Blue skies, the sun glinting off the snow and a machine that was built to offer the ultimate winter ride experience. This is the story of snowmobiling, as seen through Brendon Fidek’s eyes.
A prairie boy, Fidek was born and raised in the small farming community of Invermay, Saskatchewan. Friends of the family introduced him to snowmobiling and at nine years old, he got his first sled, a Ski-Doo Freestyle 300—which was to be shared with his two siblings.
Sledding after school and on the weekends soon became the norm and Fidek quickly learned where all the good riding spots could be found.
“In Saskatchewan, there’s not powder everywhere,” he said. “You kind of have to look for it, but when we do, we have a blast. And if there’s no powder, there are drifts to go on.”
Seeing it in greater detail
Three years after he got his first sled, Fidek was gifted a point-and-shoot camera, and his foray into the world of photography began.
“My brother and I have always liked taking action shots, so it just kind of blossomed from there,” he said.
Outgrowing both his sled and camera, Fidek eventually upgraded to a 2012 Ski-Doo Renegade Backcountry and a DSLR. Now, when he’s not farming, he works as a professional photographer—shooting everything from weddings and family portraits to dirt biking and, of course, sledding.
“I’m very passionate about photography,” said Fidek. “Seeing a great photo brings a great amount of joy to me. When I’m snapping action shots of snowmobiles and I see a great shot on the back of the camera, it’s not uncommon to hear me saying, ‘wow,’ with a big smile on my face. It’s awesome going out and doing two things I love: snowmobiling and taking photos.”
Promoting the sport
With his brother and cousin as his main riding buddies, Fidek spends most of his time on the Yorkton Sno-Riders trail system, looking for pockets of fresh snow where the group can make some turns and capture the sleds in action.
As members of the club, the Fideks do their part in making sure the trail system is maintained.
“My dad grooms one of the local systems and he and another guy from the area mark the trails out here,” said Fidek. “We also supply wood to our closest shelter.”
Safety is important to them, as is a respect for the land.
“The best advice I’ve been given in regards to snowmobiling is to respect other people’s property and wear the proper gear,” he said. “There is no reason to make your snowmobile scream right next to someone else’s property—quiet in, quiet out. Also, the landowners are what make the trail systems possible. Without their permission, the trails wouldn’t exist.”
Chasin’ freshies
Fidek loves those powder days, but last winter, they were hard for even him to find. So in February, he and his brother, Michael, and older cousin, Landen, loaded up the sleds and headed to the mountains of Sicamous, B.C., in hopes of finding some good snow.
“That is a big adjustment from prairie riding for sure, but it was fun though,” he said.
Fidek is praying for a better snowfall this winter, but whatever the conditions are, he’ll be ready, camera in hand, to capture the moments that make sledding the greatest winter sport there is.
“It’s great seeing people have fun with it,” said Fidek, “and how people push the limits of the sport.”
Anyone can improve their picture-taking skills. With the help of Brendon Fidek, we came up with seven Tips for Taking Better Snowmobiling Photos.
