Recall the story of the "3 Old Guys," in which three friends—Paul Dick, Rob Hallstrom, and Rex Hibbert—took their snowmobiles on a massive trek across the frozen tundras of Canada, basically doing a Long Way 'Round but on snowmobiles instead of motorcycles. The trio gained international fame, with stories reaching far and wide.
Indeed, we even did a couple, too, after the three riders decided to do it again last year even as they reached into their late 60s and early 70s. Honestly, they're an inspiration to us all, as who doesn't want to be going on continued wild adventures as you get older? I know I hope to be as spry and adventurous as they are.
And they aren't stopping any time soon, apparently, as Dick, Hallstrom, and Hibbert are going on another 1,500-mile trek this year with the help of Arctic Cat and through the Iron Dog Challenge across Alaska. Though the trio isn't really competing in the race, but serving as ambassadors.
According to Arctic Cat's press release, Dick, Hallstrom, and Hibbert will be joined by Brad Hellwig who runs an Alaska dealership and actually competed in the Iron Dog, Brad's son Tyler, and one of the brand's insiders, Tom Rowland. The group will depart on the 1,500-mile trip later this week, starting in Big Lake, Alaska, and ending in Nome. And, as you'd expect given they're Arctic Cat ambassadors, the cadre will be piloting a suite of new 2026 Arctic Cat ZR 600 EPS snowmobiles.
And that electric power steering portion of the name is a big win for everyone involved, according to their own words.
"The power steering is going to be a real game-changer for us," said Hallstrom, "We’ll run some 300- or even 400-mile days and those can get really hard on you. We know EPS will make it easier. Plus, because of the EPS we can run some aggressive carbides without the normal trade-off you’d have from fighting the heavy steering those runners would normally cause."
"When we get into tight bush up there, there will be rocks, frozen clumps and a lot more that we’ll be encountering," Dick added, "That can be really strenuous on any rider. The EPS will undoubtedly make it a lot easier to handle." But even if these guys weren't in their late 60s and 70s, electric power steering is just a godsend when you're out on the trails or in the wilderness and backcountry. Shit, I'm thirty years younger than these guys and pretty fit, and I wouldn't want to do it without EPS.
I might also just be a wimp, but oh well. The 3 Old Guys, however, aren't and are already talking about how they might just extend their trip after they reach Nome. Because why not? According to Arctic Cat, you'll be able to follow along with the trio on their personal Facebook page, as well as through Arctic Cat's social media pages. Or, if you're in Alaska for the race, you can see them there.
