Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/730410
SNOWMOBILE Dennis Durmas purchases Colorado dealership BY LIZ KEENER MANAGING EDITOR Dennis Durmas has been racing snowmobiles for three decades, and though he has no plans to turn in his keys, helmet and gloves, Durmas has recently changed his full-time job. Durmas purchased Weekender Sports, a powersports dealership and sporting goods store in Hotchkiss, Colorado, in January. "I've wanted to do it for quite some time and just never really stepped up and did it. I had a chance to get ahold of a small dealership real close to the hometown I grew up in," he told Powersports Business. "It's actually the town I graduated high school in, and I've been around this dealership forever. I just decided it was time and wanted to get out of the oil and gas business." Durmas has been on snowmobiles as long as he can remember, and though the sport is in his blood, so is owning a dealership. "I've been on a snowmobile all my life. My parents, when I grew up, owned a Moto-Ski dealership in Newport, New Hampshire, when I was born, so I've been on a snowmo- bile since day one. I'm a big enthusiast on snowmobiles, much more than even just the racing. The racing brought me to where I'm at these days; I've done it for 30 years, and I just enjoy powersports." Durmas is an accomplished racer, at one point becoming the Jackson Hole World Champion in hillclimb, but he also spent time racing snocross and cross-country. He's spent most of that time on a Polaris, though he raced for Ski-Doo as well. Now he's selling both brands at his dealership. Weekender Sports carries Ski-Doo snow- mobiles; Polaris ATVs, UTVs and snow- m o b i l e s ; S t i h l p o w e r equipment; Triton Trail- ers; and Yacht Club Trail- ers, in addition to hunting and fishing supplies. "We've got a little bit of everything here," Durmas said. "If somebody comes in to go hunting, we've got a rifle we can sell them. We can sell them their hunting license. We can get them a four-wheeler to get into the mountains. We can sell them a snow- mobile to go have fun in the wintertime." Since taking over the dealership in January, Dur- mas has been focused on bringing it up to date, while keeping its small town feel. "So far, sales have gone pretty well. We've had quite a few changes, but for the good. With new comes change. The last owner had it for 30 years, so you can only imagine the corners with dust in them. So I'm just cleaning up and just starting over and trying to get it more into this cen- tury's dealership," he said. Durmas' focus is on providing good ser- vice for his customers. He learned the ropes of the business while spending six years work- ing at a friend's dealership in the front range of Colorado. "I feel service is where it's at. People will come in and buy something, but if you don't take care of them when they're here, they won't be back," he said. He has retained the Weekender Sports staff and says the service employees have immense experience in their field. Of course, being a longtime hands-on racer, Durmas has a hard time staying out of the service department himself. "When it comes to the service after the sale, we can take care of them very well. And that's my background more — the service end, having my hands dirty, working on them. And that's one of the things that I still enjoy doing. The guys around here that I'm working with, I've spent a lot of time back in the shop, working on something, doing something, and they're not used to that. People like to come in and see the owner back there, getting dirty and helping out. That never hurts," he said. But, Durmas also said he'll be the first in line to go riding during breaktime. "I'm just an enthusiast, and I enjoy doing it. Everybody says it's going to take it away from me, but I don't think so," he said. Durmas is currently waiting for a Ski-Doo sign to be installed on the exterior of the deal- ership. Next on his agenda is remodeling and adding a storage structure in the rear of the building to cover the new models currently stored outdoors in the elements. With snow already hitting the mountain- tops in Colorado, Durmas is looking forward to his first full snowmobile season with the dealer- ship. He believes the dealership's service record and his history with snowmobilers in the area will bring customers from near and far. "We're just a fun place to come and enjoy, whether you want to buy a box of bullets and a rifle, or if you want to get an ATV or UTV or snowmobile, or whatever you'd like, we can take care of that," he said. PSB Snowmobile racer turns dealer principal 74 • October 3, 2016 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com Conversion kit for 110cc dirt bikes completes lineup The Timbersled snow bike family is expand- ing in an exciting new way with the addition of the all-new ST 90 Ripper. This new system converts popular 110cc dirt bikes into snow bikes, so more riders can enjoy the thrill of the Timbersled experience. The Timbersled ST 90 Ripper kit enhances a dirt bike's versatility and value by converting it into a true, four-season machine — and it means there's now a Tim- bersled system for every rider in the family. "This is an exciting addition to our Tim- bersled family of products that lets 110cc bike riders become snow bikers," said Chris Wolf, Polaris vice president — Snowmobiles. "With the new Ripper system, everyone in the fam- ily can experience the unique thrill of riding a Timbersled." Timbersled systems include everything needed to convert a dirt bike to a snow bike and back again, and installation or removal of the ST 90 Ripper can be completed in less than an hour. The Timber- sled spindle and ski replace the bike's front wheel, and a high-traction track system replaces the rear wheel. The bike's motor delivers power to the track, and the rider uses the bike's standard controls. "The ST 90 Ripper system features pre- mium components and advanced engineering, but what it really delivers is fun for everyone in the family," said Wolf. Designed to be enjoyed by all riders, this new system maintains the bike's low ride height to provide better control without sacri- ficing Timbersled performance. The low-friction undercarriage and rail design lets the system perform in all condi- tions, and with no hyfax, the Ripper can be enjoyed in low-snow conditions or on dirt. Timbersled, owned by Polaris, has designed the ST 90 Ripper ski for optimized handling and control. The ski features a design like that of the high-flotation, smooth-handling Polaris Grip- per Ski used on many Polaris snowmobiles. It has a deep upper and lower keel for confident handling on loose or hard surfaces. To deliver true Timbersled performance, the new ST 90 Ripper uses the full-size shock from the Timbersled ST 120 RAW. It's a cus- tom-valved RydeFX MPV Motion Control coil over shock that provides every rider with a great ride on all types of terrain. Ripper systems are available for the most popular 110cc dirt bikes, including the Kawa- saki KLX110/110L, Yamaha TTR110E and Honda CFR110F. These Timbersled systems are priced at $1,999 (bike-specific installation "fit kit" sold separately). The new ST 90 Ripper system comple- ments the existing 2017 Timbersled product line that was introduced in March. These new systems for 110cc models will be available in limited quantities during the 2016-17 winter season from North American Timbersled dealers. PSB Timbersled releases ST 90 Ripper Systems Snowmobile racer Dennis Durmas purchased Weekender Sports in Hotchkiss, Colorado, this year. Among improvements he's making is adding an exterior Ski-Doo sign, which hasn't yet been placed. Timbersled has expanded its lineup by adding the ST 90 Ripper that converts 110cc dirt bikes into snow bikes.