Name: Kris Kaltenbacher
Hometown: Reno, NV
Sled: 2011 Polaris Assault
Other hobbies: Quad riding,
camping, skiing, mountain bike riding, basketball, wake boarding,
coaching and playing with my two boys Karson and Kohen
Sponsors: Sierra Sport and
Marine, HMK, Betterboards, SlyDog, Fly Racing, Truckboss Decks, CoBe
Motorsports, Fastrax, SLP, 509 goggles, Zbroz Racing and Mountain
Machine Performance
There are three general types of
snowmobilers: the beginner or “newbie,” the intermediate rider
and finally, the diehard sledhead. The classifications are not
necessarily based on riding skill alone, but also one’s passion for
riding.
Kris Kaltenbacher is a sledhead in
every sense of the word. He is the sort of guy who spends all winter
dreaming about the next riding day and all summer dreaming about the
first snowfall of the next season. His passion and energy for
snowmobiling is contagious and he not only constantly pushes and
improves his own abilities, but his energy also makes everyone around
him a better rider.
Kaltenbacher made his debut on the
snowmobile film scene in Elevation: Season 4 by Team Summit.
Since that time, he has had numerous starring roles in the
Boondockers and Elevation film series. His segments
depict a well-rounded rider—someone who can hit big cliffs and
jumps, carve beautiful powder lines and isn’t scared to get
technical in the trees and canyon bottoms. He even manages to pull
some big climbs on a Pro RMK whose only mods are an SLP single pipe
and clutch tuning.
Outside of snowmobiling, Kaltenbacher
is an all around outdoorsman, although he clearly prefers sports of
the winter variety, as shown by his license plate that reads
“SMRSUX.” He is a devoted father and husband and the only thing
he likes to talk about more than riding is his two boys, Karson and
Kohen. I sat down with Kris to talk with him about his passion for
sledding and help readers get to know the man known as “Smasher”
a little better:
When did you start snowmobiling?
I started riding in 1981 when my mom
and dad bought a 1981 Polaris Star. We lived in Bethel, AK, and used
the snowmobile to train sled dogs. I was active in dog sled racing
until about age 12. We moved to Dillingham, AK, when I was 12 and
that is when I really began my passion for sledding. The town had a
population of 2,500. I rode my sled to and from school, the grocery
store, friends’ houses, camping and hunting. I rode it everywhere.
It was just a normal part of life growing up.
At what point were you hooked on
riding?
Living in Dillingham there seemed to be
more kids in that area that rode sleds than ran dogs. My parents
bought a new Yamaha Bravo and then I eventually bought my own sled
which was a 1986 Yamaha Exciter 570. This is when I knew sledding was
for me. I enjoyed the power and the speed. As time went on, the sleds
progressed and improved so much it made life in the sled world so
much more exciting to me.
What was your first sled?
The first sled that I could actually
call mine was my dad and mom’s 1981 Polaris Star. I eventually
bought a 1986 Yamaha Exciter. After that I did not buy another sled
until I graduated from college in 1991 and it was a 1996 Polaris
Ultra.
Describe your perfect day of
riding:
My perfect day would be about 2-3 feet
of the freshest powder, temperature around 0 degrees F so that the
snow is light and fluffy. The sun is out so that you can see the
crystals in the snow dust. Utah powder looks like this. The perfect
riding day also includes my best riding buddies. The day continues
with a variety of tree riding, some nice drops and to top it off some
perfect powder turns. No break downs and not a lot of stucks. I can
say I have had these days and they are some of the most enjoyable
days of my life.
What do you think about the
advances in snowmobile technology over the last 10 years?
I can’t believe the advances, it is
unreal. Look at the horsepower that sleds are putting out now and how
well the suspension works, it is mind blowing. Some of my old friends
and I talk about this from time to time and laugh about what we could
have done as kids with the sleds we have today.
Where do you see the sport going
in the next 5 years?
This is mind boggling to me. As of now,
we have Levi LaVallee doing double back flips, Paul Thacker jumping
football fields, Heath Frisby doing backflips with variations. Then
you have backcountry riders such as Chris Burandt, Geoff Kyle, Chris
Brown, Dan Gardiner, Geoff “Phatty” Dyer, Rick Barker and so many
others I could name, doing insane drops. Don’t forget Dan Davidoff,
Mark Mesenbrink and Dan Bush who have already pushed hillclimbing so
far into the extreme, I can’t imagine what the next generation is
going to bring to the sport of sledding.
How did you start riding in
snowmobile videos?
This is a long story but I will try and
shorten it up the best I can. Well, it really started with three of
my buddies John, Al and Joey. These three guys used to tell me all
the time that they felt like I was good enough to ride in videos and
they encouraged me to pursue being in videos. So with their
encouragement I contacted Kirk Zack, owner of HMK. Kirk told me to
call Jeff Aiello, producer of the Team Summit videos. Jeff then
called Anthony Oberti and told him to take me for a test ride, so to
speak. I went riding one weekend with Anthony and Jesse O’Rourke
from the Team Summit videos. I rode a few times with them and Anthony
called me and said that they were going to film on April 19 and they
wanted me to come. I went for that ride and that was my first
experience with filming. Just from this one ride I got to meet a few
great connections and soon to be new friends. One of the people that
I got to meet was Dan Gardner, who later on that weekend gave me his
phone number and told me to make a trip to Utah and ride with the
Boondockers crew. Everyone says follow your dreams which is great,
but I say ‘step outside of the box.’ If you never take this risk,
you’ll never know what could have been. This is all because three
good friends encouraged me to make one phone call.
Can we expect to see anything
more from Team Summit?
Unfortunately, I think the Team Summit
films may be gone. I do not know this for sure. Shane Kelly has tried
to keep it going after Jeff Aiello handed it down, but it has been a
trial for all of us to continue. I heard rumors of Team Summit videos
teaming up with another film but as far as I know it’s just a rumor
… you can watch the TeamSummit.net web page for updates if you are
a fan.
What are your favorite riding
areas?
Currently, my favorite is Utah. The
riding there is always epic. The snow is champagne powder and the sky
is the limit. Second, would have to be Canada. If you have never
been, save your cash and get up there … it will blow your mind. The
mountains are amazing; the snow is always perfect, it is truly
mind-blowing. If you like tree riding get to Colorado. I rode outside
of Kremmling this last year and the tree riding will test your
skills. My hometown of Reno, NV, and Northern California are not too
bad. Watch the weather and storms just right to get great snow, but
we have a lot of area to ride and some great boondocking.
If you could ride anywhere, where
would it be?
Revelstoke, Canada. Every time I see
pictures it looks epic and the terrain looks sick. I will be there
this year for sure on a cold powder day.
What is your favorite style of
riding?
I love boondocking, technical lines
through the trees and steep sidehills. Don’t get me wrong. I like
to push it on jumps, drops and some climbs—but I love having a sick
line through the trees. Follow the leader in the trees boondocking
not knowing where you are going is my favorite riding hands down.
First one to get stuck loses.
What's up with that Anthony
Oberti character? Why does he talk so much smack?
You mean Tinker Bell, Back Cracker,
Muscle Man, Big Head, Mr. Look-at-Me? Nothing is up with Anthony, he
is a has-been, or a never was, he likes to think he can ride with me
or hang with me and the truth of the fact is that he can’t plain
and simple. I let him hang out with me because it makes him feel good
about himself. Anthony likes to talk trash about all the riders he
can’t beat so that’s basically everyone that rides a sled.
Just kidding. If you know Anthony, then
you know he is all talk. He just likes to play around a lot that’s
what makes Anthony so much fun to have around. Anthony has become one
of my most favorite friends in my life. I have only known him for a
short five years but I feel as if I have known him my whole life.
Anthony will be the first person on the trail to share his knowledge
about sleds and be more than helpful with helping anyone fix their
sled. Furthermore, I just want people to know that if you ever talk
to him he is my sidekick and always has been and don’t let
him tell you different.
What is your current sled?
A 2011 Polaris Assault, with SLP
Performance pipe and head, SlyDog skis, BetterBoards, Zbroz front
end, Fastrax front bumper, CoBe Motorsports rear bumper and 2 Cool
Air Vents. It rips.
Does it make you nervous to think
about your kids doing the same stuff as you someday?
Yes, so much. I now know how my dad and
mom used to feel and still do feel about my riding. The funny thing
about this question is my 6-year-old son, Kohen just got hurt riding
his quad the other day and it scared the heck out of me. My
9-year-old, Karson is pretty mellow on a sled but my youngest Kohen
he is out of control on a sled, with no fear whatsoever. I just want
to make sure that I teach them about safety so that they can enjoy
the sport as much as I do.
What helps you progress your
riding skills?
You would think the older I have gotten
the more tame I would be, but in some aspects I think I have pushed
myself a little harder each year which kind of scares me but I keep
going. Riding with better riders has been huge in progressing my
riding. I also like to see the outcome at the end of the season and
to look back and see what I have accomplished. Doing what I am doing
right now has been a lifelong goal and a dream and now that it is
here I want to take full advantage of my opportunity.
What was your scariest moment on
a sled?
My scariest
moment ... I guess I would have to say last year in Canada when I did
a 60- to 70-foot cliff drop. I really wasn't feeling it that day, did
not like the landing or the rocks below. I just had a weird feeling
about the drop. Phatty was down below taking pictures; Dan Davidoff
was up top with me filming along with Ryan Nelson. We had to wait for
the sun to come out so I just stood up top looking over the edge
thinking about whether it was a bad idea. This is when everything
that could potentially go wrong runs through your head. There was so
much anticipation of the drop as time went on the more and more I
became consumed with it. Dan told me if I didn’t feel it we could
move on, there were plenty of drops out there to do, but I felt so
compelled to do it for some reason. Finally there was a break in the
clouds and Davidoff said I had to go now. As I ran back to my sled it
took everything I had to make my legs move, I started the sled to go,
then hit the brake in hesitation, then tapped the throttle again as I
went over the edge. As I dropped I remember hitting the brake just a
little in the air to bring the nose down. After that it felt like I
did it too much so I pinned the throttle which brought the nose up a
little too much, which in turn made for a harder landing. The landing
was off camber and slanted to the left, but I could not see that from
the top because of the shadows so when I hit I kind of tweaked my
right wrist and almost lost the sled. As I rode down to where
everyone was I could feel the adrenaline in my body. I was trembling
when I got off my sled. Everything worked out for the best and it
made for a great photo. Funny thing is I have put myself into worse
situations and not been as scared as I was looking over the edge of
that cliff. It felt amazing to put my fear aside and push myself over
the edge. That shot is in my living room now just as a reminder.
How do you stay fit in the
offseason?
Well I would not say that I am fit but
I do try and ride my mountain bike, play basketball, ride my quad and
if time allows I go to the gym. In my line of work I do get a lot of
exercise. I also stay agile chasing my two young sons.
What advice do you have for
riders that want to become sponsored or be in videos?
I have learned a lot in the past four
years about riding in videos and being sponsored. It is not all about
your riding and how good you are. It is also about what you can bring
to the table, how you represent yourself and how you promote
yourself. You need to actively keep in touch with your sponsors. They
like to know how you are doing, what you are doing and ultimately how
are you promoting their product. We are also testing their products
and they want our feedback to help make improvements. Just be
yourself, go out and ride have a good time—that is what sledding is
all about.
Is there anyone you would like to
thank?
I would like to give a big thanks to
John Oppio owner of Sierra Sport and Marine for the sponsorship of my
sled and so many parts that I cannot begin to list, the hours of work
on my sleds, to make sure I am up and running for the next big day. I
would also like to thank my mechanic Justin at Sierra Sport and
Marine for the nights that he has stayed late to fix a blown motor or
some bent part that he had just fixed the week before. Thank you John
and Justin for always believing the sled needed to be finished ASAP
because the upcoming weekend “is the biggest film day of the year.”
I’d also like to thank Kirk Zack at HMK for all his support he has
been a friend for a number of years. Not only helped me get started
in the video industry but now sponsors me every year with his
clothing line which keeps me warm, comfortable and dry. I would like
to thank SLP, SlyDog skis, BetterBoards, Zbroz, 509 Goggles,
2CoolAirVents, Truckboss decks, CoBe Motorsports, Fastrax, Haber
Vision and Mountain Machine Performance. They are all wonderful
sponsors and supporters. Thanks to my dad and mom for supporting me
and helping me out when I was a kid and introducing me into
snowmobiling. My riding buddy Charles Bluth, the man never gets lost
no matter if I take some jacked up line he will find me. You never
have to worry about Chuck. He will take a picture or video without
hesitation even when it is cold and uncomfortable for him. He will go
on a road trip at the drop of a hat, will ride in rain or snowstorms
and even when he drives more than 2,000 miles and then only gets to
ride 12 miles due to a busted up sled, he never ever complains. He is
just happy to be riding, thanks buddy. Last but not least I thank my
family. Thanks to my wife Tracy and my two boys Karson and Kohen for
all their support, as they watch me weekend after weekend follow my
dream to ride sleds all winter long. They make my sled life easy.
Even when they are missing me they always wish me the best and hope
that I am having fun so I thank my family for their support. Love
them.
Please do a snow dance for this next
season. I am hopeful that we will have another epic winter. Hope to
see you out on the snow, remember when in doubt, pin it.
(Ed. Note—Thanks to Dan
Gardiner and the Boondockers Movie crew. You can see more of Kris in
the new film Boondockers 8. Order your copy at
www.boondockersmovie.com)
