Why We Ride Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode, we dive into the importance of health and fitness in snowmobile racing. Some of the top athletes in the world compete in this sport, and they understand that reaching the peak of their performance means focusing on every aspect of their training and lifestyle. We discuss how supplements can play a crucial role in enhancing your diet and improving your overa...

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode, we chat about the excitement surrounding the upcoming season. We dive into some of last year’s cross-country racing results to get everyone hyped for the return of some big names to the cross-country scene.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail This week, Chip Vaadi joins Lucas to discuss the upcoming season and the Polaris sleds we'll be riding. We take a deep dive into the Polaris 600R we’re converting into a cross-country ice LeMans mod sled. From initial setup to the custom modifications, we share our plans for getting ready to race. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s milestone 10th episode, we’re joined by the man, the myth, the legend: Chip Vaadi. Starting his racing career in the early nineties but riding sleds since he was a kid, Chip has done it all—from snocross to the 500, and even owning his own racing circuit, the Big East Snocross Tour (B.E.S.T.). We dive into his diverse snowmobiling background, but there’s too much kn...

Send us Fan Mail  On this week’s episode, we dive into the upcoming season with a strong focus on ice racing. We discuss the versatility of cross-country snowmobiles and the different types of racing we’ll be tackling this year, including cross-country, pure ice, and even some hillcross action. Tune in for all the details as we gear up for a diverse and exciting season!  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode, we dive into TJ and Molly's experience at the Epping/Fremont NH snowmobile event. TJ had the honor of representing cross-country racing at the factory Arctic Cat booth! We also catch up with Molly Nichols, discussing her past seasons and what’s coming next for her and Jackwagon Racing.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode, we dive into the upcoming winter season and break down the differences between East and West cross-country snowmobile racing. While there are many similarities, it’s great to see the unique variations between the circuits, all while keeping the focus on the riders. 4o Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode, we welcome New England professional racer Eric Gleich. Eric has been a well-known face on the racing scene for as long as we can remember. He shares his unique approach to cross-fit training and his extensive knowledge of snowmobiles. Eric’s excitement for the upcoming season is electric, especially with all the new sleds he’ll be rolling out of the trailer...

Send us Fan Mail  On this week’s episode, we dive into the incredible support we’ve received from our sponsors and talk about some of the awesome products they offer. We share fun stories and experiences that come to mind when we think about each of them!  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail This week, we’re excited to have pro racer Dylan Thompson on the podcast! It’s always inspiring to hear from a fellow passionate East Coast pro cross-country rider. Dylan shares his journey from growing up around snowmobiles to rising through the ranks in cross-country racing. Not only is he a skilled rider, but he’s also a great guy and someone everyone should meet. Tune in for s...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode, TJ shares his experience traveling from Maine to Minnesota for Hay Days. He met with key players in the snowmobile industry, including fellow podcasters Spencer from The Carbide Podcast and the boys from The Shop Talk Podcast. TJ also got to witness the exciting snowmobile grass drags, pit bike, and ATV racing! Tune in as we recap some of his weekend advent...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the Why We Ride Podcast! I (Lucas Vaadi) start out by interviewing TJ Leach so that both you, the audience, and I can get to know him a bit more and learn about his history in the snowmobile industry. Thanks for listening! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the first episode of the Why We Ride Podcast! I (TJ Leach) start out by interviewing Lucas so that both you, the audience, and I can get to know Lucas more and learn about his history in the snowmobile industry. Thanks for listening! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail "I started spending more time in the mountains where all I did was ride". We all want to spend more time riding. To go out to the park, track, lake, or mountains and spend most of our time doing what we love. As often as we can, we make it happen, that is just what we do!  Brandon spends his hard earned time in the mountains when the ground is frozen and work is slow. He...

Send us Fan Mail Really excited for today's episode. This is a refresher episode from 2021 with Skidoo Ambassador Pro Backcountry Sledder Cody McNolty. The conversation with Cody was so good, I spent around 3 hours with the guy and learned a ton. It was tough to break down which bits and pieces I felt were needed to share for 2023, but this episode is basically just that.  If you have not alr...

Send us Fan Mail "I truly believe I can do it. Which other people may not think that... but I have faith in myself. I know if I work hard enough, I can!" I am truly convinced that once you set your mind to something, you can achieve it. Whatever goal it may be, whatever dream you desire, whatever outcome you crave, you are capable of making it a reality. The truth is, it takes a little b...

Send us Fan Mail I believe one of the most overlooked opportunities in an Action Sports career is relationship building. I have fallen short so many times in my career with relationships. From missed opportunities because I didn't believe (at the time) there was value in spending my time with individuals to completely leaving a door wide open and not stepping through because I didn't kno...

Send us Fan Mail "Fort Hall Casino jumped on board and sponsored the film one year!" The opportunity to do more of what we love doing is closer than ever! Today's guest hops on and we get to learn more about the good old days previous to social media and what they had to do as a brand to create the content we so easily have at our fingertips, let alone in our pockets! What an advant...

Send us Fan Mail "I always knew I was going to be doing some things, in a specific niche". We all have a passion for the industry. We absolutely love doing what we do. And so many of us are chasing the rush of adrenaline, getting that dopamine hit as often as we can. That is what makes our industry so unique! So knowing what direction you want to take your life and even creating a career...

Send us Fan Mail "Someone recommended I try riding a Snowbike in 2011 and I laughed in their face!" It's funny to see what happens when we say one thing and then later in our life it ends up happening anyways! If we could just short cut the journey, I think we'd find ourselves more successful quicker! However, without learning how to pivot and make changes I don't believe...

Send us Fan Mail "I ride pit bikes more than I ride big bikes".  It's awesome to learn more about a rider and their background. So many things that otherwise are left unknown to a majority and yet they may be local legends. Quinn is one of those guys. On today's episode we get a better look at Quinn's life and how it began. Some funny stuff has gone on in that dude's...

Send us Fan Mail "I did wheelie a Harley". Now that is not something most have ever seen let alone done in their lifetime! Greg though is not the typical MX rider either. A drive of passion and love for the industry has helped Greg shape his current career. Today you can see him blowing it up on social media with his content around bike builds, primarily 2-strokes. A bunch of us older gu...

Send us Fan Mail We are ready to rock today's episode. We've got a return guest ready to drop some great perspectives and thoughts about the industry. Passion runs deep with Josh. His drive to pursue a career inside the action sports industry is very transparent. This guy eat, sleeps, breathes all things action sports. From deep ruts climbing up hills to crushing it at the bmx park or ja...

Send us Fan Mail I'm stoked to make a pivot in the podcast right now. There will always be days when you will need to make a change. I just hope those that do make a change, it is the right thing to do! I've been paying attention to our industry more and more each year. Though I still might not know everything about the community, I can tell you that one thing is for sure. Nothing is gua...

Send us Fan Mail We always see a top 10 or top 5 or top 3. My question is, who is choosing those top choices? I know who chose this episodes top 5! This episode is different than most episodes. In this episode I decided to break apart 5 athletes and their perspectives when it comes to landing sponsorships. This episode has Brett Turcotte, Mat Cox, Cody McNolty, Cody Webb, and Colby Crapo. Each one...