It was a surreal moment for Williams Lake’s Brock Hoyer this week when he answered a call to compete at the 2017 Aspen X Games.
The 29-year-old snow bike pioneer and professional motocross racer will join 15 other elite athletes at the world’s premiere action sports competition Jan. 26-29.
“I found out yesterday [Wednesday] officially,” Hoyer told the Tribune. “I’m excited to go and it’s a dream come true and hopefully I can come home with a medal.”
Hoyer was one of six snow bike athletes, which include the likes of Vernon’s Reagan Sieg, and the U.S.’s Ronnie Renner, invited by the X Games to compete.
“They’re trying to bring big names to attract people to the sport,” Hoyer said. “No one there is going to know who I am. You get guys like [Travis] Pastrana? Then that’s a different story.”
The other 10 spots at the X Games will be determined following a qualifying race coming up next month in Minnesota.
X Games snow bike events include best trick, freestyle, snocross, snocross adaptive and snow bike racing.
“It’s good I don’t have to go do the qualifying race because Minnesota is a 28-hour drive from here,” he said. “I can stay home and get ready, and not rush. My motor’s sent away and I’m getting ready for the X Games already in the midst of getting product and gear together. We’re hair straight back.”
Hoyer said he got into snow biking as a way to cross train during the winter months for his summer professional motocross racing schedule. A snow bike is, essentially, a motorcycle on skis.
His love for the winter sport, however, quickly took over and Hoyer now uses his summer schedule to train for his newfound love of snow biking.
Hoyer said his late friend, Derek Christianson, introduced him to the sport roughly six years ago.
“[He] bought one six years ago and I asked if I could take it out for a rip,” Hoyer said. “Derek’s the type of guy who would give you the shirt off his back and he’s like, ‘of course, take it.’ I came back and ordered one on my Visa and didn’t even ask how much it cost, and that’s how it all started.
“I haven’t looked back from then until now. It’s been some exciting years.”
Hoyer has been featured in multiple snow bike films and, along with Sieg, is considered one of the founding fathers of the extreme sport.
It was one of his sponsors, Timbersled, who Hoyer thinks suggested him to the X Games selection committee.
“Timbersled is well known and gives us a lot of support,” he said. “Our names [Sieg and I] were at the top of the list as their athletes. Other people, key people in the industry or other snow bikers who watch videos or YouTube would know me or Reagan.”
Following the X Games Hoyer will also be competing at the Snow Bike Championships in Revelstoke, the Hillcross Championship in Western Canada and will continue to film for videos throughout the winter months.