Put him on a sled and 15-year-old Dave Sahlstrom, a Grade 11 student in Revelstoke, B.C., is in his element. From the time he could reach the controls, sitting in front of his dad when he was three years old, Sahlstrom wanted to drive.
Going fast on the groomed trails, plowing through powder, doing jumps—he loves them all, but likes deep powder best, especially in the mountains. Though both his parents ride sleds, the young sledder said it was his dad who introduced him to the more edgy side of riding; his mom stays close and takes pictures.
Sahlstrom is a big fan of Ski-Doo; he currently rides three of them: a 1988 Safari, a 1995 Summit 583 and a 1999 Summit 670X.
“I really like the Summit 670X because it has a custom long track and climbs really well,” Sahlstrom said. “The Safari is nice for short trips because you can get it unstuck super easy. I really like the brand new Summit and I’m saving for it.”
He said his favourite trail is probably Frisby Ridge.
“It’s relatively easy, so I can take my friends up there who don’t know much about snowmobiling," he said. "It’s got a nice, big open area at the top where you can get lots of speed, with jumps and some big hills, lots of powder and nice gladed tree riding.”
Sahlstrom admits that among his group of friends, he’s the most accomplished sledder.
“I’ve had lots of fun taking my friends out, especially ones who haven’t snowmobiled much before,” he said. “My cousin came to visit and we had a blast taking turns being the driver and the passenger, going really fast and doing jumps—we were both more nervous being the passenger, but it was so much fun! That was a good day.”
Sahlstrom keeps active in the summertime too.
“I dirt bike and mountain bike, and work a lot at Tim Hortons," he said. "I have to earn money to pay for my sleds and my gas and my riding gear.”
