SideXSide Action - February 2008 - (Page 41)

So when Ross Brown, president of Off Road Riders, heard about Tom’s dream, he was eager to help. Ross asked the local Yamaha dealer, Black Hills Powersports, what they would be willing to do to help. Without hesitation, they agreed to sell the Rhino to Tom at dealer cost. As it turned out, Tom did make it to the July 4th “Freedom Ride,” with a shiny new Rhino in tow, and smiling to beat the band. The UTV, equipped with two suicide knobs, allows Tom to enjoy the outdoors like he always has. Overcoming Odds When I’m off-roading in the Black Hills, my fingers start to tingle, ready to grasp the wheel. Exhilaration starts in the pit of my stomach as I feel the wind on my face, tooling through the ponderosa pines and speeding through the grassy meadows. In July of 2006, Tom Huwe, an avid ATVer and South Dakota native, almost lost these things forever. By Rockie Brown At the Freedom Ride, Tom met Jesse Jurrens, owner of Independent Cycle, Inc. and the Top 50 Rally Park. Jesse was so moved by Tom’s amazing attitude that he decided he would like to do something special for Tom. The surprise came Labor Day weekend during the 2007 Black Hills UTV Rally where Tom and numerous other members of the Off-Road Riders were volunteering. Tom would receive a free Legend Off-Road Air Suspension System for his new Yamaha Rhino! Tom doesn’t remember much about the fire that left him with second and third degree burns on 85 percent of his body. When I interviewed Tom in May of this year, what struck me the most was his attitude. He might have just won the lottery, the way he laughed and joked about everything. “I’ve beat all the odds so far!” laughed Tom, referring to his 10% chance of surviving the five-mile trip to the hospital from the cabinet shop where he worked. But he did survive, and made it to Greeley, Colorado where he lay in a coma for four months and underwent over 14 surgeries to repair his skin and tissues. After that came five more months of painful and challenging rehabilitation, but Tom was determined and excited about getting back home. With his Legend-equipped Rhino, Tom will now enjoy a more comfortable ride with push-button adjustability on the fly to changing trail conditions and vehicle load. Everyone can benefit from the air ride suspension, but for people like Tom, the technology can mean the difference between staying home or enjoying the freedom of his UTV for work or play. Tom Huwe, an amazing optimist, has beaten the odds after a terrible accident that many others may not have survived, and continues to enjoy the outdoors thanks to his friends and his UTV. More information on the Legend Off-Road Air Suspension: www.independentcycleinc.com As we spoke, Off-roading never seemed far from his mind. Because of the severe burns on his arms that went down to the tendon, he explained, they put pins in his fingers so he wouldn’t be able to ride his four-wheeler anymore. The answer: a side by side. When Tom started describing the Yamaha Rhino he wanted, he sounded like a ten-year-old boy at Christmas, giddy and excited. 40 SIDE X SIDE ACTION MAGAZINE “Oh, I’ll be there for the July 4th ride,” Tom said, referring to the trail ride put on by the Off-Road Riders Association of the Black Hills. Tom had been a member for a year and a half and until his accident, never missed a ride. The group has been by Tom’s side all the way. When the accident first happened, individual members of the ORA came up with $1500 that the club then matched and sent to his wife Becky and grandson Jacob who went with him to Colorado. Two months later, the Off-Road Riders’ Labor Day Poker Run became a fund-raising event to benefit Tom and his family. http://www.omfperformance.com http://www.omfperformance.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SideXSide Action - February 2008

SideXSide Action - February 2008 Contents Mailbox News Tips & Tricks Rhino 700 YFI Join the Club Snowbound Fun Power Upgrade Camping Buyer's Guide Overcoming the Odds Product Reviews HID Light Shoot-Out Company Spotlight: John Deere History of the SXS History & A Ride Places to Ride WPSA Round 10 Clutching 101 New Product Section Calico To Laughlin Project Race Rhino: Final Chapter On the Go Photo

SideXSide Action - February 2008

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