SnoWest News: How Motorfist Came To Be

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December 4, 2009

How Motorfist Came To Be

Mike Peterson

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.