“I’ve just always been competitive.”
Those are the words of Kody Kamm, a professional snowmobile racer who will take to the track at Canterbury Park in early January for AMSOIL Championship Snocross.
Kamm, 23, started racing dirt bikes as a 5-year-old.
“And being from Wisconsin, it’s pretty snowy in wintertime, so I started on snowmobiles,” he said.
That decision has proven to be a good one. Kamm, under the Hentges Racing banner, took home the professional championship last year and stood in second place as he prepared for the Jan. 5-6 competition at Canterbury Park.
“It’s taken me to where I am today,” Kamm said of snowmobile racing. “It’s fun. … I love it.”
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AMSOIL Championship Snocross is the No. 1 snowmobile race series in the world. The events at Canterbury Park will include professionals and amateurs on the track, which has been outfitted with massive snow hills.
Each event site on the ISOC circuit is different, with some competitions taking place on ski slopes, said Kamm, who practices in Elk River to get ready between races.
Pirtek Snocross National, presented by Jimmy John’s, features the top extreme snowmobile riders from across the country, all coming to Canterbury Park for two days of high-flying stunts and exhilarating racing.
Thrills are second nature to Kamm, whose father raced dirt bikes and owned a mud-racing car. Kamm also enjoys mudding in trucks, as well as mountain biking during warmer months. “Being out in the woods is a lot of fun for me,” he said.
His skills have recently translated to the snow bike, a vehicle that has a ski where the front tire would be and a tread chain on the back. Though he only took up the sport a few weeks ago, he qualified for an X Games event that’s slated for late January.
As for the Jan. 5-6 Snocross event at Canterbury Park, Kamm said he isn’t worried about his place in the overall standings–just the upcoming bumps, jumps and stunts.
“Take it weekend by weekend and try to win,” he said.
Photos by Crystal Wallem Photography