I remember the day my father brought home our family’s first ATV. It was a Suzuki 350 c.c. and I was terrified of it. It had a manual transmission and I spent several frustrating hours trying to learn how to shift the gears smoothly. After I figured it out, however, I was hooked on ATVing.
A couple of years later, my father bought two personal watercraft and it didn’t take me long to develop an interest in them as well. Since then, I’ve explored trails and lakes throughout the East and West Kootenay regions of B.C. and in the province of Alberta. I have also ridden a personal watercraft in the states of Montana, Arizona and Utah. My passion for motorsports is something I am pleased to share with my husband, who is also an experienced dirt biker and motorcyclist.
As a writer for RidersWest, I get to speak with top riders in the industry, learn about new products on the market and hear great riding stories from readers.
If you have a story that you’d like to share, know of an outstanding rider who should be recognized or would just like to talk about motorsports, please email me.
The future of off-road dirt bike riding depends largely on the next generation. More riders are needed and that’s why Honda Canada and Popkum Motor Park have decided to offer Honda’s Junior Red Rider and Red Rider Evolution programs at Popkum’s facility in Rosedale, B.C.
by Kirsten Armleder
An interesting press release popped into my email inbox this week about the Gumball 3000. If you’ve heard of this event before, I’m impressed. It’s a 3,000-mile international road rally and it takes place annually at different locations around the world. This year is the 15th anniversary Gumball 3000 rally and it begins in Copenhagen in the small country of Denmark.
by Kirsten Armleder
No matter whether it’s on an ATV or a snowmobile—Trish Oosterhoff of Smithers, B.C., is happy as long as she’s in the mountains.
by Kirsten Armleder
This year, ATVers in Manitoba will have a chance to participate in the Ride for Dad fundraiser. The first annual ATV Ride for Dad Winnipeg chapter takes place September 28 in Stonewall.
by Kirsten Armleder
Testing the 2013 Arctic Cat 700 Limited ATV—Kootenay Rockies style.
by Kirsten Armleder
Kitt Stringer believes the Red Bull Romaniacs is as good a place as any to begin his foray into the world of hard enduro racing.
by Kirsten Armleder
A crowd of nearly 40,000 spectators converged on Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas on May 4, 2013, to watch big-name riders like Ryan Dungey, Davi Millsaps, Ryan Villopoto, Chad Reed and Justin Barcia vie for the AMA World Championship title.
by Kirsten Armleder
With more point-of-view action cameras coming onto the market, it’s hard to pick one over the other. If you are thinking of buying one, the new Drift HD Ghost Action Camera has some cool features you should know about.
by Kirsten Armleder
Sena Technologies Inc. has released an exciting new product, and just in time for the riding season. It's called the SMH10R Low Profile Motorcycle Bluetooth Headset and Intercom.
by Kirsten Armleder
A couple from Cranbrook, B.C., experience some of the best motorcycling roads in the province on a journey to Shuswap Lake.
by Kirsten Armleder
This ride at the edge of Cranbrook, B.C., takes ATVers and dirt bikers to an elevation of 2,205 metres in under an hour.
by Kirsten Armleder
The new Terracross Championship series in the U.S. is off to a good start for 2013 with Mystik® Lubricants as its title sponsor. The series, which is now known as the Mystik Lubricants Terracross Championship (MLTC), is a racing circuit for side-by-sides and ATVs. The series got started in 2012 and Mystik Lubricants sponsored one of the two events that took place. For 2013, the company will be sponsoring all three of the events that are on the schedule.
by Kirsten Armleder
Professional off-road racer Shane Cuthbertson of the Alberta-based Corner Grass Racing Team (CGRT) has been hard at work, designing and building the course for Red Bull’s upcoming Rocks and Logs event.
by Kirsten Armleder
Steve Shannon, 27, is a photographer and an off-road racer whose professional portfolio includes the International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE), the Red Bull Romaniacs and Xtinction.
by Kirsten Armleder
Whether you’re gathering firewood for the home or blazing new trails in the backcountry, the new Chainsaw Carrier for ATVs from Moose Utility Division will likely come in handy.
by Kirsten Armleder
The SG1 handguard from PowerMadd in Wyoming, Minnesota, is a soft handguard that is constructed of lightweight closed cell foam.
by Kirsten Armleder