Not surprisingly, Marco Punis’ favourite type of riding is flying down a trail cross-country style. Having snowcrossed in the 2000s, he’s covered some serious ground with riders like Stevie Taylor and Blair Morgan, and says speed is in his blood.
He got on his first sled in ’71 at the tender age of five, and later cut his teeth on an old Massey Ferguson. These days he divides his time between a 2012 HCR 800 and a 2012 HCR 1100 Turbo, though he must admit he’s got a soft spot for the 1100.
“I’ve got a turbo dynamic program in it and it just flies,” he said.
Punis runs Lino’s Sales Ltd., the Arctic Cat dealership in Burns Lake, but does about 70 per cent of his riding in Houston. He favours the Telkwa Range because there are safe, family-friendly trails and extreme climbs all in the same region.
Without question he likes to tackle Houston’s Meat Cache area—an extreme rider’s haven with huge climbs and tight draws.
The Sebolas are also a favourite destination, said Punis.
“It’s coastal snow so it’s deeper snow and more consistent—there’s not as many avalanches. It’s a great place to bring kids,” he said. “You can go 60 or 100 miles without having to climb anything.”
His future riding destination might be Pemberton, he said.
“I have some friends who went there and golfed in the day and went sledding in the afternoon. That sounds good to me.”
