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Why We Ride Podcast

Lucas Vaadi and TJ Leach

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The Why We Ride Podcast is designed to drive stoke and exposure to the action sports industry. Each week, we engage in snowmobile related topics with a focus on bringing our personal experiences into snowmobile discussions. The podcast will include interviews into the minds of industry leaders, enthusiasts, action sports companies and action sports athletes so they can share "why they ride". So grab your headphones, connect your Bluetooth, or crank up your computer speakers and tune into eac ...
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Send us a text We recap the final race of the season at Saddleback Mountain in Maine, where one rider earned the ultimate title of King of the Mountain. The cross-country crew dominated the weekend, taking home the majority of podiums across nearly every class. We reflect on the highs, the challenges, and the grit it took to close out the 2025 seas…
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Send us a text This week’s episode we recap the lessons we learned from the 2025 racing season. We reflect on the progress we made and the challenges we faced along the way. With one final race left, we’re excited to see who will be crowned King of the Mountain this weekend at Saddleback, Maine. WWR Intro #1 W/ Music…
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Send us a text This week’s episode dives into the many different directions the snowmobile industry could go. From teams and record books to fresh formats and new perspectives, we explore what it might take to grow the sport to the next level. Our hope is that this episode sparks some thought about where we’re heading and how we can keep pushing fo…
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Send us a text Mike Young jumps on with TJ Leach for this weeks episode as Lucas Vaadi has been sick all week. We talk about the last race coming up at the end of April in Saddleback Maine, some favorite race memories from the 2025, and then go over some funny social media posts and comments. Thanks for listening! WWR Intro #1 W/ Music…
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Send us a text We had Buddy Collins on this week. He has only recently come into the world of snowmobile racing, but the impact he has had on New England cross country and the snowmobiling world is immense. His influence extends beyond Maine and reaches across the entire industry. He created North Star Motorsports to promote these races. Not only d…
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Send us a text This week’s episode, we dive into the final COR race in Ironwood, Michigan, and the last NEXC race in Sinclair, Maine. Both events brought unseasonably warm weather, creating some wild conditions. The COR race was held on terrain and turned into a mudfest, while the Maine race took place on a lake, where standing water made for its o…
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Send us a text Thanks for tuning in this week as TJ Leach chats with his racing team mate Mike Young, a Vermont native who caught the XC racing bug back in 2017/2018. Mike has been around racing most of his life, most recently in stock car racing. Now he finds that his addictive personality has latched onto snowmobile racing and we are all for it! …
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Send us a text On this week's episode, we break down the Greg Nichols Memorial 150 in Oquossoc, ME. This is one of the biggest cross-country racing events in the East. For the second year in a row, a Pro racer from Minnesota made the trip. This episode is packed with coverage from two full days of racing! WWR Intro #1 W/ Music…
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Send us a text We dive into the cross-country race at Ottertail, where the race faced some challenges with snow dust, high winds, and fresh snow that almost put the event in jeopardy. Despite the uncertainty, the race went ahead in a time trial format. Next week, Lucas and TJ head to the first NEXC race of the series, and the excitement is just get…
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Send us a text On this week's episode, we kick off the 2025 season and reflect on how the holidays went while diving into the latest snowmobile activities we've been up to. We gear up for an action-packed weekend with races happening across the board East and West Cross Country, Snocross, and even Supercross are all making their return. The season …
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Send us a text This week, we dive into Lucas’ adventure at the first cross-country race of the year, Pine Lake 2024. The excitement builds as we gear up for the first Eastern race at ADXC Saranac Lake on January 11th. Plus, Snocross is in full swing, and TJ shares his anticipation for his debut at the legendary SOO I-500. WWR Intro #1 W/ Music…
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Send us a text This week, we dive into last year’s semi-pro races and reflect on the action-packed season. With Pine Lake just around the corner, the Vaadis are in full race mode, ironing out every last detail to secure a spot on the podium this year. Meanwhile, Snocross is back, and everyone’s getting the itch to race! WWR Intro #1 W/ Music…
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Send us a text In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Ernie Bouthiette III and Kyle Such from DS Racing! We dive into their journey, the challenges they've faced, and their unique approach to snowmobile racing. From the track to the shop, Ernie and Kyle share their insights on what it takes to make it in the sport and what’s on the horizon for DS …
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Send us a text In this week’s episode, we dive into the importance of health and fitness in snowmobile racing. Some of the top athletes in the world compete in this sport, and they understand that reaching the peak of their performance means focusing on every aspect of their training and lifestyle. We discuss how supplements can play a crucial role…
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Send us a text On this week’s milestone 10th episode, we’re joined by the man, the myth, the legend: Chip Vaadi. Starting his racing career in the early nineties but riding sleds since he was a kid, Chip has done it all—from snocross to the 500, and even owning his own racing circuit, the Big East Snocross Tour (B.E.S.T.). We dive into his diverse …
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Send us a text On this week’s episode, we dive into the upcoming season with a strong focus on ice racing. We discuss the versatility of cross-country snowmobiles and the different types of racing we’ll be tackling this year, including cross-country, pure ice, and even some hillcross action. Tune in for all the details as we gear up for a diverse a…
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Send us a text On this week’s episode, we dive into TJ and Molly's experience at the Epping/Fremont NH snowmobile event. TJ had the honor of representing cross-country racing at the factory Arctic Cat booth! We also catch up with Molly Nichols, discussing her past seasons and what’s coming next for her and Jackwagon Racing. WWR Intro #1 W/ Music…
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Send us a text On this week’s episode, we dive into the upcoming winter season and break down the differences between East and West cross-country snowmobile racing. While there are many similarities, it’s great to see the unique variations between the circuits, all while keeping the focus on the riders. 4o WWR Intro #1 W/ Music…
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Send us a text On this week’s episode, we welcome New England professional racer Eric Gleich. Eric has been a well-known face on the racing scene for as long as we can remember. He shares his unique approach to cross-fit training and his extensive knowledge of snowmobiles. Eric’s excitement for the upcoming season is electric, especially with all t…
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Send us a text This week, we’re excited to have pro racer Dylan Thompson on the podcast! It’s always inspiring to hear from a fellow passionate East Coast pro cross-country rider. Dylan shares his journey from growing up around snowmobiles to rising through the ranks in cross-country racing. Not only is he a skilled rider, but he’s also a great guy…
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Send us a text In this week’s episode, TJ shares his experience traveling from Maine to Minnesota for Hay Days. He met with key players in the snowmobile industry, including fellow podcasters Spencer from The Carbide Podcast and the boys from The Shop Talk Podcast. TJ also got to witness the exciting snowmobile grass drags, pit bike, and ATV racing…
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Send us a text "I started spending more time in the mountains where all I did was ride". We all want to spend more time riding. To go out to the park, track, lake, or mountains and spend most of our time doing what we love. As often as we can, we make it happen, that is just what we do! Brandon spends his hard earned time in the mountains when the …
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Send us a text Really excited for today's episode. This is a refresher episode from 2021 with Skidoo Ambassador Pro Backcountry Sledder Cody McNolty. The conversation with Cody was so good, I spent around 3 hours with the guy and learned a ton. It was tough to break down which bits and pieces I felt were needed to share for 2023, but this episode i…
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Send us a text "I truly believe I can do it. Which other people may not think that... but I have faith in myself. I know if I work hard enough, I can!" I am truly convinced that once you set your mind to something, you can achieve it. Whatever goal it may be, whatever dream you desire, whatever outcome you crave, you are capable of making it a real…
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Send us a text I believe one of the most overlooked opportunities in an Action Sports career is relationship building. I have fallen short so many times in my career with relationships. From missed opportunities because I didn't believe (at the time) there was value in spending my time with individuals to completely leaving a door wide open and not…
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Send us a text "Fort Hall Casino jumped on board and sponsored the film one year!" The opportunity to do more of what we love doing is closer than ever! Today's guest hops on and we get to learn more about the good old days previous to social media and what they had to do as a brand to create the content we so easily have at our fingertips, let alo…
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Send us a text "I always knew I was going to be doing some things, in a specific niche". We all have a passion for the industry. We absolutely love doing what we do. And so many of us are chasing the rush of adrenaline, getting that dopamine hit as often as we can. That is what makes our industry so unique! So knowing what direction you want to tak…
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Send us a text "Someone recommended I try riding a Snowbike in 2011 and I laughed in their face!" It's funny to see what happens when we say one thing and then later in our life it ends up happening anyways! If we could just short cut the journey, I think we'd find ourselves more successful quicker! However, without learning how to pivot and make c…
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Send us a text "I ride pit bikes more than I ride big bikes". It's awesome to learn more about a rider and their background. So many things that otherwise are left unknown to a majority and yet they may be local legends. Quinn is one of those guys. On today's episode we get a better look at Quinn's life and how it began. Some funny stuff has gone o…
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Send us a text "I did wheelie a Harley". Now that is not something most have ever seen let alone done in their lifetime! Greg though is not the typical MX rider either. A drive of passion and love for the industry has helped Greg shape his current career. Today you can see him blowing it up on social media with his content around bike builds, prima…
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Send us a text We are ready to rock today's episode. We've got a return guest ready to drop some great perspectives and thoughts about the industry. Passion runs deep with Josh. His drive to pursue a career inside the action sports industry is very transparent. This guy eat, sleeps, breathes all things action sports. From deep ruts climbing up hill…
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Send us a text I'm stoked to make a pivot in the podcast right now. There will always be days when you will need to make a change. I just hope those that do make a change, it is the right thing to do! I've been paying attention to our industry more and more each year. Though I still might not know everything about the community, I can tell you that…
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Send us a text We always see a top 10 or top 5 or top 3. My question is, who is choosing those top choices? I know who chose this episodes top 5! This episode is different than most episodes. In this episode I decided to break apart 5 athletes and their perspectives when it comes to landing sponsorships. This episode has Brett Turcotte, Mat Cox, Co…
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Send us a text "Made in Freakin America" How often are you proud of something you've built? When WAS the last time you built something you've been proud of? I really enjoyed having the owner of MotoProHQ on the podcast today. He was a fantastic guest and I learned so much more than I anticipated about their products that they provide for the motorc…
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Send us a text "Everybody in the world should live... the perspective I have in my mind, because nobody knows when their cards are up" Do you live your life like today is your last? Or are you living for tomorrow and taking today for granted. What a profound thought by today's guest. Marten Devlieger is a guest unlike any other guest I've had on th…
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Send us a text "What ever you can do to save money... reinvest it back into the race team". When it comes to racing, do you treat it as a hobby or a business? Or maybe you are like so many, it once was a hobby but now is a business. You might be surprised to learn how the top athletes look at racing. Jake Versey has an amazing mindset when it comes…
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Send us a text "I'm about 70 to 90 days depending on the snow". Could you imagine dedicating your life to your sport? What would you be willing to give up to make your dreams happen? Chris Johnson has not always been a backcountry sledder. Did you know, he actually cut his teeth on the mountains on a board! Such a cool background he brings into thi…
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Send us a text "It feels like riding in the deep powder and riding a stand up jetski at the same time!" Have you ever wondered what it was like to ride a sled on water? Our guest on the podcast has a pretty good idea! Stoked to have Grant Whitaker, a dude that is "making waves" on the show. Grant's story is not A typical and he drops some mega fun …
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