JOHN GIBBS

You’d be hard pressed to find a person who wears his passion for the sport of snowmobiling and the Ski-Doo brand any louder and prouder than John Gibbs. A lifelong snowmobiler who lives and breathes anything and everything remotely close to the sport, Gibbs brings that excitement – and his hearty New England accent – to every other snowmobiler he encounters. A resident of Weare, New Hampshire, you’ll find him enjoying the spoils of those legendary Nor’easters every chance he gets.  John's best moments include backpacking with family and friends from cabin to cabin out in the wilderness riding through storms and all different types of terrain. "We all had so many laughs and so much fun.  A lot of my best memories come from snowmobiling and Ski-Doo has always been a big part of that."

Beyond sleds, John rides ATVs, Side-by-Sides, Sea-Doo watercraft and enjoy hiking, camping, racing and pretty much anything to do with the outdoors and sports.  In addition, John is the founder of Ski-Doo /Lynx Owners Club Facebook group with over 54K active followers from all over the country!

John's real job?  He owns and operates a construction company!

Current Sleds:  2022 Mach Z & 2022 Renegade X-RS

KAREN YUCKERT

"I grew up riding horses all of my life and have had a passion for the outdoors since I can remember. It was later on in life when I was introduced to power sports and have been hooked ever since.  I have had snowmobiles and quads for many years but this past winter I went feet first, and all in. I signed up for an all women’s snowmobile clinic in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, it was 4 days of new skills and wonderful riders that pushed me to new limits.

I live on top of Manastash Mountain in Ellensburg, Washington at an elevation of 3,000ft. I’m able to leave right from my front door to endless trails and back country terrain asnd also enjoy barrel racing with my horses at rodeos, and managing our 30-acre horse and cattle ranch. During the Spring and Summer, I enjoy riding my quads and side by-side up to a place called Funny Rocks. It is a popular destination place known by jeepers and rock crawlers for extreme boulder climbing."

RIDING STYLE

"I am defiantly a Back Country rider and love every aspect of that challenging terrain. To side hill on a slope and master the good ol’ “J” hook, well there is just nothing like it. Picking a line though the trees and coming out on the other side to a big meadow of deep powder is breath taking. Climbing to tops of mountains and working your way back down is just the most challenging and exciting sense of accomplishment I have ever felt. Plus I am a big sucker for all the wildlife and the beauty Washington has to offer."

RIDING GEAR

"I have to say that my favorite piece of gear is my 509 heated goggles. That is a game changer for me.  I love that with a click of a button I can defrost my goggles and not worry about if I can see or not.  I also love my DSG bibs and helmet. I can rely on both of them to keep me dry and safe in the backcountry.  It is so hard to choose just one piece of equipment. I love it all!"

NORMAL JOB

"I am a Surgical Veterinary Technician for a 6-doctor practice specializing in orthopedics and rehabilitation.  I love my job because I get to be with animals all day, there is something about their energy that brings comfort to me.  To be able to help them and send them home, to live happy normal lives, is so rewarding.  I have been a technician for over 25 years now and still love it like it was my first day. The variety of cases that we see daily can keep things exciting and it keeps my skill set on point."

MOST FUN ON A SLED

"I am going to say that my trip to Wyoming has far surpassed any kind of riding I have ever done.  It was this trip that introduced me to all the other women that share the passion for snowmobile riding that I do. Girls from all over the world came to ride and explore the mountain.  Up until this point in my life I had only ridden with men and never really knew the fundamentals of riding a sled, I had to figure it out all on my own. It was fast and steep riding and I did a lot of watching and trying to keep up with the guys.  I was in awe to know that so many other women were in the same boat as me and to have them all gather at one location was magic.  We had 2 snowmobile mechanics with us (both women) that when the sleds broke or things went wrong, they were jumping in to help us get them back up and running. Or, if you got stuck, there were 10 girls there to help you get unstuck. It was so awesome to see the support and compassion these women had for each other!  It’s a memory I will never forget."

CURRENT SLEDS 

• 2021 Summit X with Expert Package (850 E-TEC Turbo)
• 2018 Polaris Pro RMK 800

MIKE DUFFY

Mike has been a Mountain Snowmobiler for 30 years.  He owns & operates Avalanche1 – an organization that provides Professional avalanche education for mountain riders.
Mike’s certifications & accomplishments include:

• Avalanche Instructor for 25 years teaching classes nationwide.
• Certified instructor American Avalanche Association.
• Backcountry Guide/riding instructor.
• Selected to teach free Ski-Doo avalanche seminars in the U.S. since 2011.
• Published articles in American Snowmobiler, The Avalanche Review, Snowest, OnSnow and more.
• U.S. Course provider American Avalanche Association.
• Teaching at American Avalanche Institute, Alaska Avalanche School and Silverton Avalanche School.
• Rescue/avalanche team leader/ Vail Mountain Rescue Group.
• Graduate of National Avalanche School, National Academy of Winter Guiding, AVPRO & Professional Avalanche Search & Rescue.
• Provided training for Arctic Cat, Polaris, Ski-Doo, Yamaha, FBI HRT and Navy Seals.

RIDING GEAR

BCA is the most trusted name in Backcountry Safety.  As a certified avalanche instructor – Mike relies on BCA Gear.  His current set-up includes:

• BCA Float Mountain Pro Vest Avalanche Airbag 2.0
• BCA BC Link™ Group Communications Two Way Radio
• BCA Mountain Pro Tunnel Bag

Mike is also a huge fan of Klim Riding Gear!

• Mike loves the new Klim Adrenaline boot. “Riding 6 days most weeks and the new sole material is amazing.  These boots work! Warm, dry, supportive and comfortable.”

Dirt Biking & Whitewater kayaking keeps Mike busy and fit during summer!  

“I get asked what gear I wear on my trips. We had to prepare for snow to 85 degrees. This is what I brought. Head to Toe.  Klim gear works and is extremely durable. Worth the $. I’m still on my original Dakar pants from 5 years ago. Friends rip cheaper pants in one season.”

• Klim F5 Helmet.
• Klim Viper Pro off road goggle with tear offs.
• Synthetic t-shirt.
• Klim Dakar or Mojave jersey depending on temperature.
• Klim Stow Away Jacket. Great for the rain and packs down into one of the pockets.
• Klim puffy jacket. New version is called Override jacket.
• Fox elbow pads over jacket or jersey.
• Klim vented sock. Feet will perspire less.
• Klim Dakar Pants. Covers a wide range of temps with zippered vents.
• BCA shin guards
• Klim Dakar glove
• Klim Inversion Pro Glove- for the cold days.
• Gaerne GX-1 boots.

“All these products have served me well over the years on many extended trips in all types of weather and up to 13000’. Having the right gear makes all the difference, especially on 200+ mile days and over 8 hours on the bike. The bike is a 2009 KLX 250 with a Bill Blue 351 kit and plenty of mods. GPS used is a Garmin Montana 680t along with a Garmin IN Reach Explorer. Good riding partners who can deal with any weather are essential. No whining when you’re 40 miles from any type of building. Hope this helps, Mike Duffy.”

Current Sled

• 2022 Summit X 

MICHAEL GILCHRIST

"It is hard to choose one particular thing that drives my passion for the sport when there are so many. From the comradery of riding with friends, family, and people you meet on the trail or in the woods to the challenge of constantly improving yourself as a rider. Pair that with the places you see while riding that others may never get the chance to experience and it’s hard not to be passionate about the sport."

RIDING STYLE

"I currently spend the majority of my time riding off trail in the woods of Maine. The challenge of navigating the sled through terrain no one else has touched is very appealing to me. Between that and the maneuvers that you can make these sleds do when you have a couple feet of powder under them has me hooked. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy hopping on a high-power trail sled and going for a good trail ride from time to time."

RIDING GEAR

"Currently I am running all Ski Doo gear and cannot get enough of it. The durability, comfort, and warmth is unmatched by any brand I have used in my 15 plus years of riding. From my BRP Modular 3 helmet, Helium Enduro Highpants, and 8 year old Ski Doo Trail jacket I have yet to have a single complaint. That is not to forget about the exceptional quality of the Ski Doo tunnel Backpack/shovel and numerous other accessories and bags made by Ski Doo that I use."

NORMAL JOB

"I currently work as a Corporate Accountant when I am not riding."

MOST FUN ON A SLED

"It is very hard to pick a particular ride to call the most fun I’ve had on a sled as every time I hop on one, even if its only for a ride around the yard I have a smile ear to ear. With that said I would have to say that the 2017/2018 riding season, despite the amount of rain we received has been one of the most memorable for a few reasons. 

The first part that made this season so memorable is that this was the season that we bought my girlfriend her first sled. It was nothing crazy but it was a nice low mileage Ski-Doo GTX 550f that was plenty comfortable, capable, and light for her to learn both on and off-trail. She has since grown to love the sport as much as I do, has upgraded the sled and rides with me every weekend.

The second part that made this season so memorable was the places we saw. With all of the rain that season the off-trail riding was crunchy and what would best be described as “Hero Snow”, which is fun but gets boring after a while. With that said we stuck to trail a majority of the season and got to see a lot of really neat places throughout the state of Maine, some which I had seen years ago and some that I had never seen before. We saw places such as Grand Falls, the B52 Crash Site, the Ghost Trains, Coburn Mountain Summit, and the Bison Farm. It was a great season with a lot of great riding and awesome times spent with friends, family, and great people that I met along the way."

CURRENT SLEDS 

• 2016 Ski-Doo Renegade Backcountry 800R 146 (154 Skid and 2.5” track)
• 1969 Ski-Doo Olympic