Andrew Bokkel, 47, lives in Calgary, but from mid-December until end of March he and his girlfriend, Jennifer Dewar-Jones, head for the Crowsnest Pass four to six times per month, as long as there’s snow.
What kind of sled do you ride?
It’s a Polaris 2012 800 Pro. It’s light and nimble and easy to ride. When I took Jennifer out on it last year she liked it so much I pretty well lost it—I had to buy a second one this year. I also bought a Polaris 340 for her seven-year-old daughter. We go on the back of it when she’s riding, just to give her a bit of help. At seven, she doesn’t realize that going too quick into the corners isn’t a good thing! We don’t want her to hurt herself and get scared off the sport.
Last year was Jennifer’s first year sledding, and she picked it up very nicely. I wouldn’t take her anywhere I didn’t think she could handle, and even though she got scared a few times she did great.
How old were you when you started sledding?
My parents got us our first sled in 1972. It was an old Moto-Ski 318, I believe. We rode that for a couple of years and then picked up a new Snow Jet—I was eight when we got that one.
What was the first sled that you bought?
My own first sled was an ’86 Polaris Indy 400. I basically have stuck to that line because I really like them.
Are there areas besides the Crowsnest Pass that you like to sled?
We sled in Elkford and Fernie too, and someday I would like to go down to the Yellowstone area. We hear the scenery in that area is beautiful.
Why do you especially like the Crowsnest Pass?
We like the people in this area—we mostly see the same ones out on the trails—and the nice snow and the areas that we can find that nobody else goes to. Now that Jennifer and I are doing this together, and we have lighter machines that we can get to spots without being scared of getting them stuck, we go everywhere.
