I think the Mods need to intruduce themselfs

Sounds like a great idea.
Let me pass that along to them.

Hi! My name is Ben , 29 years old and I'm a Mod for the Ski-Doo REV Sleds Section.
<other forum members> "hi Ben!" (Sorry big D, I had to steal that)

My current ride is a 05 REV Renegade that has some upgrades .

I grew up in Ham Lake, MN and now live 15 miles from there in Isanti, MN. I have a cabin in Lake of the Woods, MN (hence the NorthMNsledder name) that I’m at every other weekend all winter long (5 hour drive from my house each way!!). On an average winter I put over 6,000 miles on my truck for sledding. Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury to move because of my wife and most of our family’s live in this area. I work as a Designer/Drafter/Engineer for a curtain wall manufacture and I own my own drafting company that makes just enough money to pay for this sledding addiction. Most of my riding is done in northern MN, Southern Canada and the UP of Michigan. I have made a couple of trips out west and will continue to do so every year. I’m the guy who always has his sled loaded after the 1st of November and have been known to call in sick to work and drive 15 hours just to get an early season ride in.

The reason I ASKED to be a mod was just to help out on this site. I’m on here & Dootalk 4+ times a day anyway and I’m happy to give back to a site that has helped me so much! I’m not a mod on any other sites or a power hungry computer nerd like some may think. I just thought it was the right thing to do.

If you have any other questions please ask.

Thanks,

Ben

My name is Dave and I am the mod for western Canada BC/AB and I live in Calgary with property in Malakwa near Sicamous. I am a fairly new rider that started riding in Jan.2006 after having what they call a cervical diskectomy (removed a disk from neck and replaced with titanium plate and screws.) Spent all my life self employed working every waking moment. While laying in hospital I decided that if I ever walked again I would start sledding as this was somrthing that I had always wanted to try.I had never done it or knew anyone that had so the first day after 2 days after surgery I found that I could walk so I had a friend go and buy me a sled so that when I got out I would have something to do.
Not knowing anything at all about sleds I had him buy me a 1979 Arctic Cat El Tigra 5000. So the surgery was Dec. 01/2005 and the neck brace came off on feb.13 so I loaded up sled and went to the Crowsnest Pass.
As mentioned earlier I knew no one that rode so I went by myself. I got back into the mountains back about 20 miles when the chain broke.
I started walking out which at the time I could hardly do for probally four hours when a couple of guys rode down the trail. After telling them my story they took me back and towed me out and loaded it on my pick up.
I learned two very important lessons number 1 never ride alone and number 2 never sled with open face stock car helmet. My face took a beating while beening towed for twenty miles.
So with having no riding buddies I purchaced a second sled and helmet.
I got a 1976 John Deere 340 Liquifire.
Next weekend first trip the old JD broke down not too far back and I towed it out.
So now march 01 I bought what I thought was going to be a real mountain sled a 2000 Polaris 550 fan RMK with 136" track.I managed to put on 940 miles before the season ended.
Now I was hooked, but knew I needed a newer, bigger, faster and longer tracked sled.
I went to the Arctic Cat dealership near the end of May and bought an 06 M7 162".So the next season first snow fall Sept.16 I went for my first ride by myself of coarse and managed to put on 2500 Miles that season.
Went right out at the end of the season and pre ordered a 08 M1K.I met a lot of sledders that season.
Knowing that power was what fun sledding was all about I spent an other $ 12,000 on it.I bought light weight shorty seat ,Black diamond air box,Speed werks single pipe Y pipe MBRP can,@.5 Challenger extreme track, Boondocker fuel control box and then sent it to Brent Linderman at Arctic Edge got the top end ported the head clipped and the Linderman magic work done.
I put on 4500 miles on her that season.
Still havn't learned about riding alone though,if I can,t find anybody to go I go by myself and now have over 50 riding buddies from meeting people on the mountain. I do go with rino 530 and sat. phone though.
Last year was a sad year for me with the economy I only got on 2500 miles and had to sell off all my sleds except my M1K.Cutler race gas turbo soon though.Before becoming a sledder I had no idea on how to run a computer but after Snowest I am getting better.Still one finger though.
I have been a member on Snowest since 2007 and if I miss a day on line it is because I was out sledding.
But I will be on here even more now as yesterday I purchased Satellite lap top that goes to work with me so I can do my modding the best I can.
Also while sledding this winter I can keep posting my smokindave report with pictures daily.
What do you all think of me now? Do I need help? Is there a sledders anonymous?
Hope to sled with as many members as I can this season so PM me when and where.

Cheers,
Dave

Mule said:

I'm Mule.

Click to expand...

I think that about sums it up

Hi, I'm Seth and I am the mod for the 900 forum.

I have been sledding for 3 years now and this will be my 4th, I am now hooked for life I started out cheap to see if I would like the sport when a guy I worked with at the time bought a sled for $100, it was an old 85 Yamaha Enticer 330 as I recall. I soon started looking around and got myself a '95 Polaris Indy 440. On our very first ride, I wasn't even 50 ft from the truck and I had a smile from ear to ear, I knew I was hooked. I put a mild 225 miles on that year and I thought that was a lot at the time, haha, but man did I have a lot of fun doing it.

The next summer I picked up an '02 Polaris 800 RMK 151 and had an absolute blast learning to ride it and was it ever fun I put on almost 1100 miles that year and was totally in shock as to where I was able to go with that sled. The only thing I did to that sled that year was to put a rumble pack can on it and rode the heck out of it I met one of the guys I ride with early that year on this forum, and another late that spring, it was a good year.

This past year I threw on a reverse kit and a riser and those were a big help, other than that it was a totally pull and go experience, couldn't ask for much better. I spent tons of time practicing on carving and other skills to help be a better rider and it really helped, now riding is even that much more fun As the season wound down in June and another 1,000 miles were logged on, I found myself desiring more, more power, better suspension, just a new platform. I did a lot of research right here on the forums and spent weeks on end reading threads, looking for opinions and experiences, and digging for every last fact I could find before deciding to pull the trigger on an 05 900 RMK After helping my buddy do a complete and total rebuild on his 06 900 motor, I felt pretty comfortable making the commitment to get a 900 for myself. I found an extrememly clean sled at my local dealer and after thinking it over for a week it was mine not even a full day after having it, I dug right in and started doing all of the 'necessities' that I had read about and seen my buddy do to his 06, man was it fun to have a project $1600 later I am just about ready for the snow, the only thing I got left to do is update the clutching and pull the rope... its killing me to look at this sled everyday and not be able to ride it or do something more to it, it has been a blast getting my hands dirty

The one other thing I like to do for fun is to quad I bought an '03 Polaris Predator 500 last fall and have ridden in about 10 weekends this summer, it's a good hold over to keep me busy until sledding season comes again... definitely another fun hobby.

I'm a Journeyman Carpenter by trade working mainly in the commercial sector. I have worked on 6 schools so far, several commercial buildings, and have also done a fair amount of residential work. I have helped build 5 new custom homes, a couple moderate sized remodels, and a multi million dollar remodel on one house, that was a very neat project.

All in all I like being the hands on kind of person, so I think both my trade and my new sled will suit me well, haha. When I heard that Snowest was looking for some new moderators, I thought I would be glad to offer myself to help out, I spend so many hours on this site reading information and sharing pics and riding stories that it only made sense to offer to help out if I could.

So yup, that's about all I can think of for now... Happy sledding:beer;