The first round of the eight-race 2023 Rocky Mountain States Hillclimb Association season kicked off at the Salt Pass Border Dash in Geneva, Idaho, where Cole Thomas, 2022’s RMSHA Racer of the Year, said the amount of snow was awesome and made for a challenging, super fast and technical track, which started in Idaho and ended in Wyoming.

“Saturday, we crossed our trenches from Friday, which made for an awesome technical race,” the 21-year-old said Monday.

Wearing KLIM Race Spec gear, which helps him “look good, feel good, ride good!” Cole topped three classes: Pro 600 Stock, Pro 700 Stock, Pro 700 Mod, and said his favorite class is 700 Modified.

“I love the set up of the sled and how fast it is,” he added. “I set a goal to win three classes or more at the races, so hopefully I can keep it up. I just have to keep trying for a King title!” 

Montana’s Keith Curtis took home Improved King with a first in Pro 900 Improved, second in Pro 900 Stock and Pro Open Stock, third in Pro 900 Modified and fourth in Pro 1000 Stock, adding that the Geneva course was fun and loaded with more snow than he had seen in years. 

“There is something unique in every class for sure, but I like how rough the course gets as the day goes on so Modified 900 rings as a favorite,” Curtis said. “Additionally, my modified sled is the fastest and lightest of all my sleds so that is fun, too.” 

For Curtis, KLIM gear performed top-notch as always: “Love my Race Spec lineup and the new F3 Carbon Pro is lightweight and ergonomically dialed.”

Fellow Montanan, Sam Peterson, said the season’s off to a good start with a first in Pro 900 Stock and Pro 700 Improved, second in Pro 700 Stock and Pro 1000 Stock and seventh in Pro Open Stock.

“It was a fun weekend of racing, for sure,” Peterson said. “The 900 and 1000 stock classes are a lot of fun with the new 9R. That sled is a rocket ship."

“Friday, the course was fast and had a lot of flow, which was good for the first race day of the season," Peterson continued. "We had a lot of snow, which made for good bumps and big berms on the corners. Saturday, the course was much more technical since we were jumping over the now set-up berms from the day before. It gave us some really good headwalls and trenches to race with!”

Peterson added that he loves how the new Race Spec gear turned out.

“It is so nice to race in because of how light it is,” he said. “The mobility of the gear is amazing. I have spent many hours putting KLIM gear to the test this year and it hasn’t let me down!”

Idaho’s own Tayler Peck finished first in Pro Am Women's Stock, fourth in Pro Am Women's 700 Stock, seventh in Pro Am Women's Mod and eighth in Pro Am Women's Improved and said Friday’s course was a lot faster than Saturday. 

“There was a lot of snow at Geneva this year, making it a challenging finals day course, which was great,” Peck said Monday. “Saturday, it was very technical.”

“It was the joke that I used my 9 lives in Women’s Stock. I was tipped over multiple times but was able to pick my sled up and keep going somehow! The rest of the day reflected my lives being used,” Peck wrote on Instagram. 

“My weekend had the high of winning that class and then some struggles in the other classes,” Peck added. “I usually like the other classes more than stock due to getting the first class of the day jitters out of the way. I loved my race gear, no complaints! It was comfortable and fit great!” 

Fellow Idahoan, Mason Rutledge, said Round 1 was pretty successful even though he wasn't able to come home with the results he wanted and knows he’s capable of, finishing fourth in Pro Open Modified, fifth in Pro 900 Improved, seventh in Pro 1000 Improved and eighth in Pro 900 Stock on a track that has historically been his least favorite to race. 

“It's in a pretty remote location and typically doesn't have much snow; however this year was different because they had a bunch of snow, which made for good bumps, berms and headwalls, and added to the difficulty,” Rutledge said Monday. “Saturday, the course is completely new, and we cross different points of the qualifying course, which typically are icy and really compacted making it an added challenge.” 

Rutledge said his favorite class to race are the modified classes: “They are fast and exciting to ride, also the course tends to be at its roughest and that suits me and my riding style better.”

“The sleds are dialed,” he added. “They are fast and smooth. I just needed to hit my marks better and keep my eyes up! Will be ready to battle 100% at the next round in two weeks.” 

As for his custom-built KLIM Race Spec gear, Rutledge said, “The performance and fit of the gear is great; you don't have to worry about knee braces or chest protectors catching on the fabric; it stretches and allows you to move around freely. It also looks great and brings such a level of professionalism to the races and my program.”

Wyoming’s Toby Shepherd caught the Pro 600 Modified class win, along with a third in Pro 900 Improved and Pro 700 Mod, fourth in Pro 1000 Improved and fifth in Pro Open Modified. 

“My favorite class(es) are all the mods,” Shepherd said Monday. “Although this season I made a move to the Improved classes with a 9R with Race Twins, which was a fun new project for 2023. It proved to be a fun new class for me personally and I really liked racing that this weekend.”

With more snow than normal, Shepherd said the course was more fun and technical.

“Friday for qualifying, it was a fast, smooth course, and Saturday, the difficulty was increased as we’re crossing a gully and the old courses track, which created jumps and headwalls to navigate through.”

“I really loved using the Aeon Goggle as it was very bright out, yet the course was shaded so it created some challenges for seeing the course,” he added. “I used the Red Smoke reflective lenses, which was a great balance to see in the conditions. The Adrenaline Pro GTX® BOA® Boot provided sure footing on the boards and great maneuverability on the sled jumping side to side. The Race Spec gear also provided great maneuverability and breathability.” 

Fellow Wyomingite, Andy Thomas, found the fastest time and won Modified King along with first in Pro 900 Modified, fourth in Pro Open Stock, fifth in Pro 900 Stock, sixth in Pro 1000 Stock and tenth in Pro Open Modified. “

900 Mod is my favorite,” Andy said. “It’s usually the biggest class and becoming the hardest one to win.” 

“Felt solid this weekend!” Andy wrote on Instagram. “My sleds are working amazing, huge thanks to the guys at Polaris getting them flawless! RMSHA did a kickass job setting up this weekend's race and we’re all pumped for more! I love that it’s just the beginning of the season!”

Up next: RMSHA Round 2, Feb. 17-19, 2023, Afton Ascent Hillclimb, Afton, Wyo. or watch live onfloracing.com. 

***

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