LEVI LAVALLEE While certainly not steeped in the legend and lore as the Plaisted expedition, young Levi LaVallee cemented his name in the record books (until another daredevil looks to best him) by jumping a long way…a really long way. To give credit where it’s due, the popularity of long distance jumping must be traced back to Alaska and Paul Thacker. The backcountry, freestyle racer and snowmobile maniac, long jumped his snowmobile not once, but twice, setting a record each time. Yet it was Levi, along with the help of Red Bull, who created a long jump spectacle that won’t likely be bested for some time. Launching himself and his snowmobile from ramp to ramp, over the Embarcadero Marina Park near downtown San Diego, as part of the Red Bull: New Year No Limits program, live on ESPN. Levi crushed the record by jumping 412-feet, 6-inches.
TRANS-CONTINENTAL TEAM Back in the early 1990s, snowmobiling was experiencing a second coming of popularity. The winters were long, the economy was humming along nicely, and snowmobile sales and popularity were bursting at the seams. The snowmobiles themselves had come a long way since the first “boom” years of the late 1960s, and early 1970s. They were far more reliable and comfortable, and with this newfound appreciation for our favorite winter vehicle, the explorer in all of us came forth. There were several long distance rides during that time, including a trip to Moscow; but one ride in particular set a Guinness World Record. Riding Arctic Cat Panther snowmobiles without support vehicles, the foursome of (left to right) John Outzen, Carl Boucher, Andrew Boucher, and Denis Boucher left Anchorage Alaska and rode to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a distance of 10,252 miles in 56-days on the trail. The continental crossing was recognized by Guinness as a world record in June of 1992.
NICK KELLER Some you will remember the name Nick Keller, a nondescript mason from central Minnesota who literally rode the skis and track off his 2010 Yamaha Vector GT in honor of his mother, Mary Jane, who passed away from breast cancer complications at the age of 56. Keller had always been a snowmobile enthusiast, logging upwards of 8,000 miles a year. Yet, when the idea came to him to ride even further and raise money and awareness for cancer, he certainly outdid himself. That first season, Keller rode 19,506 miles, and in the process, the Keller family established a non-profit organization called the Keller Family Community Foundation. The long distance ride was quickly dubbed the Snowball Cancer Challenge, and it continues to this day. During the winter season of 2010-2011, Keller bested his previous season’s mileage total, clicking off 22,150 miles! What’s more, Keller and his Vector are still racking them on; as of March 24, 2014, after 278-days of riding, the Vector’s odometer reads 78,456 miles.
Got a favorite not listed? Let us know at info@osmmag.com TORONTO SNOWMOBILE, ATV & POWERSPORTS SHOW • OCT 24-26, 2014 • TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CENTRE • www.torontosnowmobileatvshow.com
ON SNOW MAGAZINE
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VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 1 ✪
33