Avalanche Canada has hired Brent Strand as its new snowmobile outreach coordinator. Strand has been an avalanche technician for the past ten years and has spent the past six years teaching snowmobile-specific avalanche courses. He was mentored by 40-year avalanche industry veteran Peter Kimmel.
Strand's job with Avalanche Canada is to positively impact the snowmobile community by promoting avalanche safety, and he said he believes more snowmobilers want to ride with awareness and preparation than ever before.
“It is inspiring to see how engaged the sled community is now as opposed to ten years ago,“ Strand said. "More people are wanting snowmobile-specific avalanche training, getting the training, and (buying) the equipment needed for mountain snowmobiling.”
Strand has lived in Revelstoke, where Avalanche Canada is based, for the past 26 years. His ride companions include people such as Soul Ride’s Jeremy Hanke, past Avalanche Canada snowmobile coordinator Carole Savage, and Revelstoke Snowmobile Club’s event coordinator Kathy Burke.
“Brent is such an easygoing, upbeat guy who really wants to listen to the needs of snowmobilers and help any way he can," said Burke. "He has a way of reaching out to riders so they really engage and listen to his words of advice."
Snowmobiling is a family tradition for Strand, who still remembers learning how to snowmobile with his father Ole Strand around his hometown of Snow Lake, Manitoba. One chilly day Strand’s father bundled him up and headed for on the lake to teach his son how to ride.
“I had a minor moment of feeling freaked out," Strand said, "realizing my father wasn’t on behind me anymore as I was heading off on my own across the lake. Seeing him cheering me on gave me all the confidence in the world knowing I could do it. This truly is one of my fondest childhood memories."
As Strand fulfills his mission to promote avalanche safety, he will attend snowmobile shows and give presentations in communities throughout B.C. and Alberta.
“With the help of people like Jeremy Hanke from Soul Rides and Curtis Pawliuk from Frozen Pirates, safety is becoming cool," said Strand. "Staying alive in the backcountry is the cool thing to do. Working together we can all continue to make a difference."
