October 6th 2008:Stony Creek NY. I am visiting Sexy
Ron and his family in New York for a few days. Don't miss the Sled Freak
Golf Tournament fund raiser for breast cancer in PA, go to Sledfreak.com
for details. Also, don't miss the fall snowmobile show in your area
click
here for listings.
Syracuse New York, Oct 3-4-5 2008. What an amazing show! I have
met quite a few old friends this weekend, and supporters of Zenwaiter.com.
Nick and Emily followed my advice last winter and came up to ride in
the Mauricie. They did 800 miles in about 6 days of riding, with two
minor break downs. They stayed at the Escapade in Shawinigan, and especially
liked the high end dinning room. They rode in a foot of new snow on
a two foot base, and well groomed trails. Click on the photo to listen
to them talk about their snowmobile holiday in Quebec. You'll also here
the boys from Boyeson engineering talk about their snowmobile mod products.
click now to listen.
Zen goes PINK at the Big East Show
in Syracuse New York! L-r Dan, Jody, Zen, Lori, Jessica
All the beautiful people who raise money for men and women suffering
with breast cancer, came together this weekend at the Big East show
in Syracuse to raise money and awareness about the organization and
their mission. They made me cry. Then they gave me a pink hat and Tee
Shirt. Please click the picture to hear the radio show where they tell
all. zw
October 3-4-5, 2008:Syracuse
New York; BIG EAST Snow Show this weekend - Come and meet Zenwaiter.
I will be all over the place doing interviews for ZEN
TALK - my snowmobile radio podcast,
but I want to see all my old friends, so you can find me probably,
hanging out at the Choko Design
booth, or just call me or text me on my cell phone, 306-354-7888 and
I'll meet you there!Big East Powersports Show, Oncenter Convention Center,
Syracuse, New York http://www.agievents.com
Oct 2 2008: Alaska: Palin has a race
of his own. Todd Palin, husband of GOP vice-presidential
candidate Sarah Palin, is no stranger to tough grinds as he prepares
for the 2009 Iron Dog race. The Tesoro Iron Dog Snowmobile Race has
been going strong for 25 years. But the buzz around next Februarys
competition in Alaska has more to do with the high profile of competitor
Todd Palinwhose wife, Sarah (the states governor), just
happens to be the Republican vice-presidential candidate in this years
U.S. election. Get
the whole story here..
Choko Design
Sponsors Zenwaiter.com Again this Year!
We can see in this photo that Phil, a sales rep from Choko Design snowmobile
clothing, is shy when it comes to beautiful girls! (not!) Part of the
fun on Saturday at the OFSC Toronto snowmobile show, was when Heather
and Christine from Yamaha, ran all over the place wearing their modular
helmets, handing out brochures advertising show specials to everyone.
We are very happy to announce, that Choko Design
will be sponsoring this web site again this year. Our thanks goes out
to everyone at Choko, especially Luc Morin, Phil's father! If you like
our web site, please support our sponsor. ChokoDesign.com
Darren and his family from Gravity Works Racing will be at the following
snowmobile trade shows this fall.
The ywill bring the Gravity Worx and RSI line to you with show specials
on everything.
Boise, ID on Friday and Saturday Sept 26th and 27th
Denver, CO on Saturday and Sunday October 4th and 5th
Puyallup, on Saturday and Sunday WA October 18th and 19th
Salt Lake City, UT on Friday and Saturday October 24th and 25th
and Spokane, WA on Saturday November 8th
See more on the Gravity
Worx Website here.
OFSC "Go Snowmobiling Show" is a hit with
Families
Meet Isaac, Hannah and Abigail. They are from Orangeville Ontario. Their
parents are originally from Newfoundland. They ride in Orangeville area
(district 4).
Snowmobile families are in for a special treat at the OFSC "Go
Snowmobiling Show" in Toronto this weekend Hundreds of snowmobile
enthusiasts poured through the gates at the Toronto Congress Centre
on Dixon Road. Do not miss this show! What makes it different from the
others, is that it includes a fashion show, a live demo track to try
riding a snowmobile, and several free imformation sessions at the main
stage, designed to educate, inform and keep everyone safe out there.
There is still time to get in on the fun, the show runs till Sunday
afternoon. Click
Here for details.
John Blaicher to demonstrate survival
techniques this Weekend Click the photo for more info.
Zen will be at the OFSC SHOW
This Weekend! September 26-27-28, 2008: The OFSC Go Snowmobiling
Show, Toronto Congress Centre, Dixon Rd, Toronto, Ontario. I
am going to be at this show on the weekend in Toronto. I will do a live
Blog TV Show from the floor, and record some audio for my snowmobile
podcast we all know as ZEN TALK. Meet me there! Support the sport! .
Click
here to learn more!
Please Support our Great Sponsors on the Right Side... They make this website possible!
Todd Palin's Snowmobiling Raises Interest
in Sport - Seen
at Hay Days !
Todd Palin was in the Twin Cities Signing Autographs with Members of
His Snowmobile Team. When Sarah Palin accepted the nomination for Vice
President last week, she mentioned that her husband, Todd Palin, was
a champion "snow machine" racer. Snowmobile aficionados asked
themselves the question: What brand of snowmobile does Todd Palin race?
Minnesota is home to two of the biggies in Snowmobile Racing: Polaris
and Arctic Cat. Polaris Industries is based in Roseau and Arctic Cat
is based in Thief River Falls. Minnesotan's are extremely loyal to their
brand, in a competitive way, even if they are not involved in actual
racing. Get
this snowmobile news story here...
Finally, A snowmobiler will be in the
White House! WHOA!!
Anchorage Alaska Sept 8 2008
: Sarah Palin has convinced John McCain to campaign for the presidency
by snowmobile. While winter may soon set in for the election
run in Alaska and the northern states the election gambit may be more
difficult to play out in the southern states. Get
this political snowmobile tale here...
Win a Championship Snowmobile at Hay
Days
Polaris has donated the 440 IQ race sled that Ross Martin used to min
two Championships in 2005. ISOC Racing will be raffling off the winning
sled this year at Hay Days September 6-7, in Lino Lakes, MN. The raffle
will continue on Monday, September 8, at the 2nd annual CJ Ramstad Memorial
Golf Classic to be held at Forest Hills Golf Club in Forest Lake, MN.
All proceeds will benefit the fund set up in honor of Mr. Snowmobiling.
Be sure to visit their booth at Hay Days or visit www.isocracing.com
for more details.
Robert of Relais 22 in LaTuque Quebec
- on Radio
It`s fishing season at the Relais 22 right now, and soon
the fall will bring the moose hunting and other small game like partridge.
Why not call Robert today and head up for a nice fishing or hunting
trip with some friends? Robert was a good friend of Bernard`s - that`s
how I met him. I hope to ride his snowmobile trails this winter. Click
here to listen.
. . . . Click
here for Photos
Revamped Ontario Motel targets elusive
Michigan Market
St. Joseph Island will welcome a new business
Saturday, when the Island Bar and Grill opens for business at 7 a. m.
on the waterfront in Hilton Beach. Natalie Allard transformed her Hilton
Beach Inn into a full-service motel and restaurant and she will stay
open 12 months of the year to cater to boaters and tourists in the summer
months and snowmobile travelers in the winter months. "I opened
just over two years ago with motel rooms and a large gift shop,"
said Allard. "But you are not going to do much business in the
cold winter months when the tourist trade on the island drops way down.
So, I had to find a way to try to attract visitors to the Inn on a year-round
basis." To accomplish this, Allard went to the Detroit-Novi Trade
show last year and set up a booth to advertise what her business was
all about. "Actually, I set up a booth with pictures of what I
had to offer, which was deluxe motel rooms only, and then I started
asking the 40,000 snowmobilers who were at the trade show what it was
they were looking for when they go on their winter snowmobile jaunts,"
she said. Allard said what she heard was that snowmobilers go looking
for complete winter packages, which include nice rooms and a nice restaurant.
More than a few indicated they want the service of tour guides. More
here
This is our friend Dan Davidoff from Roslyn BC, he is
nuts! To listen to Dan talk to Zen this week about his life and his
riding, click
here. To visit Dan's Krazy Canadian Web Site, Click
Here
2009 Snowmobile Calendars Now Available
This is a shot I took at a snowmobile calendar shoot
in Minnesota this past March, when I went out to work as the volounteer
wardrobe assistant during the model-snowmobile photo session ( A
tough job - but somebody has to do it!) . Here we see the photographer<s
assistand, spray Pam cooking oil onto Dani, to make her skin shine for
the photos! Click on the photos to see the entire day of shooting! Next
year, I want the Oil Spray job! Zenwaiter.com is an official sponsor
of the Double Xtreme Snowmobile Calendar, so if you hurry up and purchase
a few today, you will be helping out THIS site too, plus you<ll have
an amazing gift to give a friend this Christmas.
CLICK HERE
We
Need Snowmobile Sponsors for the 1008-9 Zen Tour Congratulations to the Mauricie
Snowmobile Region
for being the first sponsor to sign on with us again for another great
snowmobiling season! I took this photo last winter at the Escapade Hotel
in Shawinigan. I enjoyed an excellent lunch with the Mauricie Snowmobile
Club President Jean Claude, Bernard from Motel Safari, and of course
Denny, the owner of the Hotel and President of Tourism Mauricie.
We talked about the challenges the snowmobile club faces every year,
but had no idea that we would get so much snow. Whoa! Fifteen feet by
Bernard's estimation, the best snowmobiling winter season in over fifty
years. This winter, keep an eye out for new stories, live trail reports,
photos and video clips of this excellent snowmobile destination. We
will certainly miss Bernard, but his
legacy of amazing snowmobile hospitality, lives on in the heart of the
Maurice Region!
click here
Sudbury Ontario: Ont Gov't raises funding
to stop drunk Driving
Provincial funding for the Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE)
program in Sudbury has been doubled in an effort to get more drunk drivers
off the roads and off the waterways. "There is always a segment
of the population that just don't get it," he said. "We've
arrested people on boats, ATVs, snowmobiles. It doesn't matter what
they are driving -- their driver's licence will be suspended."
Get
full DWI related story here...
New Hampshire Police find Stash of Stolen
Snowmobiles!
EPSOM, N.H.An Epsom, N.H., man faces charges after a stash of
stolen dirt bikes, snowmobiles, tractors and an ATV were found at his
home. Jerry Dupont is charged with receiving stolen property and police
say more charges are possible. Officers from Epsom and Pembroke say
they found the stolen vehicles while investigating the disappearance
of a dirt bike from a Pembroke barn last month. They say they found
that bike plus four others, three snowmobiles, two tractors and an ATV.They
say the items were stolen from Holderness, Moultonborough, Deerfield,
Barnstead, Epsom and Boxford, Mass.
(Editor's note - Snowmobile theft can occur, anywhere there are humans.)
THANK YOU to Mike Bellerose for Supporting
ZW Great
Deals NOW on Used 2008 Ski-Doo Snowmobiles
If you have enjoyed our web site again this year, please
click on the photo above to visit the page I did when I visited Mike
this winter in St Michel des Saints Quebec. Mike and his huge team of
snowmobile professionals, has been out biggest supporter for over three
years, and without Mike, the Zenman would have to get a real job. (really!)
If you are looking for a used snowmobile, please give Mike and Franky
a call at Location Haute Matawinie right now. Imagine getting a super
clean, low cost used 2008 Bombardier with only 1500 kms on it! Call
today, and tell 'em Zen sent ya.
Photos Here
- -
Specials Here
Farewell to Bernard, Snowmobiling's
Host - with the Most! This
shot from Dec 23 2007, when Bernard helped me to drill a hole through
the aluminum in the floor of my trailer, to secure it from theft. He
worked with me in his garage till 10 pm to get it done. The next day,
he drove me to his locksmith, where he forced me to buy the best unbreakable
lock on the planet. Bernard was always finding ways to help us enjoy
sledding in Quebec, with no thought to himself. A true friend to all
snowmobilers. He will be missed. Click
to enlarge! zw
Aug 1st 2008 - Motel Safari - - Shawinigan Quebec. A
few weeks ago, the sport of snowmobiling in Canada lost one of it's
best promoters, Bernard Cournyer. Bernard helped thousands of snowmobile
fanatics over the years, going to all the snow shows in the USA every
year, operating a snowmobile friendly motel, and giving many other services
to the riders that came up over the border to enjoy the Mauricie
Region's fabulous snowmobile trails.
I haven't said much for the past few weeks, out of respect
for the family, but now I want to share just a little bit about our
pal, Bernard. The man drove everybody crazy, but only because he wanted
to show us all a good time. AT five in the morning, he would be pounding
on my door, "Zen! Get up! It's time for breakfast!"
Last winter in particular, Bernard spent all his energy,
night and day, doing snow removal with his truck. There was so much
snow, he couldn't believe it. God must have known this would be his
last winter on earth, so he blessed Bernard with the biggest snow winter
in 50 years.
I stayed at the Motel Safari about twenty nights out
of my three months in Quebec. I would sleep in the 'Honey Moon Suite'.
There I would post all the photos I had taken the previous week, and
broadcast a live podcast from the parking lot and the lobby. I admit,
the quality of my show was pretty crappy, but it sure was fun, especially
when there was a foot of new snow every few nights.
Bernard gave me a key, and reserved that room for me
for the whole winter. He was so generous in the support of my work,
that it was unbelievable. He would always buy me breakfast, co-host
on my radio podcast, and find new sponsors for me every year. Zenwaiter.com
was even on the sign he has on the highway! I could not have asked for
a better friend or business supporter.
We first met because of the Internet, about eight years
ago, and together we attended snowmobile trade shows for years, going
to places like New York, New Hampshire, and PA. I owe alot to Bernard,
that's for sure. Together, we made a great snowmobile promo team for
the Mauricie, and for all sledding in Quebec.
I spoke to Bernard about a month ago, as we spoke almost
every week, even through the summer months. At the time, I asked Bernard
when he was going to retire and sell the Motel. He said, that if he
sold the joint, he wouldn't have anything to do. He added that it would
drive his poor wife nuts to have him in the house all day, especially
with that crazy level of energy we all remember. I knew then that he
would never retire.
Just days from his 70th birthday, our buddy Bernard's
heart just gave up one night, and he was gone. This man used up every
second of his time on earth, doing what he loved. He lived his passion
to the max, and was loved by thousands of snowmobilers all over
Canada and the USA.
My friend Bernard, you crazy dude, I will miss you.
RIP buddy!
World Champions : Steenberg and Maki do it again!
Howie Steenberg came out of a two year retirement last year to win the
pro open oval world championship at the Grantsburg Watercross. Get the story here...
Polaris Snowmobile Recall
Polaris Industries Inc. is recalling about 1,360,..
550 LX, Trail Touring, and Trail Touring Deluxe
snowmobiles. Cracks could form in the starter ring-gear and cause the
ring-gear to fracture into several pieces. The broken pieces could be
propelled out of the chassis of the machine at high speed causing serious
injury or death to the rider and/or bystanders.
The recall involves 2008 Polaris snowmobiles. The model
and serial number identification decal is located on the right side
of the tunnel below the seat. The recalled model names and numbers are:
S08ND5BS 2008 550 LX; S08NT5BS 2008 Trail Touring; S08NT5BE 2008 Trail
Touring; S08NT5BSA 2008 Trail Touring Deluxe; and S08NT5BSF 2008 Trail
Touring Deluxe.
Polaris dealers sold the vehicles from May 2007 through
June 2008 for between $5,900 and $6,300.
Consumers should contact any Polaris Snowmobile dealer
to schedule a free repair.
For further information, contact Polaris toll-free at
1-888-704-5290 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit
the company's Web site at www.polarisindustries.com.
An Original Snowmobile
Zen becomes a Granfather - - Happy news July 2 2008
Meet the newsest member of our Zen Star Team, this is
Aliyah. She is my first grandchild. All I can say is 'Well done kids
- Good job!'
My number one son sent this message: "Introducing
our baby girl! Aliyah Sky. She
was born Wednesday, July 2nd at 4:26am at the Ventura Birth Center.
She is 20.4 inches and 7.1 oz. And is the most beautiful lil girl we
have ever seen!"
Happy 4th everyone!
I hope you are all out riding your bikes and having a great summer.
Me? Yesterday, I became a Grandfather for the first tme! Her name is
Aliyah and she is 20 inches long, and 7.1
pounds. Aliyah is both American and Canadian. Perfect! She could become
the Zenwaitress one day! Now I feel like an old guy. I have been working
in the yard, growing roses, picking Saskatoon berries, bird watching,
and eating my own rhubarb! When the weather is nice, I get out and enjoy
the countryside on the old Honda VTX. I love it. Have fun! Cheers! zw
Jack's Outback: Lynn visits Motel Safari in Shawinigan!
Meet the lovely Lynn from
Jack's Outback, the snowmobile destination, one day's ride north
of Motel Safari. Lynn works with her dad at the Outback, keeping you
boys well fed, and comfortable at the Inn on the trail. Today Lynn rode
over to Shawinigan to visit Bernard at Motel Safari. Be sure to send
her an e-mail this summer to say HI and to book your next winter vacation
in Quebec. If you want a great place to go fishing this summer, or to
ride your ATV on excellent QUAD trails, send her an E-Mail Now! lyne_champagne@hotmail.com
Wild futuristic snowmobile concept sled from Argentina
I-K is a Snowmobile concept that was created in base of an extensive
investigation on the possible future needs in snow environments as ski
areas. This is a patrol unit that allows the user to have a full freedom
and incredible power. With 2 positions of use, patrol and speed, this
unit is able to change its configuration to give a better view to the
user when is searching in slow speed and in the case that more speed
is needed it configures in a aerodynamical position. This design was
fully developed by GRUPOTORO Studio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Buy a snowmobile swimsuit calendar now by calling Travis, the owner
and creator of this calendar, and he will ship yours today in time
for Christmas! Only 19.95. If you call now, (before Dec 24th), and
tell him that Zen sent ya, he will pay for the shipping and handling
fee! If you order from his web
site, be sure to add the word 'Zenwaiter' in your comments,
to get this free shipping. Trust me when I say, the gals and the sleds
are HOT, and would make a fun gift! zw
The
Perfect Gifts for a Sledder Good last minute gift ideas for the snowmobiler
in your life.
1. A new snow suit click here
(save 20%)
2. A sexy snowmobile calendar click
here
3. A one year pass to watch Snow Trails TV
here
4. A room from a Zen Star snomobile resort here
5. A used snowmobile or rental snowmobile
here
6. A million in custom wire here
7. Give Zen a gift here
8. A classy used motorcycle here
9. A Choko Design jacket or helmet here
10. Drop off some food at the local food bank.