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ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Daredevil Dane
This Alaskan rider’s vertical style pushes him to the
top of the free ride world of back country snowmachining
by AMBER CRAIG
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NO FEAR: Dane Ferguson’s ruthless riding skills have snagged him a role in several snowmobiling videos in the past three years.
—photos courtesy Dane Ferguson |
Name: Dane Ferguson
Occupation: Professional freestyle snowmachine rider.
Sponsors include: Turnagain Hardcore, HMK Boots, Slednecks, Frontier Films, Studboy, FXR Racing, Alaska Trailblazers, Alaska Snowmobile Salvage, AK-49, AK Sleds and Cycle, Alaska Spirit LLC and All Seasons Honda & Peninsula Ski-Doo.
Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska
When did you start snowmobiling professionally? I started turning it hardcore in 2003.
Why did you get into snowmobiling? In 2000/01 I started snowboarding here in Alaska, and I was paying too much for lift tickets and was getting harassed by the ski patrol. Some people told me to get a snowmobile, I bought one and totally hated it for the first year. I would get my friends to drive me around on it. Once I learned how to ride it the next year, I never really snowboarded again.
What has been your greatest accomplishment so far? In the back country I do a lot of back flips and back flip variations off natural jumps. I think that’s what I’m best known for.
Where is your favourite place to ride? My favourite place to ride is Turnagain Pass, Alaska. This will be my fifth year there, plus I snowboarded there for two years before that.
What sets you apart from other professional riders? I used to have a kamikaze style, but I’m trying to tame that down because I’m moving from back country into freestyle. I used to not care about getting hurt, but I can’t ride like that anymore, I need to be dialed into freestyle now.
What do you like most about snowmobiling? It’s fun being around your buddies, the comradery is cool. It’s hard work and rewarding. You set goals for yourself and you have to work really hard to achieve them. There’s a group of us that sacrafice getting hurt, we take a lot of hits, so I think that sets us apart from others.
What are some of the snowmobiling videos you have been featured in? I have been in Turnagain Hardcore (Numbers 4, 5, and 6), Slednecks (Numbers 7, 8, and 9), 2 Stroke Cold Smoke 8, Sled Porn 3, and Roops of Hazard 7.
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