Justin Hoyer is a rising star in the quickly emerging sport of freestyle snowmobiling. This Wisconsin native travels to as many as 30 shows in a season, and last November he topped the class at the Red Bull On Machines competition in Moscow. In the freestyle snowmobiling off-season, Hoyer switches gears to freestyle motocross, which is where his career started.

ustin Hoyer is one of only a small handful of professional freestyle snowmobilers in the entire world. Traveling to as many as 30 shows in a season, the 24-year old bachelor from Ellsworth, Wisconsin, has competed in nearly a dozen countries on three continents.      This past November, Hoyer took top honors at the Red Bull Revolution On Machines meet in Moscow, Russia. He has also demonstrated his almost unbelievable sled-handling skills during halftime entertainment at a National Football League regular-season game, and at numerous and diverse winter sports activities including ski resort exhibitions, snowmobile and snowboard races, and the West Yellowstone Expo.      Freestyle riders compete in a rather unique medium for snow sleds–thin air. Competitors launch their sleds off a steep ramp and can soar over a hundred feet above the snow while performing their jaw-dropping tricks. They are judged on their use of the course provided, the difficulty of the tricks performed, the style with which they present their performance, and overall feel of what they do. And with up to $5,000 in prize money on the line, this is serious business for the dozen or so riders competing regularly on a professional or semi-pro basis.      Parts Magazine recently spent some time discussing this emerging radical form of competition with Justin. Here’s what he had to say.

Parts Mag: What was your start with powersports equipment and how did it work out?

Justin Hoyer: “I think my parents regretted buying me and my brother our first little mini-bike. They saw how much I was into it, and I think they thought I was wasting my time.”

Parts Mag: How did you come to move into freestyle snowmobiling?

Hoyer: “In the spring of ‘03, I was introduced by Steve Miller of SCS. I was living in California at the time and didn’t have much going with freestyle moto, so he offered me (the chance) to move up to Montana and try snowmobiling.”

Parts Mag: Did you have any connections to the snowmobile industry or background riding snowmobiles before this?

Hoyer: “I really had no connections to the industry growing up. We had sleds when I was younger, but I was never really into it ‘cause my dad would get mad if I was jumping them, you know, as he probably should. But since it was trail (riding) only, I didn’t get into it. I used sleds mainly to get to work when I was 15 (years old) washing dishes after school to pay for my dirt bikes.”

Parts Mag: Then how long did it take you to go pro?

Hoyer: “After two weeks of practice on the ramp, I did my first competition in West Yellowstone. Two weeks later I won my first event.”

Parts Mag: As a pro, you are obviously traveling a lot. Where have you visited, and what’s the toughest part about being on the road?

Hoyer: “In my travels so far I have been to about twelve other countries in Europe and South America, and Canada. The hardest thing about traveling so much is that you don’t get much practice to get better, so I’m trying to cut back on the number of events and focus on my riding.”

Parts Mag: What do you do when you are not traveling or competing?

Hoyer: “When I am home, which totals about three or four days a month on average, I like to stay home and not do anything. That’s like vacation for me.”

Parts Mag: Tell us about your trip to Moscow and winning the event there. Was there one trick that really put you over the top for the win?

Hoyer: “The competition in Moscow was awesome, the atmosphere and the history of that place was amazing. Not a lot has changed there over the years, so it was cool to see. When it came down to the competition, I just tried to put together a good run and use some tricks that I have over everyone else, such as the Kiss of Death and the Nine O’Clock Nac. The backflips helped, too, I’m sure.”

Parts Mag: How many tricks does a rider need to perform at an event?

Hoyer: “To be competitive, you need about twelve different and solid tricks.”

Parts Mag: Where do you get the ideas for your tricks?

Hoyer: “I usually do all the tricks that I do on my dirt bike. Some people said that these tricks were impossible to do on a sled, but I try not to let that stop me from anything ‘cause I know what I’M able to do. My favorite trick right now is the Flatliner. It’s where you whip the sled flat and sideways, then your body goes the opposite way in a Superman position. It’s really fun.”

Parts Mag: Speaking of the sled, what are you riding these days and why?

Hoyer: “I use the Polaris IQ 440. This year I was fortunate enough to get some great support from Polaris. I was very impressed with the sled. I was able to take it out of the box and start competing with it. All I needed to do was change the bars and put grabs in the seat for the freestyle.”

Parts Mag: Who else helps you present your performances?

Hoyer: “I have a great family of sponsors such as Parts Unlimited, Arctiva apparel, Trukke boots, Alpinestars, Thor, SCS, HMK boots, Ogio, Kicker car audio, and Polaris.”

Parts Mag: What’s ahead for you in terms of new tricks that you might debut this season?

Hoyer: “Our sport is always progressing, and the tricks are getting crazier and more dangerous. I won’t do any more new tricks this year, since all the competitions are over. But I always like to do tricks that I do on my dirt bike. Also tricks that people say cannot be done on a snowmobile. I like to be the judge of what is and is not (possible on a sled).”

Parts Mag: Do you have any particular objectives in terms of promoting freestyle snowmobiling as a form of competition?

Hoyer: “At this point, it is my focus, as well as SCS’s focus, to grow the sport and pull in new talent. Without the new guys, it is sure to die, you know. I’m also trying to raise the stakes (prize money) a little.”

Parts Mag: Longer term, what are your personal plans, including how long you expect to keep competing at freestyle snowmobiling?

Hoyer: “I want to stay involved in the industry to some level forever, and I will keep competing for as long as I can. Until I start to suck.”

Parts Mag: When exactly is the freestyle snowmobile season, and what do you do in the off-season?

Hoyer: “The beginning of my season is around November, and it lasts until around April. Then I switch to freestyle motocross.”

Parts Mag: What advice would you give anyone who wants to get into extreme snowmobiling?

Hoyer: “I tell everyone that wants to get started to be smart and make sure you are doing this for the right reasons. You have to be fully dedicated to it or you won’t make it. You are going to fail way more than you succeed. Also I tell them to start off with small jumps and take their time.”

Watch for the amazing Justin Hoyer as a featured performer in “Cold Filtered Ice,” a new snocross and freestyle video release from Rath Films, and you can visit his personal web site at www.justinhoyer.com for more information on Justin, his sponsors, his exhibition schedule, and the emerging sport of freestyle snowmobiling.