Tell a story about great man jim kuster

[gm3d]

I had the pleasure of meeting Jim though a friend that owned the Kawasaki dealerrship in Fort Sask. I went to a cross country race and Jim gave me all kinds of advice. \Was very surprised that someone would out of the blue give you riding advice. I was also surprised to meet this little dude riding an 80 in the intermediate class. Man was he fast! Carls was a nice kid. When I got all busted up in the crows nest, Jim and Carl helped arrange to load my bike and deliver it to the hospital. Keys stapled to the chart. (Did I mnetion that there was a set of new googles in my gear bag) any years later, I ran Into Jim and Carl at a wedding. (Carl was the best man) Jim knew who I was right away. Simply great people! Carl had an awesome role model. We are poorer without Jim. Rest in Peace Jim. May there be an endles tank of fuel and epic new riding areas to explore. I am sure that Jim will be grealy respected where his is now!

 

[chadwik74]

I met Jim in January, 1986 at CC Cycle, when getting advice on sled setup. As I was making my maiden voyage to Valemount. I had two successful trips that winter and was hooked. In January 1987, Brad C., Murray L., and myself were headed to Valemount on a late Friday afternoon, but had to stop and get a belt at CC Cycle and asked Jim if he could join us. Jim said he had never been, but he'd like to come along. He said he would be an hour or so before he could leave, as his new 1987 400 Indy SKS was apart, receiving modifications. We walked in the back of the shop to see the complete front and rear suspension was dismantled and no track in the sled. Well, a few hours later, off we went.
We rode the first day in Miledge with deep powder and I can still picture Jim with wide open throttle jumping a nasty drainage. And, with a big grin on his face, he said, "The throttle is your best friend!!". I knew right then this was a wild man on a sled and he was hooked on the mountains.
After numerous trips together we became very close friends. December 31, 1988 we headed to Valemount again, with Jim on his 89 500 SP, Brad's 89 500 SKS and myself on a 82 TX-C fan 136. Alan Creek was the first ride for 1989. As we just got into the Premier, Jim dropped down in this bowl with a full set of paddles. Needless to say after numerous attempts Jim couldn't get out. With Brad and I still on the ridge, we knew it wasn't coming out! For six hours we inched the sled by hand up the slope, we ended up abandoning the sled due to darkness. Jim and Brad doubled out. When we got back to town, I was very ill due to being on the throttle side of the sled for six hours, breathing in exhaust. Once we got back to the Valemount Hotel, Jim and Brad were in Stan's shop in the back of the hotel. They doubled up the paddles on Brad's 500 and the TX-C, while I was on the the john and head in a waste basket for the next 12 hours!! The next morning the two of them went back with help. But, a storm had blown in and they could not even get close. So, we headed home less Jim's sled. Jim made two more trips back trying to retrieve it, but it had really dumped snow that month. Abundant snow fall made accessing the alpine a full days job.
On the last weekend of January, Jim and I headed back up. Jim took Carl's 1980 340 TX-C and off we went. Jim had decided to go to Yellowhead Helicopters and hire Gary F. When we arrived there we meet a couple of Air Force Pilots getting their chopper repaired. Jim asked them if they could lift out a sled. With a grin, they replied, "We'd love too!", but their lift hook had been replaced with a recon camera. So, Gary was the man, providing the weather improved. Jim and I headed up the mountain to meet Gary on Mt. Milton. Gary picked up Jim, Bob (from Athabasca) and myself and off we went. After several minutes in the air searching, we'd spotted the avy probe and the ribbon still visible. Gary dropped us off on the ridge above the sled and Bob stayed on the ridge to keep an eye on Jim and I as snow stability was sketchy. With shovels and slings in hand, we headed down the slope to dig it out. Gary came with the hook and grabbed the sled and set it on Mt. Milton. Quicker than expected he returned to the ridge to pick us up. Being we were only half way up and with the clock ticking and Jim's money burning ($10/min), he encouraged me to climb faster, "Beamer, get your fat ass in gear!" As quick and cost efficient as possible, we made it to the top!
Once back back up on Milton, we opened the hood to find any exact mold of packed snow in the shape of the hood. After cleaning all the snow from the engine compartment, it fired right up! At this time, the Air Force guys we talked to earlier flew over and seeing us, sat down their chopper. They were curious to see how we had made out. I don't recall the model of the chopper they were flying, but when they lifted off they put on a real show in the valley between Premier and Milton. Banking completely horizontal with very little daylight from the skids to the mountain side. It reminded me of the action movies!
Now with three sleds on top of the mountain, we found a girl doubling with her boyfriend. She agreed to ride the 340 down the mountain. Jim told her it was full of fuel, and with blue sky's above to feel free to ride it for the rest of the day. Back in the parking lot, we loaded up and waited for the young lady to show up. Finally she rode up with a grin on her face, as she had been kicking her boyfriends butt all afternoon with that little 340 free air, and he was riding 521 liquid. Jim and both laughed over that, but her boyfriend did not find the humour in it!
In the fall of 1993, Jim modded a Polaris 488 FC engine that I ran in both my custom Indy Lite chassis. The engine is still running today.
In the years to follow, we had countless adventures together. Some of the most memorable ones are the Wasp Creek Expedition with those two massive slides. The trip that Jim, Carl, Ivan, Dave and myself chartered a helicopter to scout out a safer route up White Feather Creek. And a trip into Howard Creek where we encountered a massive boxed end shaped wind tunnel about 800 feet long and 20 feet deep. Daryl (Ziggy) went first, side hilling 2/3 up and out of the tunnel. I followed, bailing out about half way up. We waited at the top for Jim on his Mod ZRT. He came wide open, right up the gut! And, to our amazement, Jim blew right out the end and pulled off a complete back flip! Wearing his tether, he bailed seconds before the sled landed. When we rode up, he had a smile on his face explaining, "That damn throttle is sticking again!"


I am going to miss you Jim
Thank You for the Memories


Dale B

This was the exact story I was trying to tell a few posts earlier Dale....Bob is my dad and I remember him telling me the story(I was 12ish).....I was blown away! I started heading up there with him shortly after, in the Wildcat days. I remember it was a good day when you made it to the cabin!! Stan was a great guy and awesome guide, many of us would hang out in his shop while people tweaked they're sleds. I also remember sitting in the hotel room with the 'other kids' while all the dads would shut down the bar.....Thanks for this and all the detail.

 

[tundra twin track]

This was the exact story I was trying to tell a few posts earlier Dale....Bob is my dad and I remember him telling me the story(I was 12ish).....I was blown away! I started heading up there with him shortly after, in the Wildcat days. I remember it was a good day when you made it to the cabin!! Stan was a great guy and awesome guide, many of us would hang out in his shop while people tweaked they're sleds. I also remember sitting in the hotel room with the 'other kids' while all the dads would shut down the bar.....Thanks for this and all the detail.

I rode your dad's new Wildcat at Allen Creek plastic paddles and all,good times!

 

[tundra twin track]

I met Jim in January, 1986 at CC Cycle, when getting advice on sled setup. As I was making my maiden voyage to Valemount. I had two successful trips that winter and was hooked. In January 1987, Brad C., Murray L., and myself were headed to Valemount on a late Friday afternoon, but had to stop and get a belt at CC Cycle and asked Jim if he could join us. Jim said he had never been, but he'd like to come along. He said he would be an hour or so before he could leave, as his new 1987 400 Indy SKS was apart, receiving modifications. We walked in the back of the shop to see the complete front and rear suspension was dismantled and no track in the sled. Well, a few hours later, off we went.
We rode the first day in Miledge with deep powder and I can still picture Jim with wide open throttle jumping a nasty drainage. And, with a big grin on his face, he said, "The throttle is your best friend!!". I knew right then this was a wild man on a sled and he was hooked on the mountains.
After numerous trips together we became very close friends. December 31, 1988 we headed to Valemount again, with Jim on his 89 500 SP, Brad's 89 500 SKS and myself on a 82 TX-C fan 136. Alan Creek was the first ride for 1989. As we just got into the Premier, Jim dropped down in this bowl with a full set of paddles. Needless to say after numerous attempts Jim couldn't get out. With Brad and I still on the ridge, we knew it wasn't coming out! For six hours we inched the sled by hand up the slope, we ended up abandoning the sled due to darkness. Jim and Brad doubled out. When we got back to town, I was very ill due to being on the throttle side of the sled for six hours, breathing in exhaust. Once we got back to the Valemount Hotel, Jim and Brad were in Stan's shop in the back of the hotel. They doubled up the paddles on Brad's 500 and the TX-C, while I was on the the john and head in a waste basket for the next 12 hours!! The next morning the two of them went back with help. But, a storm had blown in and they could not even get close. So, we headed home less Jim's sled. Jim made two more trips back trying to retrieve it, but it had really dumped snow that month. Abundant snow fall made accessing the alpine a full days job.
On the last weekend of January, Jim and I headed back up. Jim took Carl's 1980 340 TX-C and off we went. Jim had decided to go to Yellowhead Helicopters and hire Gary F. When we arrived there we meet a couple of Air Force Pilots getting their chopper repaired. Jim asked them if they could lift out a sled. With a grin, they replied, "We'd love too!", but their lift hook had been replaced with a recon camera. So, Gary was the man, providing the weather improved. Jim and I headed up the mountain to meet Gary on Mt. Milton. Gary picked up Jim, Bob (from Athabasca) and myself and off we went. After several minutes in the air searching, we'd spotted the avy probe and the ribbon still visible. Gary dropped us off on the ridge above the sled and Bob stayed on the ridge to keep an eye on Jim and I as snow stability was sketchy. With shovels and slings in hand, we headed down the slope to dig it out. Gary came with the hook and grabbed the sled and set it on Mt. Milton. Quicker than expected he returned to the ridge to pick us up. Being we were only half way up and with the clock ticking and Jim's money burning ($10/min), he encouraged me to climb faster, "Beamer, get your fat ass in gear!" As quick and cost efficient as possible, we made it to the top!
Once back back up on Milton, we opened the hood to find any exact mold of packed snow in the shape of the hood. After cleaning all the snow from the engine compartment, it fired right up! At this time, the Air Force guys we talked to earlier flew over and seeing us, sat down their chopper. They were curious to see how we had made out. I don't recall the model of the chopper they were flying, but when they lifted off they put on a real show in the valley between Premier and Milton. Banking completely horizontal with very little daylight from the skids to the mountain side. It reminded me of the action movies!
Now with three sleds on top of the mountain, we found a girl doubling with her boyfriend. She agreed to ride the 340 down the mountain. Jim told her it was full of fuel, and with blue sky's above to feel free to ride it for the rest of the day. Back in the parking lot, we loaded up and waited for the young lady to show up. Finally she rode up with a grin on her face, as she had been kicking her boyfriends butt all afternoon with that little 340 free air, and he was riding 521 liquid. Jim and both laughed over that, but her boyfriend did not find the humour in it!
In the fall of 1993, Jim modded a Polaris 488 FC engine that I ran in both my custom Indy Lite chassis. The engine is still running today.
In the years to follow, we had countless adventures together. Some of the most memorable ones are the Wasp Creek Expedition with those two massive slides. The trip that Jim, Carl, Ivan, Dave and myself chartered a helicopter to scout out a safer route up White Feather Creek. And a trip into Howard Creek where we encountered a massive boxed end shaped wind tunnel about 800 feet long and 20 feet deep. Daryl (Ziggy) went first, side hilling 2/3 up and out of the tunnel. I followed, bailing out about half way up. We waited at the top for Jim on his Mod ZRT. He came wide open, right up the gut! And, to our amazement, Jim blew right out the end and pulled off a complete back flip! Wearing his tether, he bailed seconds before the sled landed. When we rode up, he had a smile on his face explaining, "That damn throttle is sticking again!"


I am going to miss you Jim
Thank You for the Memories


Dale B

I can't believe it will be 31 years since we picked Jim's Sled off the Mountain.I think of him often and his name is mentioned all the time when the old crew gets together.Will never see as much terrain or untouched Mountain Tops as we did in the past,
Good Times.

Dale

 

[pete gads]

Yes Dale its been 30 yrs since that first mountain trip with Jim. Miss him a lot. He sure would have loved being with Carl right now running CKMP. Could you imagine all the short cuts he would have yaken them customers on. Carl is just like him, has a real passion for people and teaching them aboutt the back country and loves to explore.

 

[tundra twin track]

Yes Pete,Jim would have fit right in there and the guests would have experienced some of his adventures I'm sure.Was never a dull moment riding with Jim,lost count how many times and places where we were in waist deep powder 30 seconds from the truck exploring new riding areas.One of favourite memory's when going into Clemina from Kinbasket and Jim broke both tie rod ends on Skully in the trees and him wheeling all the way up Lakeveiw Plateau with skis pointing backwards,he knew I had spares with me up top.

Just got back from CKMP last night,there were lots of reminiscing about Jim.

 

[pete gads]

Nice to hear. How was everyone down there and how was snow. hoping to get down and see kuster in march. Going to blue vale and sicamous from 15- 24, will be sore and tired after that.

 

[pete gads]

PS Did you get to ride the turbo. what did you think

 

[tundra twin track]

PS Did you get to ride the turbo. what did you think

I never rode one,but rode with 2 of them for 2 days and they seemed to work flawless,not the crazy power of aftermarket turbos.But performed well considering only 4lbs. of boost.

 

[tundra twin track]

Don't know Jim or Carl but ride with guys who rode in Valemount with Jim and young Carl back when it was considered a good day if you made it to the Allen Creek Cabin. Reid Perkins who may not be on this forum talks about Jim quite often when we are riding. He said Jim is an amazing rider (better than Carl in his day with all due resepct to Carl) who loves to explore and was always looking for new ways to get from here to there. Said Jim would head down into untracked tight trees while the rest of them hung back waiting for his return. After some time Jim would return after being stuck several times, branches sticking out of his sled and Jim would say "it's a little sketchy down there". The boy's knew if Jim thought it was a "little sketchy down there" there was not a hope in hell they were going that way.

I know this is a old thread,but was thinking of Jim & Carl last couple days and thought I would share this story.Had the privilege to ride with both these guys a lot years ago,this particular day it was only the 3 of us and riding in a low to no traffic area.Jim & Carl were both on their Arctic Mods and was riding my Mod Indy Lite that Jim built the 488 Fan engine.We came to a hill that had climbed numerous times in the past,but this day I could not get over the top,Jim hopped on it and gained some over my mark but was still short of the the top.Jim scanned the mountain side and their was shear vertical rock face with a very narrow ledge 4’ wide with skinny strips close to 2’ wide going up to a saddle we needed to be.Well to our surprise Jim went up that ledge with very skimpy snow on it in places and the track hanging out in mid air in numerous spots.Carl and I looked at each other in disbelief and he said that’s got to be one sickest lines ever,I hoped on Jim’s Mod and we climbed up and met Jim in the saddle.He was wearing that big grin and giving us the thumbs up,I was always amazed with his riding abilities and Carl inherited all of including the big smile.

 

[APEX 1]

Jim was my cousin and though I didn't get the opportunity to ride with him in the mountains i did do some bike riding with him on the trails north of Westlock,it was always a highlight of mine to stop by his shop CC CYCLE and socialize with him, as already stated Jim would have been very proud to hang with Carl and cruze the hills with him,i think of him quite often too thanks again for sharing some memories

 

[OOC ZigZag]

X2, know Carl but not Jim


I used to go to elementary school in westlock with Carl I think, left when I was 10

Was just out for a McBride ride with the Westlock crew. Lotta solid folks there. Never met the legend but he’s highly regarded in his Ol stomping grounds.

 

[shockman]

Wow ! Just stumbled across this thread, what a blast from the past. I spent a lot of time in Vale at Stan’s resort back in late 80’s and early 90’s. Got introduced to the riding areas byStan on his old indys and spent many hours in his shop fixing plastic paddles on our short track sleds lol. Surprised I never met Jim but was involved with pioneering the snow x circuit in BC which held a race in Alberta, whitecourt if I remember correctly and seen Blare Morgan in one of his first snowx races.I then closely followed Carl and Blair in there pro careers. I always thought of Carl as a true gentleman and sure from what I read on here of Jim that Carl comes by it honestly.
Marc T