http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/dec11_08jes.htmlDez Loreen
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, December 11, 2008
INUVIK - Local ice rider Kurt Wainman spent this past weekend camping on the ice road with motorcycle legend Jesse James.
James, a mechanic, bike enthusiast and host of his own television show, was in town this past weekend doing some filming for an upcoming series about death-defying acts.
NNSL Photo/Graphic
Kurt Wainman with his new BMW motorcycle. He bought the bike brand new to take on his ride with biker legend Jesse James. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photos
"Our goal was to create a new and distinctive series for Jesse that is unlike anything else on television," said Sharon Levy, senior vice-president of the original series for Spike TV in a press release.
James was not available for an interview during his time in Inuvik.
His public relations representative sent a brief overview of what he was doing in the region to Inuvik Drum.
"Canada's Northern Territories province (sic) is known for its treacherous, deadly ice roads that claim motorists' lives every year," reads the release. "Jesse James will become the first person to ride a motorcycle in the -60 C temperatures on the infamous Ice Highway that connects the small towns of Inuvik and Aklavik braving an Arctic night along the way."
Wainman said he was brought into the project by senior administrative officer Sara Brown, who notified him the crew was looking for someone to work with James and his crew.
"I got a call to see if I was interested in helping the guy out," said Wainman.
Planning for the event started two weeks ago, when Wainman took a drive on the ice road to check the conditions and make sure it would be ready for the shooting required in the region.
The original plan was to ride the motorcycles on the ice road to Aklavik, but that was changed when the producers heard about the road to Tuk and the Beaufort Sea.
"I guess it appealed to them more," said Wainman.
To accommodate the ride on the ice, Wainman needed to find a bike to ride.
"I got this specially for this ride," he said, with one hand on his brand new BMW GS-1200 adventure bike.
"I sold two other bikes to get this one. It cost $24,000," he said.
Some of the special options that are on Wainman's newest toy are hand warmers and saddle bags.
"It's got a big gas tank 33 litre capacity," he said.
Unfortunately, the studded tires that Wainman ordered for the bike didn't arrive before the trip was to begin, so he took it upon himself to outfit his wheels.
"I studded them myself. It worked out all right," he said.
"I put in 1,248 studs. I did it the day before the ride, because I wanted to wait until the bitter end to get my tires in."
He said it was a great privilege to be asked to ride with James on the trip.
"He's a biker I'm a biker. We both love it. It was a great experience," he said.
James arrived in town on Friday afternoon, the day after his motorcycle arrived on the plane.
"We spent that day working on our bikes, making sure we were ready for the trip ahead," said Wainman.
Accompanied by a truck with a trailer for support and a camera crew on Ski-Doos, the group left on the ice road at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
"We rode until about 5 p.m. when we made our camp on the ice road," said Wainman.
The team made their camp. James, Wainman and others slept in heated tents, which he said wasn't the ideal situation.
"It was obviously really cold."
When the group arrived in Tuktoyaktuk, they were met by a group of people eager to see James and his bike.
"We were there handing out goodies. Jesse gave out some shirts and signed autographs," said Wainman.
Before he left town, James gave Wainman his set of riding gear, specialized for the North.
"It's heated by electricity," said Wainman.
"It's a great gift. What an unforgettable weekend."
The episode featuring Wainman and Inuvik will air this May on Spike TV.
