Gold Medal for Doug Henry in Winter X Games‏

Cypress California,
– Yamaha legend Doug Henry captured a gold medal in the Sit Down
Adaptive SnoCross race at the Winter X Games 15 in Aspen, Colo. on
Sunday, January 30. Using the torque of his Nytro RTX snowmobile, the
former motocross and Supercross star grabbed the holeshot, then chased
eventual winner Mike Schultz until a seat clip broke, forcing Henry to
roll the monstrous doubles instead of vying for the overall win against
Stand Up Adaptive drivers. He nonetheless finished sixth overall and
first in his class to take the gold.

Along with his friend Steve Serafini, and Yamaha’s Brian Amondson
and Kody Malmborg, Henry designed and constructed a special adaptive
seat that uses a Fox XC Pro shock absorber to cushion the paraplegic’s
body from big hits. Far more than just a shock-absorbing seat though,
Henry’s new development also leans from side to side, allowing him to
use body English to help steer the snowmobile just like able-bodied
drivers. As a result, Henry felt confident and excited when the Winter
X Games 15 final lined up on Sunday afternoon.

This confidence – and the huge torque of the Yamaha’s four-stroke
engine – paid off as Henry accelerated hard off the line and up the
start hill, getting to the first turn ahead of the pack. But eventual
winner Schultz soon pulled even on an outside line, forcing Henry to go
inside over a big section of jumps. Battling for the lead, Henry
over-jumped one of them and took a hard hit upon landing, breaking an
essential seat clip. “Once I get disconnected from the sled I’ll
separate from it in the air,” he explained later. “So from there on I
had to roll everything, going as fast as I could while staying in the
seat.”

Growing up in New England, snowmobiles always played a part in
Henry’s life during winter. And although he no longer races
motorcycles, the sleds represent a fantastic avenue to channel his
competitive drive. “I really love snowmobiling, and that includes
riding SnoCross, jumping and going fast,” he added. “Most of all, I
love to push myself.” Congratulations on your Winter X Games gold medal
Doug, from everyone at Yamaha!