Matt Weidinger Smashes Snowmobile Distance Record

Matt Weidinger of Toronto, Ont. has set an unofficial, new world record for distance covered on a snowmobile over a 24 hour period.

Riding the new, power-steering equipped 2011 Yamaha Apex, Weidinger covered a record-breaking 2,904.6 kilometers (1,804.9 miles).

In order to qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records, Matt ensured all criteria were met, including a professionally measured course from the Ministry of Transportation, full digital and manual lap tracking, and witnesses that include “people of notoriety” such as town councilors, police and firefighters. He is now going through the submission and evaluation process with Guinness to be officially recognized.

At 3 P.M. on Wednesday, February 17, Matt embarked on the first lap of the 10.4-kilometer loop that he would encircle 279 times on route to the new record for a single rider. Matt blew past the previous record of 2,372 kilometers (1,473 miles) set only a couple weeks earlier.

Weidinger was originally planning to ride his Yamaha FX Nytro XTX to the record, but Yamaha Canada offered up the new Apex for the record attempt.

“Now that I’ve done it on this new Apex with power steering, I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like on just a regular sled,” says Weidinger.

Click here for more information on the World Record ride.

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