day.

The freestyle industry is actually quitesmall; almost all of us know each otherand/or have worked with each other atone time or another. Ted Culbertson,Keith Sayers and I have worked togetherfor six years now and are really close.We are also radio-controlled (RC) plane

nerds and took our passion for RC flyingto a whole new level on this trip. I endedup buying a new P-47 and a Spitfire forthe trip to help pass the time during thedown time before and between shows.

One of the problems with RC planes isthat they are often illegal to fly within thecity limits. However, we ended up gettingreally lucky this time and were able to flyin a park, right next to where we didshows for the PNE. The only issues with

FORWARD THINKING HEATH FRISBY

EVOLUTION OF EXTREME

Performance Productions puts on a first class show and it was ablast performing for big crowds three times a day during thePacific National Exhibition Fair.

Keith Sayers (left), myself, and Ted Culbertson (right) spent our downtime during the PNE show flying our RC planes. You could say weare just as fanatical about them as we are freestyle.

@heathfrisby facebook.com/heathfrisby

The Evolution of Extreme featured freestyle performances from bikes, quads, sleds and streetbikes and told the story of freestyle

from humble beginnings to center stage at X-Games.

the park were lots of people by a public pool, trees, and amajor ocean inlet, where a few planes ended up in (not bychoice). In fact, I had to swim for Keith Sayers planewithin the first ten minutes of our first flight, in strongocean currents. Fortunately, I saved the plane and noharm was done to me or the planewhew

In all, we performed 52 shows while at the PNE, andIm already looking forward to next year. After the show,my wife and I drove down the Oregon coast on our wayhome and spent a night at Cannon Beach, Oregon. It wasthe perfect way to relax after 17-days of performing. Untilnext time HF

The Roseau crew carved out a newniche when they decided to optionout their new Switchback andborrow a few cues from the immenselypopular on-road motorcycle sport touringsegment, in order to create the goeverywhere and do anything Adventure.An extension of the already existingcrossover family, the Adventure and its136x1.352 track wants to init ial lyidentify with the crossover crowd.However, with the machine adorned inremovable storage; accessory 12voltoutlets; mirrors; a functionally tal lwindshield; and standard electric start; itf irmly plants one foot in the touringsegment as well. With these options inmind, the machine is well suited forloading up and taking off on a winter

adventure, with no particular destinationor distance in mind. Versatility is whatthe Adventure is all about.

Under the hood is the same proven600 CFI motor, which has a good trackrecord for making very useable powerand excellent durability. One item that amore performance oriented rider maywant to pay attention to is the l itt leyellow jumper plug near the oil tank fillercap area. Instead of the machinecalibrating itself for variances in fuelquality, it leaves it up to the driver to lookat the pump and switch the jumper to thecorrect setting of 10% ethanol or nonethanol premium, which changes thecalibration settings of the Cleanfire fueland ignition system. If done incorrectly,the machine will still run well, but it will

POLARIS

ADVENTURESWITCHBACK

WRITE THIS DOWN

About the Mac Our resident wrench and part time Elvis

impersonator, Jason MacDonald, is an avidsnowmobiler and rides every chance he gets.Each issue, Jason or Mac as he is affectionatelyreferred to within the OSM office for his love of anyboxed cheese and pasta meal, scrawls out histhoughts on a bar napkin and hands them over toeditor in chief Bourgeois to decipher and attempt tocreate complete sentences from the babble. Jasonis infatuated with snowmobiles and he knows hisway around a sled, regardless of its age. His firstbuggy was a 1971 Skiroule S-400, and he hasntstopped riding since. Mac has done it all in thesnowmobile business including sweepingdealership floors; sales; service; technicaldiagnostics; technical writing; technical training;and wrenching for I-500, Snocross and NSSRcompetitors. In total, Jason has been addicted tosnowmobiles for 33 years; worked at a dealershipfor 16; a manufacturer for 5; and has mooched offOSM for 2. Each year, we give Mac the keys to oursnowmobile cookie jar, and he rides our long termloaners to work daily. In addition, Mac keeps ourfleet serviced and tuned, and is always at theready to take an extra long weekend trip at amoments notice. While snow conditions weresparse for most of us last winter, Jason squeezedin a ride every chance he got, and continued toride to work, even when conditions were sketchy atbest. Folks, Elvis has entered the building.

2012

By Jason MacDonald

Despite poor snow conditions throughoutmuch of the Midwest, we found pockets ofgood stuff, and the Adventure was a goodsteed for the long ride to get there.

44 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

The accessory rear bag from the PURE Polaris catalog is a must have and frankly, a better storage option than the standard hard-side saddlebags.

Soft spring rates andless aggressivedamping from theFOX Zero Proshocks made for thebest combo to dateon a Pro-Ridechassis.

The OSM crew sampledthe Adventure in Quebec

as well as part of our2012 ThrowDown. Watch

for a full report on howwe threw it down later

this winter.

The standard mirrors work well, but have apoor mounting design that is susceptible tobreakage. Big man on campus Bourgeois

snapped one off inadvertently, while trying tocomb his hair in the image of Elvis.

lack that last little bit of bite on the top endof the rpm range, and throttle response willseem just a bit lazy in comparison. Oil andfuel consumption seems to be right on parwith the current crop of 600 classers, andleaning a bit more to the thirsty side whencompared to similar four stroke units. Inaddition, this particular mill and drivelineseems to emit more mechanical noise thannearly every other sled in our fleet lastwinter. The noise was particularlynoticeable at certain trail speeds, thusmaking it an adventure in itself to avoidthose speeds while clicking off the miles.

The extend rail and chassis configurationof the Pro-Ride was new for Big P in2012, and the Adventure calibrationsappeared to be one of the best in thefamily. Unlike our similar 600 SwitchbackPro-R, the Adventure was compliant andcontrolled in the nasty stuff, while at thesame time, performed admirably in thesmaller chatter bumps - something none ofour Pro-Ride sleds have done well to date.Part of that calibration associated with theAdventure was Fox IFP shocks on the frontsuspension, as well as the front track shockand a Walker Evans with remote reservoirand compression adjustment used on theoutboard mounted shock in the rear of the

machine. Nonetheless, the Adventure stillisnt a set it and forget it kind of ride. To getthe most out of the suspension, we suggestyou know your suited up riding weight aswell as the weight of any and all extras youmay bring along. This will allow you to getthe initial spring preload set close. To makeit even better, be prepared to stop againafter 3-5 miles and make another round ofminor adjustments. This may sound like alot of messing around, but it makes a worldof difference, and there is little gettingaround the sensit ivity the Pro-Ridesuspension has, regarding rider dynamics.

Ergonomically, the machine has yousitting in a posted position with nice, semi-flat foot-wells and a tapered seat thataccommodates both aggressive riding upfront and casual cruising at the back. Thecontrols bring the new body style sled backto the 90s in terms of looks, but when itcomes to function they are hard to fault,offering ease of use, even with gloves on.The riser block included is 3.5 tall, andPolaris does offer other options to tailor theseating/bar height for different riders. Ataller riser block might be in order though,as the Adventure requires some extramuscle to manipulate a twisted trail. Whilethe steering effort is reduced some for

2013, thanks to new skis, Polaris couldreally improve the ride and enhance theexperience by plucking an ATV or UTVpower steering unit from their off-road partsbins. Somebody write that down.

Elsewhere on the Adventure, youll find amulti-function display (MFD) that is easy toread and will display engine temp; a nicefeature when riding in low snow conditionsor for early morning warm-ups. The MFDalso has a security function for the 2012model year that has to be activated by yourlocal dealer, and will allow anyone to startthe machine, but it cannot be driven due tolimiting rpm unti l the preset code isnumerically applied.

Overall, the trail manners of the 600Switchback Adventure are predictable andcomfortable for all day excursions.However, keep in mind that propersuspension set-up is critical. A few moreextras such as a standard GPS and thesoft-sided rear luggage (which is anaccessory we sprang for and found morepractical than the hard sided luggage)would add more luxury; while less chassisnoise, improved fit and finish, and making theAdventure the first sled to introduce powersteering in the Polaris snowmobile fold wouldadd more comfort too. Write that down.

45ON SNOW MAGAZINE

ON SNOW MAGAZINE46

60TimeMachinesSki-Doo Model K60by Jim Urquhart

47ON SNOW MAGAZINE

W ith two skis, a track, a hood, seat, handlebars and an engine; it iswhat our minds construct when it conjures an image of asnowmobile. But imagine looking at this machine and not knowingwhat it is or what it was for. Thats exactly what happened when this sledarrived at Halvorson Forest Equipment Co. in Duluth, Minn., in the late summerof 1959.

With Polaris just a few years old and Arctic Cat not even on the map, J.Armand Bombardiers company was already vastly experienced in makingtracked vehicles. A few key events came into play in Bombardiers life to steerhim toward making a serious effort at simplifying over-snow travel. First, he wasmechanically inclined and when he moved to Valcourt after working andstudying in Montreal, he opened his own garage which became his livelihood.

Valcourt can be a very snowy place in winter and Bombardier had begun totinker with different snow machine designs before tragedy struck. In 1934 his 2-year-old son Yvon, developed appendicitis and passed away. It was the middle

of winter and the nearest hospital was in Sherbrooke, which even today is ahalf-hour drive from Valcourt. Snow-covered roads prevented Bombardier fromgetting his son to the hospital in time.

With several prototype snow machines around his shop, Bombardier set towork on developing one that would maybe prevent the tragedy that befell hisyoung family. Within the next year he would make two significant strides inmaking over-snow travel possible. One was the development of the rubber-covered drive sprocket. The second was his first production vehicle usingvarious parts from Ford and Chevrolet vehicles, along with a track, sprocket,suspension and skis of Bombardiers design.

Bombardier sold some 38 machines the first two years, and went on todevelop more designs including a snow bus, which could hold 25 schoolchildren. Then he designed a track conversion system for tractors. In 1953,Bombardier released a Muskeg tractor and what he called the J5 tractor the next

IT WOULD BE A SAFE BETTO SAY THAT EVERYONEREADING THIS ISSUE OFOSM MAGAZINE WILLLOOK AT THE YELLOWSKI-DOO PICTURED ONTHESE PAGES AND THINK SNOWMOBILE.

1960 Ski-Doo Model K60

year. It was these tractors that RoyHalvorson was using to harvest Christmastrees in the swamps of Northern Minnesota.Halvorson believed in Bombardier sequipment so much he set up a company -Halvorson Forest Equipment, whichbecame the first Midwest distributor ofBombardiers products.

Paralleling all this, Bombardier hadalso developed an endless rubber trackband for tractors, and even establishedhis own rubber supply company whichexpanded until his son Germain took itover (the company still exists and todayis known as Camoplast). The endlessrubber track was the last piece of thepuzzle in Bombardiers quest to build anefficient over-snow vehicle.

Bombardier built two prototype sleds in1958, which he called Ski-Dogs. The nextyear, (1959) the company geared up toproduce its first run of snowmobiles; theSki-Doo Model K60 - the worlds firstmass-produced snowmobile. The K60weighed 335-pounds and was poweredby a single-cylinder, 7HP 265cc Kohler 4-stroke engine. Power was transmittedthrough a drive pulley, based on theSalisbury clutch that came on Eliasonsmachine. Testament to his keen mind,Bombardier had studied the drive andknocked off his own design. The K60 hada 15x114-inch track driven by two drivesprockets. Bogey wheels handled thebumps in the rear and the front featureda pair of coil springs; basically a crudetelescoping suspension. The hood, bellypan and tunnel were all made of steel.There was no brake.

When the sled pictured in these photosarrived at Halvorsons store as part of ashipment of equipment, Tom and RoyHalvorson didnt know why it was there orwhat to do with it. They hadnt ordered it

and there was no paperwork, so theycontacted Bombardier to find out why thefactory sent it. Ironically enough, no onecan still agree on whether Halvorsonshad ordered the sled or if it was sent byBombardier as a sample.

Focused on their heavy equipmentbusiness, the Halvorson brothers shuffledthe strange looking K60 to a far, backcorner of their warehouse, and wentabout their business. Eventually, themanager of the repair shop asked themto move it so he could use the space, soTom stuck it in his garage in Duluth. Itwas there it sat until one warm springday, as the snow began to melt, that

covered the Northland Country Club golfcourse which Tom lived adjacent to, didthe K60 finally fire to life. Along with afriend, Tom took the sled out to see whati t was al l about. What they quicklydiscovered was just how much fun theK60 was to r ide. Soon after, al l ofHalvorsons employees took turns onthe K60, and each one of them returnedgrinning from ear to ear. It wasnt longafter, that Halvorsons was peddlinghundreds of yellow Ski-Doo machines towinter recreationalists in the years thatfollowed.

Halvorsons sold that first K60 sled to aguy in town named John Bero, but theyeventually bought it back after realizing ithad historical significance. The sled wenton display at the Halvorson Incorporatedoffices, then at the Bombardier offices inDuluth, unti l 1991 when they weremoved to Wausau, Wis. Long-t imeHalvorson employee and Ski-Doohistorian Phil Mickelson kept the sledafter the move and began searching fora home for it. After striking out with theFord Museum in Michigan, he eventuallycontacted the Snowmobile Hall Of Famein St. Germain, Wis., which is where itresides today. You can learn more aboutthe Snowmobile Hall of Fame Museum byvisiting www.snowmobilehalloffame.com.

48 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

TimeMachines

BAR RISERS Somewhere along the way, 12-inch bar risers and motocross barshave become the calling card for guys who ride standing up.Yeah we get itwhats nextleather tassels and ape hangers?

Made it MyselfSnowmobilers have always been aresourceful bunch as the sport hasseen its share of free thinkers comeand go. Here are five I did it all bymyself ideas for better or worse.

HELMET CAMS The kids from Go-Pro have made it easy for anyone to make aPOV movie clip with compact high-def cameras, waterproofcases, and quick attach accessories. And then there is the mademyself crowd choose wisely kids.

GRAPHIC WRAPS Heres a tip let the designers design, and you worry aboutriding. We love a badass graphic scheme as much as the nextguy, but seriously, know when to say whenthe south is notgonna do it again.

TRAILERS Snowmobiling is an expensive sport, but fill a few more jars withpennies and splurge for a trailer before you consider discreetlyusing your moms Accord.

ACCESSORIESLow on cash, yet high on ingenuity (and perhaps the devilslettuce too) this backcountry snowboarder hooked himself up withall the fixings for a backcountry excursion...Bravo!

49ON SNOW MAGAZINE

Got a favorite not listed? Let us know at info@osm-mag.com

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thSnow Hawk

50 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

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AMBITIONS: ___________________________________________________

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TURN-OFFS: ___________________________________________________

FAVORITE SONGS/MUSICIANS:_____________________________________

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Snow HawkBurnt Orange and Blue

82.5cm x 122cm ( 32.5 x 48)180Kg (405lbs)

2002 by AD Boivin Levis, Quebec, CanadaTo reinvent snowmobiling by loosing a ski and having riders gain a sense of balance. Tree Bark, Broken Bones, Single-Wides, and the Chrysler Sno Runner Alpines, Double-Wides, Thumb Throttles, Agility

Lay it On the Line Triumph, I Wanna Be Somebody WASP, One Track Mind Motorhead, Anything by Flock of Seagulls, Song Bird - Kenny G., and ofcourse Slapin da Bass Mon.

Eileen, Dirty Hooker Pirate, Uno, Mono, Bastard Child, Powder Pigeon, and Ditch ChickenDeveloped by an upstart company of inventors from Quebec, who already had the

snowmobile world buzzing during the late 1990s with their swing-arm type rear suspension dubbed theExpert, the Snow Hawk arrived with huge aspiration. With one eye on the freedom one could gain bydeveloping a motorcycle for snow, the kids at AD Boivin had lofty and magical dreams for the SnowHawk. With fewer limitations and coveted traits from the motorcycle world, the Hawk held the potentialto break down traditional snowmobile barriers on many fronts. For all intensive purposes, the Snow Hawk,at least on paper or sitting still, hit the mark. It looked different; it rode different, and thus in essencechanged the traditional snowmobiling experience. There was only one fatal flaw; the thing was harderthan hell to ride. Other than the half-pint Snow Hawk factory pilot who seemingly followed the vehiclearound wherever it was being displayed or showcased; any other seasoned rider, be it a snowmobiler, amotorcyclists or better yet, both, could barely clear the parking lot without rubbing a few cars in routeto the trail. However, that didnt discourage the Boivin kids from their dreams, and by the mid 2000s, thenational snocross circuit (WPSA) had a Snow Hawk class for any man or woman brave enough to climbaboard and flog some laps. A few even managed to finish a race, but from a fans perspective they werebrutally boring. The Snow Hawk, which is still being built and supported by a small company in Quebeccalled Motosport Thibeault www.motosportsthibeault.com, was definitely differentperhaps too different.Much like a watercraft, you need a group of them to stay entertained, and even then, the Hawkslearning curve and shortcomings kept it short of its goals and far from reaching success.

Anchor of the Month

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At the risk of sounding old or worse yet, like yourhard-of-hearing Great Grandpa, reminiscingabout the good-old-days, its safe to say thatsnowmobiles have gotten expensive. Not just alittle rich for the blood expensive, but off thecharts, are you kidding me expensive.

Ohsure, you can still find a few affordably pricedentry sleds from the 2013 new buggy selectionthat wont entirely cripple the wallet. But mostare best suited for a hotdog roast with Mom on

Sunday afternoon, not a Friday evening burn with your buddies.Given that, and the fact the economy is still sputtering along, (atleast on the stars and stripes side of the border) the OSM crewset out on a simple mission identify the few remaining buggiesin production that wont burst the magical $9K budget, (USdollars; sorry maple boys) and at the same time, wont have yousucking rear teat and inhaling flogged snow dust. Heres whatwe found.

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Rippin It On a Budget

UNDER 9K: RIPPIN IT ON A BUDGET

54 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

Yamaha Phazer GT$8,599 US - $8,999 CAN

We know what you are saying, butbefore you harpoon us with a rant aboutthe Phazer being an undersized,underpowered, and cold as hel lsnowmobile that has been forgotten in

the Yamaha l ine-up after a muchballyhooed introduction in 2007,consider this. Okay, okay maybe youcan needle us a little, but aside fromsome shortcomings and an introduction

that in hindsight came at a poor time, asthe industry was flush with lower-pricedcarry-over units, the Phazer still holdsplenty of merit.

For starters, its one of the few four-stroke snowmobiles in the industry thatt ips the bank account below the 9Kmark, and does so with admirable power- about 80 ponies. The Phazer GT alsocomes equipped with quality shocks onits narrow and naked frame dualclicker HPG units up front and a pair ofrebuildable HPG units at the rear. Throwin some Buzz Lightyear looks that will beespecially appealing to the skate punkswho take over the Kum & Go gas stationduring the winter months; standardelectric start and reverse; plus admirablegas mileage with a powertrain l i feexpectancy that will far outlive virtuallyevery two-stroke on the market; and thePhazer is deserving of considerationperhaps even serious.

Pats SpendGo ahead and call me

out on the carpet; I admitI have a soft spot for thePhazer. At a time whenthe sport needed abreakthrough sled torekindle interest in thesport from the ground

up, the Phazer came along and almosthit the mark. I guess I believe it still canwith a few mechanical tweaks, andperhaps more importantly, a tweakedperspective. Long bombs down whoopedtrails and hooligan late night trail romps

56 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

with the boys are not the Phazer sstrong suits. But if exploring forgottentrails and more leisurely afternoonburns with the family on a sled that willbe there for you ride-after-ride, year-after-year are on your l ist, BuzzLightyear is calling.

Tims Spend Its hard to believe the

Yamaha Phazer GT is in itsseventh season on thesnow. If you have apreference for a four-strokemachine for its bettermileage, better durability,and higher resale benefitsthere are few options

below the 9 large mark. While easy todrive, the Phazer models have a cg thatfeels knee high, making them lessstable in corners at a spirited pace. Tomatch the slow cruise attitude of itshandling, dial-down the GTs clicker tocomfort mode, hide from the elementsbehind the functional, tall window andenjoy the ride. But its high time the GTgets a seat conducive for 100-mile days thats where discomfort creeps in.

UNDER 9K: RIPPIN IT ON A BUDGET

Remember just a few short years agowhen the new Twin Spar from ArcticCat was poised to be the most amazingthing on snow, and even had Oprahcrying in public? Turned out Oprahalways cries in public, and the Twin Spardidnt set the snow on f ire. Earlyversions exhibited vague steering, were

seriously overweight compared to theFirecat chassis it replaced, and thecomfort it did deliver did little to excitethe rabid Arctic Cat performance junkieswho had been waiting with bated breathand wallets agape.

Fast-forward to 2013 and youll findthe Twin Spar chassis taking on mostly

the utility and touring duties in the Arcticline. Turns out the Twin Spar chassiswith its ultra stable design and wide,comfortable cockpit makes for anamazing touring snowmobile. In fact, itwould be easy to argue that its the bestin the business. Not far behind when itcomes to comfort on the trail is the F5,

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UNDER 9K: RIPPIN IT ON A BUDGET

Arctic Cat F5 $8,799 US - $9,999 CAN

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also still based on the Twin Spar design.With a 128-inch track underfoot and thesteady, albeit a little high-strung power ofthe old-school, liquid-cooled, piston port500 twin with fuel injection under hood,the F5 is a pleasant surprise under the9K mark. Throw in standard electricstart, push-button reverse, accessoryoutlet, and top grade suspensioncomponents with lower grade hydraulicshocks, and luxury enters the fray too.

Pats SpendWith the racier Sno

Pro 500 grabbing allthe headlines inrecent years, its easyto overlook the F5buggy. Truth is, theprice tag on bothsleds is identical, withthe Sno Pro garnering

the cool factor looks and FOX shocks.But for my money, the F5 is a farsuperior trail sled, and in fact, would bemy top choice amongst this foursomewhen faced with an all day in the saddletrail burn. On the flip side, when the ridegets spirited and the trail looses itsgroom, the piston port motor will occupymost of its time spinning near redline,and the hydraulic shocks will exceedtheir capabilities.

UNDER 9K: RIPPIN IT ON A BUDGET

58 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

I know what you are thinking; heres our token Yamaha used sled selectionfor this edit. Sorry pal, thats just not the case here. Face it; the used sledmarket can be a dicey proposition, with all sorts of potential issues lurkingbeneath that freshly Pledged hood, waiting to rear their ugly head and forcingyou to spend more of your hard earned money. No matter your opinion onYamahas ride and handling reputation over the past 10-years, there is nodenying the tuning forks reputation for reliability and quality. Unlike theearly RX-1 which quickly gained the not so glamorous name one-ton, the allnew Vector in 2005 introduced the torque-laden and fuel-sipping 120-ponythree-cylinder four-stroke to the mix, along with the Mono Shock rearsuspension with remote adjust (RA). In many ways the sled is very similar tothe Vector of today. More importantly, the motors are bullet proof and even aused buggy with 10,000 clicks has a motor that is not even broke-in. Mostlikely, youll need to pull the suspension and rebuild some key pivot pointsand bushings, and the addition of the new Tuner Ski up front is a necessity.However, once done youll be logging big miles on groomed trails for another10,000 clicks. Ride on pal. Pat Bourgeois

Split the

Difference

Under $4,500

Pats Pick2005 - 2006 RS Vector

OUR PICK FOR LESS JINGLE

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Tims SpendArctic Cats F5

is the idealmachine for valuebuyers whoprioritize ridecomfort abovespeedy handling.Its no slouch, andits Twin Spar

chassis is comfort tuned andcalibrated, making it a muchbetter mount for leisurecruising and ride-all-daymileage hounds. Want awide, comfortable seat? Wanta plush ride? Check. Its alsoan ideal sled for multipleusers mom, the kids, or toloan to your boss who hasntridden in 10 years in hopes ofhookin him back to the sport.Remember where Arctic Catscome from: northernMinnesota folk ride ditches.While not on the top end ofthe power chart, the F5 willhold its own in mostconditions under most riders.

Split theDifference Under $4,500

I dont like to write things about myself because hey, Imjust the messenger. But entertain me for a minute as I givesome background on my choice for a used sled. I telleveryone that Im pretty sure I was the first media guy toride a REV chassis snowmobile when Steve Scheuring letme ride one of his mods around the test track inNovember 2001. Yes people, 2001. I didnt pull muchaway from that ride, other than a severe case of armpump and the humbling knowledge that I had nobusiness riding a full-boat 800c snocross mod. However, Ialso thought the rider position was amazing and wished I

could spend more time on the sled. A few months later Igot to ride a pre-production 600SDI on the trails and wasnt really solduntil I took it through a bump section Id been riding all week on othersit down sleds. The REV made butter out of those bumps, and I wassold. Later, I used a 550X to win my class in the Red Lake I-500 and in

the process, beat the living snot out of it. Each day it greeted me like a lost puppy,happy I was there to play with it for another 170-miles. The original REV was so good,you could argue it took even Ski-Doo a few years of tweaking the XP to make it as goodas the REV. I would be 100-percent happy spending $4500 on a 2007 REV 600H.O. By2007 the sled was completely sorted out, and featured the amazingly good SC-4 skidand Pilot skis. For my money, Id look for an Adrenaline since it has the best of bothworlds - carburetors and aluminum HPG shocks. Stay away from SDI; it has some dirtylittle secrets. But if you can find an MXZ XRS in this price range, go for it, but checkyour ego at the door and revalve the shocks for mere mortals. Jim Urquhart

2007 MX Z 600Jims Pick

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60 ON SNOW MAGAZINE

UNDER 9K: RIPPIN IT ON A BUDGET

Ski-Doo MZ Z Sport$6,549 US - $7,449 CAN

Talk about your blue light specialwhen Ski-Doo announced theirsuggested retail pricing for the 2013MXZ Sport 600 during their early presslaunch in Minneapolis, more than onemouth was left agape. While Polaris firstshook up the status quo pricing structure

in 2008 with their Shift model priced atjust below the seven bill mark in thestates, it was also a stripped model, nulland void of virtually everything, includingthe fuel gauge and thumb warmer. Fiveyears later, thanks to an abundance ofclean EPA credits at their disposal, Ski-

Doo has dropped a price bomb wesuspect no one else can touch with theMX Z Sport 600.

Its not just the price that makes thisthe screaming deal of the year, unlikethe 2008 Shift; the Z Sport is betterequipped. A Rotax 600 twin two-stroke,

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UNDER 9K: RIPPIN IT ON A BUDGET

albeit carbureted, is a sweetheart mill,with plenty of miles under its belt forproven reliability, while spooling out justover 100-ponies. Throw in a 1.25Ripsaw track; Pilot 5.7 skis; the SC-5rear suspension; a full assortment ofgauges; ( including tach and fuel)stainless-steel braided brake line andhooked bar ends; and your mind has justbeen blownboom.

Pats SpendYou had me at

6549 honestly this isthe f l ippin best newsled deal on themarket. Sure you canfind sleds with morepower for a little moremoney, or sleds with a

whirly-bird air-cooled mill under hood foroh-so-slightly-less, but nothing touchesthis combo. I know my partner Tim isfeel ing smitten about the Indy, andrightfully so; its a good sled, but Ill befeeling even better with an extra 1,500Washingtons in my wallet, and knowingIll be riding the best handling sled onsnow in this foursome. Nuff said.

Split theDifference Under $4,500

When the sledding worldwas in rapid shift to allthings rider forward,conventional chassis sledswere perhaps overlooked bythe mainstream, but nichesleds such as Arctic CatsZR900, available during itsproduction with either carb

or EFI fuel delivery, as well asstandard or Sno Pro suspension packages, had a loyalfollowing. The ZR 900 was a ridiculously fun machine to pilot,and with its 150 stock horsepower the mighty 9 was near thetop of the big-bore extravaganza of the early century. It had ajumpy engagement, but beyond it a broad powerband and along throttle pull that allowed the machine to be docile. During

stage 2 launch of the flipper, however, chassis-twisting torque and hardacceleration became part of the ride experience. Many ardent fans of thegreen team award the ZR best-ever designation for trail sled handling. The2006 ZR 900 was the last example of the celebrated ZR chassis. Tim Erickson

2003-06 Arctic Cat ZR 900

Tims Pick

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UNDER 9K: RIPPIN IT ON A BUDGET

Tims SpendThe MX Z Sport is built on

the REV XP chassis whilenot Ski-Doos most current, itis one of the best-handlingconfigurations to ever hit thesnow. Aided with its commandand control driver position, theMX Z is the most confident inthe corners and likely the

quickest through your favorite woods run.Like the Polaris, the suspension is capabledespite using components to hit a pricepoint. While it has the lowest tag and mayvery well be the best 2013 sled bargainfrom any factory, the chassis seemsdeserving of something greater than anarchaic carbureted engine that may eke out100 ponies but only when conditions areideal for the carbs. Id get impatient waitingfor Pat to rejet his carbs.

Split the

Difference

Under $4,500

Purchasing any snowmobile is like joining a fraternity. Its your choice whetherthe sled you buy will force you to ride with the Revenge of the Nerds crew orthe ultimate fraternity where the women are hot and the beer flows freely. Thechoice becomes even dicier when youre looking at used units. Fortunately, aclean Pro X2 (which you can secure for much less than our magical $4,500budget) wont exclude you from any riding group, and will have those nerdstwitching with envy. No blending in here with what was the first true attempt atrider forward/stand-up ergonomics for the trail from Polaris. Stubby seat,badass graphics, and a sweet running 700-twin (Polaris also built 600 and 800Liberty options as well) makes sure you stand out while standing up. Riding thePro X Chassis is a lesson in predictability. Outfitted with top-shelf Walker EvansShocks, (youre gonna want to rebuild them before the first ride) you can skip thetops and pound the bumps with near reckless abandon. In some ways the X2 wasa trendsetter; it showed lots of tunnel and lack of paint. Look at the current batchof sleds on the market today and you will notice similarities. Business in thefront, party in the back; thats what the kids called it in 2004. Richard Kehoe

2004 Pro X2 700

Richs Pick

OUR PICK FORLESS JINGLE

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UNDER 9K: RIPPIN IT ON A BUDGET

Polaris Indy 600 (base) $7,999 US - $8,999 CAN

The Indy is back...those were the wordsspoken with obvious enthusiasm asPolaris brass unveiled their 2013 lineuplast winter. No doubt, any sledder who hasbeen riding pre-Sponge Bob SquarePants era will have an affinity for the Indyname. Even if you were an owner of acompetitive brand, its hard not to haverespect for the Indy legacy. While muchhas changed with the new look Indy incomparison to the original trailing armmachine that first appeared in productiontrim in 1981, attributes of bread and butterperformance at a great value remain.

Dipped in colors reminiscent of late1980s sleds bearing the same moniker,the new version Indy sports the mostpower in our foursome with a semi-directinjected 600 Liberty spooling powerthrough the always well dialed Polarisdrive and driven clutching duo. But whatperhaps really makes this combo shineis the pair ing of a tradit ional rearsuspension to the most recent version ofthe Pro-Ride suspenders upfront. With alow profile track lug eliminating much ofthe bump induced energy that is fedinto the chassis by more aggressive

tracks, the overall package is morepredictable than any sled in the Polarisstable and more importantly, damn fun.

63ON SNOW MAGAZINE

Pats SpendI always knew the Indy name would return

one day; I mean how could it not? With retroalready all the rage, and Polaris looking for

something to breakthrough the noise that the Pro-Ride wasunable to do, along comes the Indy in the most simple ofpackages, and it still kicks ass. Frankly, if Ski-Doo hadntdropped their pants in terms of MSRP with the MX Z Sport, theIndy would be the hands down winner of the under 9K battle.

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UNDER 9K: RIPPIN IT ON A BUDGET

Split theDifference Under $4,500Didnt think I would see the day when $4,500 seems like a good deal for a usedsnowmobile, considering that my 1992 Indy 440 wasnt even that much, freshly off ofthe showroom floor. Although I was disappointed shortly thereafter when I drove aXCR 440 and realized those new fangled FOX shocks were really that damn good, butthats another story. The used market is flush with options; unfortunately many areequally flush with problems. Knowing that, my $4,500 is destined for a 2008 or 2009Polaris Shift 600. Those early model Shift sleds were of the carbureted variety; the millwas proven, and ponies plentiful enough to hang with the crowd all day long. Thefollowing years (2010 and beyond), the Roseau crew had used up the old inventory ofcarb motors and a lack of emission credits, and manufacturing simplification forcedthem to lower in the Cleanfire Injection (CFI) version of the same Liberty mill. Its agood mill, but never really ripped like the carb version, and the added cost is enoughto push us over the $4,500 mark. Remember, youre not getting any high end shocks,flashy graphics, or a track rubber with more than a one inch lug, but youre getting agreat chassis thats well rounded and sure footed, if not a little tilt-a-whirl in thecorners. Watch for delaminating intake boots, a common problem in those years that isremedied with new and improved boots from big P. Also look for lower A-arm damage,identified by a noticeable droop when parked. A new arm is about $165 bones, and isan easy afternoon fix. Jason MacDonald

2008-2009 ShiftJasons Pick

OUR PICK FOR LESS JINGLE

But at a price tag of $1,500 more, and lackingsome of the sex appeal and proven goodnessof the MX Z, the Indy comes in a closesecondat least for this year.

Tims SpendI am somewhat of an early

adopter I l ike to learn aboutbreaking technology even if I cantafford to own it. But I also likevintage. In addit ion to mycheerleading for the latest andgreatest, I have a Studebaker andtwo leaf springers that light mypassion. The Indy combines both.Its the newest Polaris chassis

configuration with a modern SDI engine plusmeaningful heritage. The overall performance,blended with quantif iable and subjectiveattributes, make the 600 Indy my sled of choice.It has a Polaris vibe through and through. Itruns superbly and has the most power of thesefour machines by quite a margin, something Iam willing to pay for. Like the 600 Shift of a fewyears ago, the suspension is quite good, evenwith dollar-store shocks. And just try to find asnowmobiler between Millennial and BabyBoomer generations who doesnt have highregard for the Indy name.

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UNDER 9K: RIPPIN IT ON A BUDGET

DONT HESITATE DOMINATE

*Rebates vary by model; see dealer for details. **On a purchase where the amount financed is $7,999, your down payment is $0: no INTEREST CHARGE FOR 6 MONTHS and no payments FOR 7 MONTHS. Thereafter, 60 consecutive monthly payments of $162.17 each. ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE: 7.99%. ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE subject to increase after promotional period. Note: The above financing programs are offered by Sheffield Financial, a Division of BB&T Financial, FSB. Minimum Amount Financed: $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed: $50,000. Subject to credit approval. Approval and any rates and terms provided are based on creditworthiness. Other financing offers are available. See your local dealer for details. All financing promotions are void where prohibited. Offer is effective on select new Polaris snowmobiles purchased from a participating Polaris dealer between 08/01/2012 and 09/30/2012. Offer subject to change without notice. Rider pictured is professional on a closed course. Polaris recommends that all snowmobile riders take a training course. Do not attempt maneuvers beyond your capability. Always wear a helmet and other safety apparel. Never drink and ride.2012 Polaris Industries Inc.

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