Posts Tagged ‘snowmobile’
Hello everyone, I have had quite the weekend of travel and am almost all the way home. I have been in Moscow for a few days to do a small demo, and have spent a lot of time in my hotel room sleeping. Yes I know, I fly all the way around the world to hang out in my room. Cathedrals and museums are everywhere in a city that has tremendous history, but in my defense I had a rough time getting over here and felt exhausted.
The crowds came out in warmer weather than expected. Last year we were here it was full on winter, and this time there were no funny furry tank driver hats, but they were still drinking lots of vodka! It’s really fun to do these shows in Russia towards the end of the season. After all my practicing and touring around the USA and Canada, it’s refreshing to still see excited and happy faces. We did two shows that went off well, but there was some trouble on the horizon brewing, literally.
As anyone who hasn’t had their head in a hole knows by now, Iceland had a major volcanic eruption this weekend, and the resulting ash cloud has put a serious dent in European travelers plans, myself included. There are worse things than being stranded in Europe, but hanging out in airports gets old after awhile. Regardless of how frustrated I was, I knew there were thousands of other people trying to get home as well, so I relaxed and had a beer.
I would also like to thank everyone who asked questions on Facebook. I have copied and pasted the answers below.
What mods do you guys do to your sleds so they are ready for freestyle?
I usually put a skidoo mod engine kit on my sled. I also put on a freestyle seat, Fly mini-moto bend handlebars and a Fly 3 inch handlebar riser.
How hard was it to become what you are today? And what are some of the things you did to get where you are?
It was a lot of work there were a lot of years were I had a lot of fun but there was no money and it was very hard for me to pay my bills. I practiced and I love what I do so i just kept working hard and keeping my eyes on the main goal.. winning Winter X games.
How did you start sledstyle and how often do you hurt yourself doing it?
I started because I wanted to be a freestyle motocrosser but I couldn’t make the cut when I was younger. I have been hurt a bunch I broke my left leg tibia and fibula three times. My left ankle three times, dislocated my right elbow and shoulder, broke my jaw, broke my right heal, broke my back, collapsed my lung, and broke three ribs.
What is it like the very first time you hit the ramp? What should I start first, freestyle fmx or snowmobile?
I was really scared to hit the ramp the first time because there had only been three other people in front of me and they all crashed… I started on my bike doing tricks, it was easier to find jumps than ramps at first.
Are you filming for Slednecks 13?
We filmed some in Idaho for X Games and are going to be working more this season on my segment.
Thanks to David for writing this, it helps give a whole perspective on the show and what goes on. Check out the pictures from our Beverly Hillbilly drive out and back. And thanks to Linnae and Keith for putting up with me on this long a** drive!
4/10/10 OMAHA… MIDDLE AMERICA
It’s hard to believe this was the final stop of the year for the Gravity Slashers, but it was and the boys blew it up! The fans at Quest Center were treated to the best show of the season and they responded by being one of the loudest crowds I have ever heard. Things got ramped up with Keith Sayers leading off. He sailed thru his run nailing a whip flip and a disco can to put up a solid opening number, 84.4. Derek Burlew ripped it up next reaching in to his bag of tricks and showing the crowd a nice BASE jump that helped him to a total of 89.5. The third man to the Quest Center floor was Dustin Nowak and he loaded his run with a double grab indy air and a nac flip that helped him post an 88.0. Nick Dunne followed him and went huge on his super flip and backed that up with a very nice Captain Morgan giving him a shot at the finals with a tally of 89.6. The last bike out in the first set was ridden by Javier Villegas and he flowed thru his run leaving his mark on the crowd with a Kiss of Death flip that pushed his score to an 89.9 which looked like enough to get him into the finals.
Heath Frisby slid out to rousing applause on his Red Bull powered Ski-Doo. Heath got his bearings in the first intermission with a couple of basic tricks and took some time to talk to the audience. He came back after the finals and brought Nick Dunne and Keith Sayers with him for what has become their trademark ending, the triple flip with the sled in the middle and the bikes on either side. As always the crowd loved it and were on their feet cheering wildly for over a minute afterward.
Our second half of qualifiers was led off by Rich Kearns and he wasted little time getting going, dropping a heel clicker flip and a shaolin bar hop that netted him a total of 84.0. Drake McElroy rolled out next and showed the crowd a big 9 o’clock nac and ended his run with a dead body for a score of 85.7. Julian Dusseau was on point and super flipped and side showed his way into the finals with a tally of 90.1. Greg Hartman showed why he is referred to as “Superman”, going upside down with a super flip and qualifying number two with a 90.5. Brody Wilson looked cool for his full 60 seconds and put up the top number with a 92.1. After intermission the incomparable Jennifer Schneider came to the floor to a raucous ovation and launched herself into the stratosphere. “The Cannonlady” brought Rich Kearns and Dustin Nowak with her and they went off the ramps as she came out of the cannon for an amazing first! We had a full house for our whip contest as seven riders came to the floor to contest the final crowd judged whip off of the year. Dunne, Sayers, Villegas, Dusseau and Wilson went for broke but they didn’t have enough to unseat two of the best whippers in the business, DMC and Burlew.
When the dust settled Burlew took home the honors for the night, but it was awesome to see seven guys vying for the win. The finals started with “Astroboy” and Villegas let it all hang out, even putting a Kiss of Death flip in his run to score a 90.4. However, the “California Kid” Julian Dusseau wasn’t messin’ around and loaded his run with big extension and a beautiful 9 o’clock nac to supplant JV Air with a 91.6. Greg Hartman left it all out on the floor on his final run of the season and posted his best score of the year with a 92.8. That only left “The Wilson Express”, and Brody didn’t disappoint. He let a Holy Grab fly that made the entire audience gasp and then go wild. Even before he got is total you could tell he was stoked. His 94.5 gave him the win and as always he was smiling from ear to ear.
What a phenomenal way to cap off the season, with Brody Wilson taking home the final Gravity Slashers tour stop victory here in Omaha. All the guys will head their separate ways for the next 8 months but don’t worry we’ll all be back next season and you can bet the competition will be even bigger and better!
ANOTHER GREAT NIGHT IN WICHITA
(Thanks to Gravity Slashers for the blog)
02/06/10
I hear people say “We’re not in Kansas anymore” all the time and never really understood what it meant until tonight. The people here are amazing and welcome you in like family and that is exactly what they did tonight at the Intrust Bank Arena for the Gravity Slasher FMX riders. Julian Dusseau kicked things off for us looking to make a second straight trip to the finals from the pole position. He put together a solid run that included a flip nac but was only able to muster an 83.9. They next guy out was Nick “Six Guns” Dunne and as always he played to the crowd, drilling an excellent back flip combo and his signature trick the Captain Morgan in his opening run earning himself a spot in the finals with an 88.7. Keith Sayers wound up the folks at the Intrust Bank arena next and added a nac flip to his run as he keeps making progress coming back from an injury sustained early in the season. He scored an 84.5 and thanked the crowd for their rousing ovation. Derek Burlew rolled out smoothly next and made a full lap before heading to the top of the double landing ramp for a little one on one time with the crowd. They gave him a big yell and that was no doubt part of what helped him on his superb run that included a candy bar to saran wrap combo and an 88.3 which was good enough for the last transfer spot to the finals. Shawn Connors looked much more rested tonight and went big on his dead body, showing the folks in Wichita what the east coast rider was capable of. The “Redneck’s” 84.3 wasn’t enough to get him into the finals but he had a huge smile plastered on his face and gave props to his fellow riders for being so talented.
The second set of qualifiers kicked off with the high flying Rich Kearns and he looked comfortable in the saddle ripping off a codova and a one handed back flip. His 85.0 was a little short of the mark for the finals but you can see Rich getting back to form and he will be a force the rest of the way. The very cool and collected Drake McElroy made his way to the floor and showed off his smooth style for all 60 seconds. He didn’t advance to the finals but the crowd didn’t seem to mind as they gave him as big a cheer as anyone for his phenomenal whip nac. Dustin Nowak fired his big throaty four-stroke up next and flipped, whipped and stretched his way to an 88.5 and the third qualifying spot for the Alefs Harley Davidson finals. The Big Man himself Greg Hartman rode out to the Man in Black and unfurled his 6’4” frame for a super flip and a two hand look back Hart attack, but was only able to score an 88.2 which left him on the outside looking in. Brody Wilson was our final qualifier and he breezed into the final with a series of flip tricks and a Rock Solid that was out of this world. His 90.4 was the top number from the prelims and had him in the Cat Bird seat heading into the 80 second set.
Following intermission we brought back the four riders from Friday nights’ show for a rematch in the whip contest to be judged by the crowd. Wilson and Dunne put up some big air, but the contest tonight was between Drake McElroy and Derek Burlew. DMC tossed out his patented whip nac and the crowd ate it up, but Burlew had the last laugh with a near upside down whip. He also went to the left with everyone else going right and I think that tipped the scales in his favor as he regained the Whip title for the week.
Our Alefs Harley Davidson finals were led off by Derek Burlew fresh off his whip win and he carried that energy to an 88 even. McElroy eased out next and even though he threw in the guitar hero lazy boy he was unable to replace DB atop the leader board, because he was only able to garner an 87.7 from the judges. Nick Dunne had his run dialed until his final trip to the tunnel where he had a little trouble making a clean turn and had to short his run by one trick. He did enough to get in front of Burlew by scoring an 88.3, but with Brody Wilson waiting in the wings that didn’t look like it was going to be enough. Turns out he was right to be worried with “Bro D” pilling up the big tricks including a Holy Grab they had him suspended in the air for what seemed like an eternity. Wilson came to the landing ramp for his interview and was smiling ear to ear knowing he put together a great run. The folks deciding on the score agreed and gave him the win with a 91.8.
Before the encore we called X-Games Gold Medalist Heath Frisby to the floor on his Ski-Doo rocket sled to show the fans in Kansas what the top dog on snow looks like. He brought along a couple of friends in the form or Keith Sayers and Nick Dunne and they hit the ramp three times in unison. The first jump was a dead sailor for all three, followed by a triple up of super cans and the last trip was a flip sandwich with two bikes on the outside and Frisby in the middle. It was an awesome sight and the crowd erupted in the loudest screams of the night.
As the bikes took their final laps and soaked up all the good karma in the building it was obvious the Gravity Slashers left their mark on the Intrust Bank Arena and all the great people in Wichita. We look forward to seeing everyone when we get to a town near you. We will be in Little Rock Arkansas next week so pick up you tickets and come see us. Like I always say, check us out on Facebook and make us your friends. Throw down a post and let us know what you are thinking, all the riders and crew read and post regularly.
- David Kinsley
For all the iPhone and iTouch users out there who happen to like snowmobiles, you should go check out the new application 2XL Games made. I can’t set down the game, partially due to the fact that I am in the game, and partially because it is super fun. The graphics are killer I must say! Nice work!
I like to burn gasoline, actually everything I do involves burning some type of fuel. I drive a truck, I ride a snowmobile, I flip my dirt bike, and I am always swiping my card at the fuel pump. So I started my Wednesday off like any other Wednesday, I filled up my truck and am heading to Bozeman. The thermometer outside read a balmy 8 degrees, and I needed a cold Red Bull. The windchill at 75mph had to be way below zero, so I present my instant chilling method for your beverages below.
The week after New Year’s was quite action packed, and invloved plenty of air travel and a newborn baby. My brother Russell and his wife Christine had a new daughter to ring in the new year, and I was fortunate enough to be there for the fun. Best wishes to the baby, she looks great!
This week I will be back in Idaho for a bit to rest and get ready for a taping with Good Morning America in Jackson Hole on January 10th. We will be riding with them and explaining the sport a little, and I hope to scare them a bit while we are at it! X Games is getting closer and closer, and this years event is going to be insane. Without letting the cat out of the bag, I have some new tricks that are going to blow minds. Once again, thanks to everyone for their support this winter, I am fortunate to be living this life.
Friz
The holiday season snuck up on me like a ninja this year. While traveling around the west I didn’t really notice the Christmas lights and music everywhere until today. Everywhere I go it’s Jingle Bells or reindeers! I wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday wherever you are, and will sign off with this funny little video to make you laugh! Merry Christmas!
Hi,
As some of you know I am in California for a few days escaping the cold of Montana. Driving around the L.A. area has been quite an experience for me, especially trying to figure out the different freeways etc. Good things are coming soon that I can’t quite talk about yet, but there are three new sponsors I will be working with. Between video, clothing and optics I will be styling going into Winter X.
Practice has been going really well, and thankfully I have nailed down some new variations on some solid tricks. I am looking forward to getting home and riding in some deep snow, not on the dirt! As the holiday season approaches I would like to bring up a sad subject, but one that everyone should pay attention to, avalanche safety.
Everyone has a snowmobile with plenty of power to get into and out of scary situations, and most riders wear beacons along with shovels and probes. Everyone should carry this equipment when heading out riding anywhere to be safe. Yesterday a good family friend of mine passed away in a avalanche while riding. Joel Barrie was 24, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family, he will be missed. Please take a look at sites like Avalanche.org and take some safety classes.
Needless to say, my trip has been cut short and I am heading home. I would like to thank all my friends and family in this stressful time, as well as my sponsors like Red Bull for standing behind me. Have a safe weekend.
Heath
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Hey guys so it’s a go, I’m shipping off to Boston! On new years eve Red Bull and SCS Productions will be putting on one hell of a show for you to bring in the new year. The event will take place at the Boston City Hall right in the heart of the city, so if you are anywhere close you better be there! Between this event, X Games and a ton of riding coming up in the next few months, should be pretty epic. Super stoked to head back east and get to put on a show like this in such a rad city. Until I see you in bean town here is a little teaser to get you drooling.
Late,
Friz
Good Morning from cold as hell Montana,
Winter has arrived, the workouts are intensifying, and I am fully prepped and ready for the upcoming competition season. With temperatures here in Butte dipping below zero at night I have begun thinking about those blower powder days and the smell of two stroke fuel burning. I have been flipping and riding a ton this summer and fall and feel confident that my skills are in place for the big show, Winter X.
I was looking through photos from last winter and thinking about what is to come from the winter ahead. One thing stuck in my mind from last winter, is our trip to Russia. The shows we performed behind the iron curtain with the SCS Crew were mind blowing. One of our close friends and sponsors, Montaqua Dave, not only produces the best tasting water in all the west, he also has written a nice little synopsis of our events in Russia. So thanks Dave, I wanted to share this piece with the fans to get everyone excited about our next trip to Europe!
Excerpt
Some people hibernate during the winter but others live to play in the snow. The SCS Sledstyle Crew does more than play, they continually push the sport of freestyle snowmobiling to new heights. Most winters are pretty crazy for these guys but the last 4 months might just top them all…
Anticipation for X Games 13 had been persistently building since the close of last year’s event. The SCS Crew trained and planned diligently for the last 12 months getting ready to show the world how their sport was evolving. The preparation intensified in December & January when a practice facility was built in Idaho and white powdery flakes began to fall.
Fanatic spectators ascended upon Aspen in record numbers for X Games 13 to watch the world’s greatest extreme athletes defy the laws of gravity. The SCS Crew was in full force building the sickest freestyle course in the competition’s history and then dominating the medal podiums. SCS’s founder, Steve Miller, engineered and built the course while SCS Riders Heath Frisby & Joe Parsons won medals.
The X Games had barely come to a close when Heath Frisby received a call from Travis Pastrana. With the SCS Sledstyle motorhome loaded with sleds & Montaqua, the group headed south to meet up with Travis & his zany crew of top action sport athletes. Frisby had been invited to Utah to personally coach Pastrana on flipping a snowmobile for the Nitro Circus show on MTV.
With that in mind, I plan on bringing you the best content I can generate this winter, whether it is through social media, my new HD helmet cam from Vholdr, or through photos from all my friends and fans. I will soon be going to California to train at the Red Bull Facility and will have some awesome footage to go with it. Thanks to everyone for their help, and let’s get ready to rock this winter and make some history!
Cheers
Friz
Morning,
Yesterday was the long drive home from Winnipeg and I wanted to show off my new trailer. After all these trips around Canada for the New Rock Live Tour, I needed to pull it together and by a enclosed trailer to work and travel out of. It is insulated, fits all six sleds, and will soon be heated. Not to mention it is secure and locks! This will be mobile command during the X Games and other events this winter. I also threw down and bought a new truck a month or two ago since I will be traveling so much this year. 402hp makes towing a lot more fun!
Later
Friz
Morning,
Well I finally awoke from my multiple day turkey eating feast and had some time to spend in the shop. Ski Doo sent me five new sleds this year, so I have to tear down each one and start bolting on mod parts. You can also see my custom seat design I make, using 8′ PVC, a foam cutter, and a heat gun. Then I take the seat down to a local upholstery guy and get it all buttoned up. They turn out pretty sweet for a home made job! I would like to introduce you to Eleanor.
Dear ESPN,
Through the past years I have really enjoyed competing in Aspen in the Winter X Games. While looking around the internet I stumbled upon the teaser video for this winter’s event in Tignes, France. I personally love the French, think pomme frites are amazing, and would gladly crate my sled and ship it to France. My schedule is fairly open this winter, and if you could squeeze me into the schedule I would appreciate it a ton.
Best Regards,
Heath Frisby
Morning,
I received an email from a marketing person at the Winter X-Games office yesterday, and to my surprise I am now on a poster! They will be doing a short parody film, similar to something like the Airplane movies, to help get the word out about Winter X. Be on the look out for the ad, I couldn’t be more excited for winter now!
Later
Friz
What’s Up,
So those nice guys at SCS Vinyl Works, who do my sled wraps thought of a nice little bonus for those who order new wraps. The first twenty orders come with a autographed poster by yours truly. So give that boyfriend, husband, wife, son, daughter, or redneck neighbor a new sled wrap for Xmas, and keep the poster for yourself!
Later
Friz
What’s Up
Canada has been my new home for the last few weeks. As I’m sure you have all seen, that pretty little Astro van we bought has been serving us well. Simply to keep the miles off our own trucks, we bought that gem to abuse for our travels across the great white north. For anyone who hasn’t been to Canada I highly recommend you watch the movie Strange Brew. It accurately portrays what life in Canada is actually like.
Just kidding, we have been having a ton of fun setting up and breaking down the shows, driving all over the middle of no where, and listening to tons of music. I also got a little tattoo work done in Edmonton by Chris at Tattoo Showdown. I will keep you posted on what goes down at the events as the tour winds down. For now keep checking New Rock Live for all the contest results.
Friz
Well those nice people at Red Bull interviewed me again recently, and here is the write up. Just in case you guys wanted to know a little bit more about me! Check out their new website as well, way more video and it’s awesome.
We are heading into winter so we are stepping up the blog and mixing in some informational info with my day-to-day content.
If you’re reading this, the odds are you’re probably like me and can’t wait for the white stuff to be falling from the sky. While winter will be here in no time, you have probably spent some time sitting in your garage with your sled, staring, cleaning, and staring some more, just waiting to grab some throttle. So while you’re waiting for the cold to arrive here is a little sled history for you.
The first “modern” tracks were designed by Adolphe Kegresse for Tsar Nicholas the second, somewhere between 1906 and 1916. The crazy Russian slapped the tracks on a few cars including a Rolls-Royce and a Packard truck. These were the first to use rubber instead of metal links (can you imagine if we still had metal tracks haha). The first snowmobiles in the US were actually Ford Model T’s with tracks in 1916. And were popular for rural mail delivery.
In steps Joseph Bombardier from Quebec. Bombardier set out to make a snow machine that would kill it in both wet and dry snow. In 1937 he came out of the B-7, a seven-passenger snowmobile with a Ford V-8! They were used for Canadian Post trucks, winter school buses and even for the army in WW2. But Bombardier’s dream had always been to build a small version.
Small snowmobiles like we think of today, were tough early on because engines were so heavy. No super light Rotax, cranking out tons of hp back then. Ed and Allen Hetten and David Johnson (who eventually started Polaris) built the first smaller snow machine in 1955 but it wasn’t until 1959 when Bombardier would step back in and built what we think of the modern open cockpit sled called, you got it, the ski doo. The rest is history. Bombardier grew BRP, who now makes sleds, jet skis, quads, shifter carts and all kinds of big kid toys.
So there is a little history lesson for everyone. Pray for snow.
Canada is expensive, but hey have snow, so I like it. Even though hot wings and pizza were roughly $55, it’s good to be riding on snow rather than wood chips again. Tonight is the first night of the New Rock Live tour I have been talking about for some time. It’s a combination music/sledstyle tour across Canada. It’s a little like a winter Warped Tour for those of you in the US. I’m stoked to be a part of it and think tonight’s show is going to be sick. Isaac Sherbine and Keith Sayers are riding in the tour as well, so it’s really fun to ride with your best friends in foreign countries. Even though I think I have been in Canada every other weekend this summer. Check out this practice picture, that landing ramp is huge!
Later
Friz
Morning,
SCS Wraps has been hard at work designing the new graphics for the upcoming winter, and I finally received my full sled kit. I think they look pretty rad, with a whole new theme to boot. It has been snowing like crazy here in the Wood River Valley with almost 12 inches up north. I think we actually skipped fall and went straight to winter, which is fine by me.
I am heading up to Butte, MT now to gather up all my sleds, gear, ramps etc from Keith Sayers house and packing for the New Rock Live Tour. The first stop is October 9, 2009; Medicine Hat Arena- Medicine Hat, Alberta. So get in your truck and drive up to watch the show
Later
Friz
What’s Up,
Most of us sledstyle or FMX guys really aren’t too savvy when it comes to water sports. Sure we can sit on a boat and drink a beer or two, but most of us are snow or dirt based people. Well the weather here in Bellevue has been windy as all hell, so last weekend we headed north to Redfish Lake. This could be one of the most beautiful lakes in the west, and you don’t have to give up the creature comforts of life going there either. Some friends and family and I went up for a day in the crystal clear ice cold water, luckily right before it snowed. I gave this whole stand up paddle boarding craze a try, and I must say it is pretty fun. The balance needed to keep things upright and smooth it pretty intense. I just cruised around the lake on flat water, but after seeing those big wave videos I am more than impressed by the pros. You should give it a shot next time you give the chance.
Later
Friz
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- Faron & Aleta: Wow! Sure enjoyed the pics-we got a photo of “Hot Rod” flying off THE jump last years...
- Regan Neidler: Hey Heath how are you doin? I was wondering if you could let me know if you’re gonna be...
- stephen Prodaehl: hey there man, this is stephen im not sure if you remeber me or not i went to one of your shows...
- Rhu Wassillie: Someday I wanna Ride like you Heath your badas*, later, have fun and be careful.
- Chad Hinkley: you have taken the sport of snowmobiling further than anyone else in history, and for that you will go...