Eighty below zero is cold and when
you're riding on the frozen ocean in
Svalbard, Norway, the word frigid doesn't
begin to describe the wind chill riding
conditions.
Josh Skinner, of MotorFist, thought
he knew everything there was to know
about cold weather snowmobiling, but he
had never experienced this kind of cold.
Svalbard, one of a group of archipelago
islands in the Arctic Ocean, north of the
Arctic Circle, is literally the last settlement
before reaching the North Pole.
The locals in Svalbard told Skinner that
all his gear combined and layered one
upon the other would still leave him inadequately
protected for the ride they were
about to embark upon. In addition to the
cold, all ventures, snowmobile or not, outside
the settlements of Svalbard require,
by island law, that at least one person
in the party carry a gun to protect from
hungry and aggressive polar bears. So in
Norway you get your choice: freezing to
death, getting killed by a polar bear or,
if your luck really runs out, both. What a
great place to ride.
Luckily, there were no polar bear
attacks and all Skinner had to worry about
was staying warm. At one point during
his ride, Skinner realized that if he didn't
return to base camp within a very short
period of time, he would be in serious
trouble from the extreme, low temperatures.
Luckily, respite from the cold came
soon and, true to the predictions of the
local Norwegians, Skinner had indeed
suffered freeze-burned cheeks that resembled
a five-year-old deer steak in the bottom
of your freezer.
Most riders will never see these types
of conditions, but this was an invaluable
lesson. Skinner added this experience to
his portfolio as one of the most extreme
riding environments imaginable. Even in
extreme cold, one of the greatest dangers
is the accumulation of moisture inside
your clothing and then freezing in your
own sweat. In Svalbard, Norway, the balance
between protection and breathablity
is tested like few other places on earth.
Fast forward to July 5. It is a 90-degree
F day. Some are recovering from firework
hangovers; some are dreading the
return to work after the Independence
Day holiday. No one is thinking of snowmobiling-
except Brad Ball of MotorFist.
According to Ball, these elements are
perfect to load the snowmobiles, go sledding
and test outerwear. At this time of
year, one needs to be at the very top of
a special mountain to find enough snow
to test outerwear gear. Even after some
coaxing, Ball would not reveal this "top-
secret" location. He did tell us, however,
that it is "in the lower 48 states." His lips
are sealed.
This summer day quickly turns snow
to water as it flew up from his sled, leaving
Ball literally drenched. It is more like
waterskiing than sledding. The temptation
to do a little water skipping across the
melted lakes of snow becomes hard to
resist. Cold is no longer the issue as it was
with Skinner. Rather, staying dry in this
reverse environment is the goal. Keeping
the water on the outside, yet allowing the
moisture and sweat to escape from the
inside, is the great challenge. By the way,
have you ever had bugs on the windshield
of your snowmobile?
Ball has. Along with the wide range
of temperatures from Arctic cold to summer
heat, both Ball and Skinner ride in
conditions that cannot be duplicated in a
lab or testing booth. Tested in conditions
that the average rider will never face,
MotorFist doesn't do "average." Its real-
world testing assures you of this.
Ball and Skinner have traveled the
world while snowmobiling in their own
gear and that of just about every other
outerwear brand currently being produced.
Both men were involved in the
shooting and production of the snowmobile
film series Alticity. Wearing different
gear while snowmobiling and filming gave
them an accurate perspective as to the
importance of quality outerwear for the
dedicated rider.
For example, Ball and Skinner experienced
Revelstoke, BC, after a 70-inch
powder dump. This would test anyone's
endurance and ability to ride. "It was
the perfect storm," said Skinner. "We
couldn't have asked for any better conditions
to test waterproofness, comfort and
breathability. It's difficult to imagine that
we were riding for four days, as hard as
we possibly could, in over six feet of fresh
powder. I guess someone had to do it."
On one Revelstoke trip Ball was not
able to go with the film crew, so he
loaned his new Ski-Doo Rev to Wade
Soss. Soss' sled was down for repairs
and he needed one for the filming event.
It was common knowledge in Montana
riding circles that Soss rode hard, hard
as in the-sled-he-borrowed-could-be-
advertised-as-clean-one-owner in the
classifieds. When he returned the sled,
the ad would then have to read, "still
runs (kind of) sled." Ball was aware of this
and figured, with Soss' riding ability, the
great film shots would be worth it. Ball
closed one eye and imagined Soss polishing
the sled at the end of the day and
putting it to bed with a warm blanket on
it every night.
Several days after Soss was in Canada,
Ball was at a friend's business and he
invited Ball to see a You Tube video that
he had discovered. It was a great crash
of a Ski-Doo Rev. Ball watched the video
and was impressed as sled parts and rider
were ejecting like parts at a swap meet.
However, it didn't take Ball long to realize
that this mountain yard sale of sled parts
looked familiar. It was his sled. A quick
call to Soss confirmed the worst and Soss
admitted only to "rolling it once," as in a
singular roll. He must have sustained head
damage because he somehow forgot the
other 23 rolls and the scattered parts sale
at the bottom of the mountain, but all was
good. Soss made it right with Ball on the
repairs and the footage was awesome.
It was just another day of riding with the
best riders who tested themselves and
their gear-or borrowed gear.
The deep powder days in Revelstoke
and the surprise-your-loaned-sled-is-on-
You Tube video teach us things about real
riders, real experiences. These are just
a few of the authentic events that have
helped shape Ball and Skinner's vision for
MotorFist and have influenced them to
produce "tough" outerwear. If they won't
wear it, MotorFist won't make it.
What does "tough" mean to
MotorFist? Tough is a relative term. Some
people may call you tough if you enjoy
being out riding in 20-degrees-below-
zero weather. If you can jump your sled
50 feet through the air and land sunny
side up, your girlfriend might say you are
tough. One could say that the ultimate
toughness test is to purchase mod parts
for your sled without the significant other
in your happy home finding out. It takes
"financial planning," like money stashing
in your truck or mattress and a few white
lies. Now that's tough.
When MotorFist says it makes tough
gear, it starts with the fabric. The outer
fabric is thick, yet very flexible. It will
resist stumps, wrecks and hand-to-hand
combat-unlike the leading high-priced
waterproof outerwear. It is tougher than
any other product. Period. MotorFist outerwear
is constructed with higher strength
fabrics than other brands. Others may
use it in certain areas, but not throughout
like MotorFist. The seams on a MotorFist
product are sewn at 12-14 stitches per
inch while all others use 8-10 stitches per
inch. This is an excellent example of a
detail that matters. It is sewn tighter and
tougher.
Again, MotorFist doesn't do average.
The snowmobile enthusiast wants his
clothing to be overbuilt and expectations
exceeded. MotorFist gear is built for
hard-working guys or gals who have come
to expect hard-working gear when it's
time to ride. The company commitment
of no-holds-barred testing and product
development allows it to make exactly
what you want: toughness, warmth and
leading-edge styling at an affordable
price, along with the industry's only true
lifetime guarantee.
MotorFist features a no-nonsense guarantee
covering "106 years or until you are
six feet under"-whichever comes first.
Your back is covered and no one stands
behind their product like MotorFist.
As a rider you may someday find yourself
in extreme conditions like those mentioned
earlier. MotorFist will be there to
provide the ultimate in comfort and protection.
Every piece will be inspected and
signed off on, in the USA, by the hands
of snowmobilers who enjoy what they
do just as much as you enjoy the perfect
powder day in the mountains.
For more information, log on to www.
motorfist.com.