The Jay Mentaberry Interview
Did you guys see Mentaberry show up and crush it at this year’s 509 Heli Shoot? No? Not yet? Well, let me tell you, your socks are about to be rocked in Volume 11. We caught up with Jay this summer to ensure that his golf game was on point and that he had nice things to say about snowmobiling in Canada.
Q: You were super young when you got hooked up with Ski-Doo – tell us about how that came about?
A: I started racing the RMSHA hillclimb circuit for a grassroots Ski-Doo team. After doing well, I created a good relationship with the race department thus moving into the marketing department for backcountry riding.
Q: Tell us about your sled and any/all mods to it:
A: I’ll tell you about one in my fleet- you could say it’s my favorite one! I started with a 2016 154 Summit with a 3” track. First I took it to Josh Kennedy for some boost. (On a side note- Josh is working on something very cool in the turbo world for 2017 and beyond so stay tuned!) After we added fuel and air, I threw on some FOX QS3 Evol shocks on the front, paired with Tom’s Snowmobile rear skid mounted to IceAge rails and wheels. That setup is hard to beat! Then came some cool lightweight bling from Skinz Protective Gear. I ran their helium hood, front and rear bumpers, and brake lever-which is incredibly comfy! I put a set of SLP MoHawk skis on and wrapped it all up with a killer Arctic FX wrap (see it here). Sleds just keep getting better and better, I seriously can’t wait to shred the new 850 Summit!
Q: Name your top 3 favourite* places to ride:
A: Pretty much anywhere in BC Canada, McCall Idaho, and right at home in Star Valley, Wyoming.
*Because Jay is American, I have deliberately used the Canadian/correct spelling of “favourite” to irk him. He either did not notice him, or was too polite to point at me and laugh.
Q: Top 3 favourite people to ride with:
A: My buddy Andy Thomas, Riley Suhan, and Tony Jenkins.
Q: You live in the raging metropolis of Alpine, Wyoming: population 1000. What are you doing in Alpine when you’re not sledding?
A: I am dirt biking, boating, exploring…anything outdoors. I’ve recently picked up golf, so watch for me out on the green.
Q: What are the biggest differences between snowmobiling in Canada vs. snowmobiling in the States?
A: The trail rides into the good zones. They are way longer than in the states. It’s all worth it once you get there, though!
Q: What’s on tap for 16/17? More RMSHA domination? More huge backcountry airs?
A: You betcha. More W’s on the RMSHA circuit for sure and I’m trying to make it out east for some ISOC snowcross hopefully. Possibly going to have a few webisodes going up throughout the season.
Q: If you could be the first to do anything in the world, what would it be?
A: Create a way to control the weather so we could have winter all the time!
Q: What’s your biggest accomplishment in snowmobiling so far?
A: Probably becoming a mainstream rider in the industry.
List off your sponsors for us 🙂
• Ski-Doo
• 509
• Skinz Protecitve Gear
• Arctic FX
• SLP
• IceAge
• Highmark by Snowpulse
• Diamond-S
• Toms Snowmobile
• Fox
• RSI
• Trygstad Motorsports
• Enzo Racing
• Star Valley Ski-Doo
• ToyUp Sled decks
