A SledClub Interview With Ross Mercer 
Age: 25
Residing: Whitehorse, Yukon
Sponsors: -RedBull
-SKi-Doo
-Oakley
-Yukon Honda
-Taits Trailer sales
-HMK Snowmobiling
-AMP products
-SledPorn
-Frontier Films
-Compound Films
-SCS Racing
-BullDog Sled Decks
-Planet Powersports
When you planned on going for the record, did you ever second guess or ask yourself is this actually possible or can my sled even go fast enough?Not really. I knew I could do it, I actually thought my sled would be plenty
fast enough, but because of the elevation and temperatures it was actually
very close. I was hitting the ramp at full speed at the end with a huge
in run.
Did you do any special training or mods to your sled before going for the
record distance jump?No. On the first day i was hitting the ramp full speed and not going far
enough, about 246. For the second day I geared my sled up, put on a
lightweight can and took the foam out of my airbox to try to make it faster.
We also extended the run in and for the last jump that i broke the record on
we had the entire inrun salted so it was frozen and hard, which made a big
difference.
What type of sled were you riding while going for the record jump?I rode my 2007 Skidoo Rev Race chassis with a stock 800 engine. It is a
great sled and it worked perfectly for this jump.
Was there any support or sponsorship from them for the jump?Yeah, Ski-Doo really helped me out this year. They hooked me up with a
couple of new 2007 sleds which have been great all season.
In general, do you think there should be more support from snowmobile
manufactures for the riders that are pushing the limits of the sport?Well, the more support the riders get the more they can work at pushing the
limits of the sport. The last couple years have been really great for the
sport. There have been a number of events that have really pushed it into
the mainstream. RedBull has done events all over the world, the event in Red
Square Moscow, the Fuel and Fury event in Alaska last year etc, as well as
the fact that freestyle sledding was a gold medal event at the winter X
games this year have all brought it to the worlds attention. The
manufacturers are definately noticing us now and stepping up to the plate. I
am really excited to be working with SKi-Doo and hope that freestyle can
become a big part of their advertising, the way racing is.
How many paramedics were on stand by while you were going for the record?I dont know. There was an ambulance standing by and a few people who were
there to deal with any kind of situation that might arise. It was reasuring
to have them there for sure.
What was your pre jump meal?
Well, I had a good crash in Slovenia about 5 days prior to my record
attempt, so I was really sore going into this. On the first day I ate 2 bags
of chips and 12 ibuprofins all day and had a couple RedBulls. The second day
I dont remember what I ate, a sandwich or a muffin or something i think.
lots of ibuprofins and RedBulls as well of course!
Now that you are in the Guinness Book of World Records have you started
getting love letters on Sledclub.com from all the hotties?
Not really but maybe things will pick up here soon. Maybe this interview
will help.
I hear you were using a radar gun, how fast were you clocked at before
hitting the jump?79 mph or so. Probably about 80 off the ramp, I held it pinned all the way
up the ramp.
What video/s can we look out for in seeing your record jump in?It will be in SledNecks 10, Two Stroke Cold Smoke 10, I think its going to
be in the next Nitro Circus as well.
Being from the Yukon/Canada, what's the stupidest question a fan has asked
you about where your from?Well, i dont know. Yesterday I went through the drive through at
McDonalds and got asked if it was for here or to go. There are lots of
stupid questions. It seems that a lot of people think the Yukon is in
Alaska. I am actually really surprised when I am travelling how many people
actually do know where the Yukon is.
Anyone you want to thank for helping making this event happen?Yeah I would like to thank all my sponsors of course for their great support
this season. Everyone who was a part of this did a great job and worked very
hard to make it happen. Chris and Clayton at the compound for all their
work. I guess my biggest thanks has to go to RedBull for investing so much
in me and making all this happen. All the encouragement and props from
people back home and from around Canada go a long way too, it's cool to hear
from people who are stoked on what i am doing. I like to think I am making
Canadians proud.
That you are indeed!
Keep up the good work! We look forward in seeing you keep pushing the sport and bringing it to new levels!
For more information, pictures or videos check out Ross' website
www.rossmercer.com
or his Sledclub profile
http://snowmobile.colonies.com/rossmercer
