Creative, cash winning kids from coast to coast are getting their videos on safe and responsible ATV riding posted online as public service announcements by the ATV Safety Institute, MSF’s DirtBike SchoolSM and the Right Rider Access Fund.

A judging panel from ASI, Right Rider Access Fund and the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) selected the winners among dozens of entries from young enthusiasts nationwide, all aiming to highlight ASI’s Golden Rules of ATV Safety or the MSF DirtBike School’s Dirt Bike Riding Tips.

David Atkins, an 18-year old from Edmond, Oklahoma, won the grand prize of $2,500, while his fellow 4-H Club member Elizabeth Klumpp, 13, won the first place prize in the 11-14 age category.

“This is the first video contest I’ve ever won so I am very excited!” said David Atkins. “In Oklahoma, we’ve had several young people suffer traumatic brain injuries because they were not wearing helmets when they had accidents. I hope my PSA will help both youth and adults better understand the importance of always wearing proper riding gear while operating ATVs.”

The “Do the Ride Thing” contest has three age categories and two product categories (ATV and Dirt Bike) along with a grand prize. The winning videos can be viewed here.

“ASI urges all kids who ride off-highway to follow the Golden Rules of ATV Safety and the Dirt Bike Riding Tips, but that message can have a much greater impact when spoken by another kid,” said Paul Vitrano, executive vice president, ASI. “The ‘Do The Ride Thing’ contest allows us to draw attention to safe ATV and dirt bike practices and teaches young riders and their parents how important it is to always ride safe/ride smart. ASI encourages trade and enthusiast media, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and youth organizations to post winning videos on their websites to help promote these important safety messages.”

“Do the Ride Thing” Video Contest winners for the summer of 2012 are:

Grand Prize

– $2,500 Grand Prize Winner – David Atkins of Edmond, Oklahoma

Ages 6-10, ATV

– $500 First Place Winner – Jordan Smith of Tulsa, Oklahoma
– $300 Second Place Winner – Jade and Caleb Dillenbeck of Tully, New York

Dirt Bike

– $500 First Place Winner – Melody Sanders of Tulsa, Oklahoma

Ages 11-14, ATV

– $500 First Place Winner – Elizabeth Klumpp of Edmond, Oklahoma
– $300 Second Place Winner – Randy and David Clapp of Cumming, Georgia
– $200 Third Place Winner – Jacob Sestak of Prague, Oklahoma

Ages 15-18, ATV

– $500 First Place Winner – Eric Beets and Brian Freiesleben of Burlingtion, WI
– $300 Second Place Winner – Patrick Schrank of Norman, Oklahoma
– $200 Third Place Winner – Tanner Shelton of Pleasant View, Utah

Dirt Bike

– $500 First Place Winner – Stephen Nymberg of Huntersville, North Carolina

The associations designed the contest (which ran from June 1 to August 15) to inform and motivate kids and their parents on the responsible use of ATVs and Dirt Bikes, while spreading the message to other young riders.

Every entry took a unique approach to demonstrate safe riding practices, but each video highlighted one or more of ASI’s Golden Rules of ATV Safety or one or more of the MSF’s Dirt Bike Riding Tips.

The “Do the Ride Thing” Video Contest is sponsored by the ATV Safety Institute, the MSF DirtBike School and the Right Rider Access Fund.

The ATV Safety Institute develops rider training programs and promotes the safe and responsible use of ATVs. The ASI works to reduce crashes and injuries resulting from improper ATV use. Formed in 1988, the ASI is a not-for-profit division of the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America.

Since 1973, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has set internationally recognized standards that promote the safety of motorcyclists with rider education courses, operator licensing tests and public information programs.

The Right Rider Access Fund is a charitable, community benefit organization created in 2011 to support off-highway vehicle enthusiasts directly by supplementing the work of the Motorcycle Industry Council, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association and in other ways.

For safety information or to enroll in the ATV RiderCourse nearest you, visit www.atvsafety.org or call (800) 887-2887.

Yamaha congratulates ATV racers Chad Wienen and Thomas Brown on taking the top two spots at the 2012 Montreal Supermotocross in Quebec this past weekend.

Wienen topped the podium and Brown finished second — both aboard their YFZ450Rs — in what became one of North America’s most competitive races this year in front of an estimate crowd of 40,000 fans.

Four of the top five U.S. national ATV motocross racers competed along with top Canadians. Wienen, who won his first Montreal Supermotocross back in 2009, capped a dream season after winning the AMA Pro ATV championship this year following a severe injury in 2011.

“The competition was definitely stacked this year,” Wienen said about the Montreal race. “This is the final big race of the year. It’s always good to win there, and it can set the tone for next season. We went up there and showed them we were on the gas.”

Brown, who finished fifth in the AMA series this year, had the fastest qualifying time in Quebec and chased Wienen throughout the 12-lap main to take second.

“Our goal for the weekend was to go 1-2 and take that Canadian SX championship from the Can-Am guys,” Brown said. “It was great to paint the podium blue.”

The Yamaha guys excelled on the technical supermotocross-style track. “It was a totally different type of venue and race style,” Brown said. “It was really tight with a lot more technical jumps. We really like the more gnarly technical tracks. That’s where we and the YFZ450Rs really shine.”

“We were running around 50-second lap times, so it was a shorter course than we are used to,” Wienen said. “You had to be right on your game to clear some of the triples and step-on, step-off sections. They have a little bit of everything in there. Riding in front of that many people at a single event is really special. To be able to come out of there with a win is always huge.”

Brown, who has been on the road almost exclusively since the 2012 AMA season began in March, is heading home soon to finish the year at his local series and take a short break before ramping up training for the 2013 season. “I’ll hit it hard again before January 1,” he said already mentally preparing for next year. “I want to come out and prove to everybody I can win a title and be a top contender every weekend.”

Wienen has one more international race before taking a break. Later this month, he’s off to New Zealand to race with some of the best in the Southern Hemisphere, and then home to start thinking about 2013. “We’ve had a successful season and are just getting bigger and better,” he said. “I feel good about what we did this year, and I have a lot of racing to do ahead of me. I’m looking forward to getting back out there and defending the number one plate.”

About Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. – Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (YMUS) a leader in the motorsports market, makes the toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings also include motorcycles, outboard motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats, outdoor power equipment, accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of dealers in the United States. Headquartered in Cypress, Calif., since its incorporation in 1976, Yamaha also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia, as well as factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia.

For more information on Yamaha, visit www.yamaha-motor.com.

Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., employees volunteered to help restore one of the San Bernardino National Forest’s most popular multi-use off-highway vehicle (OHV) staging areas this past weekend.

Eighty volunteers, comprised of Yamaha employees and their family and friends, along with members of the San Bernardino National Forest Association (SBNFA), contributed approximately 240 hours of volunteer service to maintain and improve the Cactus Flats staging area.

The San Bernardino National Forest sees approximately 2.4 million visitors each year, and Cactus Flats is a popular spot for OHV enthusiasts providing access to some of the best trails in Southern California.

Thousands of visitors, including OHV enthusiasts, hikers and mountain bikers among others, enjoy the staging area and surrounding trails each year.

“Yamaha is dedicated to the OHV community and has contributed thousands of volunteer hours and more than $2 million since 2008 to the mission of supporting safe, responsible riding and open, sustainable riding areas,” said Mike Martinez, general manager of Yamaha’s ATV/SxS operations and an SBNFA board member who volunteered alongside his son over the weekend. “Yamaha employees are passionate about their volunteer efforts here in Southern California. We understand that these OHV areas are important to our customers and our business, and it means a lot to us personally to help keep these areas in good shape for current and future generations.”

Yamaha’s ATV/SxS group administers the company’s OHV Access Initiative, a program that aggressively supports the OHV community across the country providing quarterly GRANTs to non-profit riding groups and organizations.

“Our heartfelt thanks to team Yamaha for their commitment and service helping to restore more than 12 acres of forest land over the past five years,” said Sarah Miggins, executive director, San Bernardino National Forest Association. “Yamaha’s OHV Access Initiative has also supported our own OHV volunteer program with GRANT funds that helped train more than 5,000 students with “On the Right Trail” safety education, provided educational materials such as the Yamaha Off-Highway Vehicle Guide and newsletters to our recreating public, and contributed towards our 30,000 annual OHV volunteer hours.”

The weekend’s volunteer activities included planting and watering 250 native shrubs, slashing illegal riding areas, collecting more than 20 pounds of native seeds for future planting and in general, restoring more than an acre of forest land and surrounding trails. This was second of a three-year Yamaha project at Cactus Flats.

Over the past five years, Yamaha volunteers have restored more than 12 acres of land in the San Bernardino National Forest. Work has included planting 3,600 native seedlings through SBNFA’s Forest Aid initiative, a partnership with TreePeople and the U.S. Forest Service in one of the largest volunteer-led restoration projects in Southern California addressing the burn areas from the 2003 and 2007 wildfires.

The Yamaha OHV Access Initiative is the industry leader in Guaranteeing Responsible Access to our Nation’s Trails (GRANTs). Through this program, Yamaha has directly and indirectly supported thousands of miles of trails, maintained and rehabilitated countless riding areas, improved staging areas, built bridges over fish-bearing streams and partnered with local riding communities across the country to improve the OHV experience.

How to Get Involved

Each quarter, Yamaha accepts applications from non-profit or tax-exempt organizations including OHV riding clubs and associations, national, state and local public land use agencies and other members of the OHV community in the United States. A committee then reviews each application and awards GRANTs to deserving projects.

Examples of appropriate projects for GRANTs include, but are not limited to:

– Trail development, restoration and maintenance
– Trail signage and map production
– Staging area construction, renovation and maintenance
– Land stewardship, trail safety and education

Updated guidelines, an application form and information on the OHV Access Initiative are available here. For specific questions about the OHV Access Initiative, call Yamaha’s dedicated OHV Access Initiative Hotline at 1-877-OHV-TRAIL (877-648-8724), email OHVAccess@yamaha-motor.comor write to: Yamaha OHV Access Initiative Review Committee, 6555 Katella Avenue, Cypress, CA 90630-5101.

About Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. – Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (YMUS), a leader in the motorsports market, makes the toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings also include motorcycles, outboard motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats, outdoor power equipment, accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of dealers in the United States.

Headquartered in Cypress, Calif., since its incorporation in 1976, Yamaha also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia, as well as factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia.

For more information on Yamaha, visit www.yamaha-motor.com.

With the WORCS Racing season coming to a close this past weekend in Taft, Calif., at Honolulu Hills, RZR XP 900s ended the season with the top three spots in the Production 1000 class and a RZR 570 took the Production 700 Class.

The Production 1000 class saw Ryan Piplic take the checkered flag at Honolulu Hills sealing the championship in the class for 2012. RJ Anderson finished the series in second with Beau Baron in third.

Cody Rahders and the Polaris Industries, Cognito Motorsport, UTVunderground RZR 570 set out to show the racing world that the RZR 570 was a capable racer and could beat bigger displacement vehicles due to its ultimate combination of power, suspension and agility.

Rahders needed a fourth place or better finish, and when the dust settled, he crossed the line in third and took the Production 700 Class Championship!

“What a season, to go from fourth in points to winning the title, awesome,” said Rahders. “There is no way we could have done it without our sponsors, thanks everyone!”

“Polaris would like to congratulate all the winners riding our vehicles,” said Donna Beadle, race team manager for Polaris. “It takes a lot of dedication, time and perseverance throughout the season and it has definitely paid off for these guys. Polaris thanks you for taking our vehicles to the top.”

About Polaris – Polaris is a recognized leader in the powersports industry with annual 2011 sales of $2.7 billion. Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innovative, high quality off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles.

Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII”, and the Company is included in the S&P Mid-Cap 400 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicles accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime at www.polarisindustries.com.