Name: Sean Maxwell
Lives in: Sherwood Park, Alberta
Age: 25
Occupation: Works at Hagen Surveys 1982 Ltd. in Sherwood Park
Hobbies: sledding, boating, fishing, quadding
Sledding since: 1990
First sled: 1977 Ski-Doo Olympic 335
Current ride: 2010 Ski-Doo Summit 163, 2013 Ski-Doo Summit 163
What do you like about your sled? Ski-Doo has always been ahead of the technological advancements compared to other brands, so every year I’ve stuck with Ski-Doo. Not only that, but my dealer treats me very well. So really it’s not 100 per cent about the sled but it’s about dealer relationships too. For 2013, the new rMotion skid technology and the more refined chassis was a little heads-up against (Arctic) Cat and Polaris.
What is your favourite kind of riding? Technical tree riding. I do the odd drop here and there but nothing too crazy.
How many times a year do you ride Valemount? A good 60 to 70 days.
What are your favourite areas here and why? Chappell Creek and Allan Creek. I like Chappell Creek because it gets unbelievable amounts of snow compared to any of the other areas, and it’s a little further out of town so a lot of people don’t want to truck that far. I like Allan Creek because it’s never-ending. It’s a massive area and there is tons of technical treeline there—lots of secret spots too.
Why do you go snowmobiling? It’s something I can grow at, which is hard to find in a lot of other things. It seems like (with) a lot of sports you hit a dead end, but this one you keep growing, learning and exploring. It is something that has endless possibilities.
Do you have any tips for new mountain riders? Make sure the first thing you do is get all your proper safety equipment, and then find a rider or a guide who knows the area and stick with him for the day.
