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December 8, 2008 2008 Winners Of The Western Power Sports/Ultimax Belts Mod Show When the WPS Mod Show was first introduced at the Idaho Snowmobile Show several years ago, the playing field was pretty simple. The sleds that were entered back then consisted mostly of piped engines with painted hoods, polished tunnels and billet wheels. This year, it seemed as though if a sled didn’t have an aftermarket tunnel and a big turbo, it didn’t fit in. There were big winners from this year’s WPS Mod Show. Out of 15 entries, three walked away with prizes, thanks to votes from more than 400 show participants. Josh Kennedy and Bryce Kendrick shared credit for the sled
that won both Most Magnificent Mod and Editor’s Choice awards. Their creation
is a 2008 Ski-Doo Summit XP with a Turbo Performance Aerocharger turbo system
on it. The custom-painted sled had lots of other trick components on it, like a
one-off rear suspension mod, Van Amburg tunnel, ARS-FX front arms and lots of
lightweight parts and chrome. The Josh Kennedy felt that the paint, tunnel and suspension were the main items that made their sled unique. When Kennedy was asked how he felt about winning both first place and Editor’s Choice awards, he said that before when the show first began he’d thought, “I’ll be impressed and amazed if we win both. It’s a good feeling.” Bryce Kendrick said that fitting the tubes in the tight confines of the XP chassis was a nightmare, but the effort was well worth it. Turbo Performance Josh Kennedy, Bryce Kendrick Ski-Doo 2008 800 XP
Turbo Mods: Turbo Performance Turbo Kit Zbroz front end Turbo Performance rear skid Boss Seat Van Amburg tunnel Custom Paint by Elite Evol Fox Floats Lots of chrome 402 lbs. dry R&M Lightning Products Vent Kit 247 HP @ 14 lbs. boost Second place went to RSI’s Durbin’s sled was a summer mod project. When asked how he felt about winning he said, “Good, considering it looks different than every other sled here. It’s a sled that people can look at and think, yeah man, I could have one of those and ride it. The sled flows good and is clean. When riding a $30K sled you may feel more cautious while riding.” Durbin felt his sled was unique because it started out as a short track Polaris IC Racer and then was made into a mountain sled with a 159-inch track. Durbin would like to add a special thanks to Lance Robinson and Tony Applegate from Air Design Customs, Josh Goble, and to his wife Courtney. Air Design Customs was the sled’s builder. Companies listed that were only sponsors (no product given) were: OHANA Film Productions, HMK, and Pink Ribbon Riders. Wade Durbin RSI Polaris 2007 IQR 159” Mods & Sponsors: RSI carbon fiber tapered handlebar system OHANA Film Productions Air Design Customs Paint and Fab HMS Turbo Systems Torco Oils Digital Ink Design Sled Wraps Ice Age Rails Gravity Worx billet left throttle Primo powdercoating Edgeworks billet wheels BR-Tech Hood Vents RSI Ice Scratchers HMK Pink Ribbon Riders Powermadd Attitude Industries Fuel Box Simmons Gen II Skis Skinz Protective Gear Third went to Stephanie Yoshida’s 1997 Polaris RMK. Yoshida’s mod sled took about four to five months to build. Her mom said, “She gave up a lot of boyfriend time for that sled.” When asked how much money was spent in mods, Stephane said, “I don’t know. I’m not sure I want to know.” Yoshida’s dad estimated that about $6,000 was spent in mods. Yoshida commented that putting the tunnel on was one of her favorite parts about modifying the sled. It was one of the mods with the biggest pay-offs and also took the most work. She credits family support from her brother and parents and Cory McGuire for helping her pull the build off. Stehanie Yoshida Phatties Super Shop 1997 Polaris RMK Built by 17-year-old
Stephanie Yoshida with help from Cory McGuire at Phatties Super Shop Mods: Art Seavers 770 SLP twin pipes Mikuni reeds Mikuni flatslide carbs SLP boost bottle Torque Motor mount plate Boss Seat Wilwood braking system Rolled chaincase Holz front and rear suspension 151-inch track SLP skis Gen II body parts In-board bogey wheels Van Amburg custom tunnel Custom Hood by Craig McBride of © 2013 SnoWest® Magazine http://www.snowest.com |