Beginning today, ArcticInsider will now have a new leader, Pat Bourgeois, as the person capturing, sharing and posting all the informative “inside” Arctic Cat content you’ve come to love here.
As I end the ArcticInsider chapter of my career, the tough decision to step away comes with sadness as 2024 marks the 20th year working directly with the legendary Arctic Cat brand, its passionate employees, dedicated dealers, and most importantly, you, the consumers/fans.
I’d like to thank Arctic Cat, the dealers, vendors and friends in the media who have supported ArcticInsider during my last five years running the site. Without you, this place truly wouldn’t exist for everyone to enjoy, and I appreciate every bit of your support, and trust in me, to fly the proverbial Arctic Cat Green flag.
In my mind’s battle of who to find to replace me here, choosing Pat was a relatively easy decision. Pat is deeply passionate about motorsports, has an extremely creative mind, is handy with the keyboard and camera, and knows the players within Arctic Cat’s walls – he has every tool to continue elevating ArcticInsider to the higher levels it deserves as a premier site.
I’d like you all to give Pat a warm welcome, and thought I’d ask him some key questions about his plans for ArcticInsider. Thank you again for the great ride! I’ll see you out on the trails. – Kale
Kale: First of all, Pat, give us your background pitch. How long have you been in powersports, what roles have you had, and what’s your connection to Arctic Cat?
PB: Oh man, how much time do we have ha ha. Much like yourself I’ve worked in powersports for a looonngg time – since the spring of 1993 I believe. That’s when I started as an associate editor for Minnesota Snowmobiling and Supertrax magazines. I was fortunate enough to be “shown the ropes” and work alongside CJ Ramstad, who longtime Cat fans will know as the writer of the first two Legend books and the person who started Snow Week magazine. Since that time I’ve been in the “industry” in different capacities – I was the editor of On Snow Magazine and ATV World; I worked for two different OEMs in various marketing roles; and over the past 16 years I’ve owned and operated a powersports focused marketing agency while still writing for Midwest Rider, Wisconsin Snowmobile News, and the Michigan Snowmobile Off-Road Vehicle Association publication.
I grew up in Baudette, Minnesota and I still visit frequently. It’s probably still my favorite place to ride. Growing up in northern Minnesota you automatically have an affinity for the two brands that call that area home and Arctic Cat was my first snowmobile. I’ve always had a love for the brand and the people associated with Arctic Cat. Through my work, I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know and become friends with so many people who have either worked there, raced for Cat, or are just huge fanatics. There’s just something about Arctic Cat that’s different from other brands…it feels real…it has an emotional connection others don’t. I think that’s why Arctic Cat faithful are so passionate…it’s more than just a product for many of them.
Kale: What makes you want to run ArcticInsider?
PB: As a writer and marketer, I love the idea of ArcticInsider…it serves as this great connection between the brand and the customer…and it’s something that only a brand like Arctic Cat can pull-off. Those who have followed AI for a long time know I’ve been a close friend of both yourself and John Sandberg, who founded ArcticInsider, and I’ve always loved the great stories, the funny quips, and the interaction AI has offered. Having a chance to build upon those stories with a few of my own and give it my own twist is something I look forward to.
Kale: You and I have been friends and colleagues for a solid 20+ years, what are some of your favorite memories of adventures we’ve embarked on?
PB: Well, we have shared some very delicious roller dogs on several road trips…disgusting and tasty all at the same time. There have been so many, but my favorite off-road riding trip was the launch of the Wildcat Trail that you managed while at Cat. That was probably two of the most spectacular days of side-by-side riding I’ve experienced. For me the best adventures have been the day rides or weekend rides and all the goofball stuff and shenanigans that happen along the way. I seem to recall I almost burned all your hair off while we were planning a Catalyst ride last spring. It’s those kinds of memories that really define why we all ride.
Kale: What should readers expect from you, in terms of the kind of content and frequency? What about the social medias?
PB: I thought about this question for some time and it reminded me how much the media landscape has changed since I first started writing. Twenty-five years ago long-form stories were common and people took the time to read those stories. But today, longer, in-depth stories are more rare. Most of us now digest information in little bite sized chunks. John (Sandberg) did a great job delivering in-depth articles for ArcticInsider. You really injected punchy news bites and the social media side of things and expanded the reach to a new audience. I definitely want to bring both of those elements to ArcticInsider and hopefully put my stamp on it. Stories that are funny, entertain, inform, or offer a perspective that maybe others haven’t thought about before. I think the real value of this site is not to be first with information, but to provide insight and information you can’t get elsewhere.
Kale: Are you going to have true inside access to Arctic Cat? Will we see stories like TRF road trips, interviews with people from the company, and such?
PB: Absolutely. That’s one of the great things about ArcticInsider, you truly do have access behind the scenes. Much like yourself, I know so many of the folks at Arctic Cat and having grown up in northern Minnesota and still having a place up there, going to TRF is definitely going to continue. I’d also like to pose that question to the followers of the site…what type of content do you want to see?
Kale: Do you have any plans to do things differently than I did here? Got any game changers? (laughs cuz I know Pat hates buzzwords)
PB: Well I don’t have any revolutionary, paradigm shifting, next level plans…ha ha, but there are few things I’d like to incorporate. A podcast is definitely on my list. I’ve really gotten into listening to podcasts on road trips over the past few years, and they really have become one of the fastest growing platforms for news and entertainment. Plus, you know how much I like to talk…so an AI podcast is on my short list. Video is another piece I’m going to try to do more of as well. You’ve done a great job introducing more videos to the site. They don’t need to be these professionally created videos either, the success of TikTok is proof of that. I won’t be doing any dance moves or challenges, but expect to see more video clips as part of ArcticInsider.
Kale: Here’s a multi-part finale question: How do you feel about 20-inch bar risers, gas station roller dogs vs trailside venison brats, using a sno-bunje, and the safe-use of lighter fluid around campfires?
PB: Bar risers are useless without a bro can and backpack…period. Gas station roller dogs are a delicacy few truly appreciate but venison brats over an open flame get the win every time. A sno-bunje is not a toy and should only be used by professionals…I’ve seen broken upper A-arms to attest. Lighter fluid (boy scout juice) and campfires just go together. I mean, I like really big fires and I can’t help it if your hairy eyebrows got in the way.
