By Danny Brault

Photos by Jay Moore

Is it just me, or is indoor racing taking over Canadian motocross? First, we welcomed two rounds of the World Supercross GP, then John Hellam and Future West brought us a national arenacross series and now we have an indoor riding facility in Eastern Canada. A motocross enthusiast for many years, 25-year-old Yan Gendron opened up the indoor AX track to the public last winter. The track is made up of dark sand (absolutely no rocks) and features two doubles, a 65-foot tabletop right out of a corner and, of course, the key AX ingredient: whoops. Gendron takes a lot of pride in his track and keeps it groomed and watered everyday, so riders can always expect a fun and safe ride. Last weekend, Gendron was kind enough to allow two Racer X Canada staffers and their friends to check out the track, and we must admit: Des-Monts is a top notch indoor riding facility.

RXC: Yan, When did you begin your indoor riding facility?

Yan Gendron: We put it up last year, last winter, and this is our second season.

What was the building used for before you put a track inside?

It was used for training horses in the winter. But now that mom and dad are in Florida during the winter seasons, it isn’t used for that anymore.

And do you leave the dirt in all year round?

Yes.

I noticed when we rode there, the dirt is actually sand. Does it get soft  when it becomes warmer in the summer?

Not really, it stays like it is now. It depends how much we water the track and how much we ride on it.

Have you had to groom the track much?

Yeah, everyday. [Laughs] Well, everyday we groom it as much as possible so people can enjoy the ride, I mean, sometimes it takes more time to rake the corners back and stuff … we at least try to make the jumps good and the whoops good too.

When our group was there last weekend, I saw you had a few friends helping out.

Yeah, I’ve got a few friends that help me out. You really need those people.

Your track features pretty much all the basic fundamentals of an AX track: doubles, finish line tabletop, a fast straightaway, banked corners and of course, the dreaded whoop section. While it’s challenging, it’s also fairly safe, is that something you’re conscious of when building the track?

Obviously, yeah, because last year it was a lot harder. This year we made some changes,  last year the finish line jump was a single onto a tabletop and now it’s just a tabletop because it was dangerous with kids and even for myself. I also try to design it so it's easier to work on and groom.

What is the cost per day to ride?

Basically it’s $50 per day, and it’s always on reservation; you have to call me a few days in advance. It’s pretty much like a golf course. I used to have memberships, but now that we’re in mid-season I’m sure no one is be interested in buying memberships.

What is a membership worth?

It’s $500 for big boys, and 85cc and under are $400.

How long does a membership entitle a rider to use the track?

It’s the winter season, from November to April. I think it’s worth it, it’s about a $100 a month.

That definitely sounds like a reasonable deal. How many tracks can offer a well-groomed, watered track each day, let alone an arenacross track?

Exactly.

So does it get very busy there during the winter?

Yes, especially right now. Last year it was a wasn’t too popular, it took a while before a lot of people knew about it. But this year, people called me all summer asking about riding in the winter. It never really stops; it’s almost a year-round job.

So do you get many Quebec riders?

I would say I own Eastern Canada, right now. [Laughs] Seriously, at least Ontario and Quebec.

I’ve heard you have some alliance with KTM Canada and you’ve put up KTM banners at the track. How did that relationship come together?

Well, basically, a KTM guy [Florian Burguet] heard about the track and came out for a weekend to ride. From there we started talking and the project came together last spring, when we did a KTM media day and the whole AX team was here with magazine and TV guys. So we just decided to come together and KTM sponsored the track.

So as a sponsor of the track, what do they do for you and what do you for them?

They helped me out with a bike and I promote their brands and let people know where they can buy KTMs.

And you race yourself?

Yeah. I race mostly in Eastern Ontario, but I plan to move around a bit. It’s my fourth season as a racer; I rode when I was kid, but never seriously. I used to wakeboard and stuff, but I decided to sell everything and start dirtbiking.

You also house riders’ bikes for the winter, as well.

Yes, I do some storage for people who want to keep their bikes here. I charge $40 a month, and we always have someone here and there are security cameras. It’s heated and you can work on your bike. The only thing I ask is that you keep fuel outside the barn.

Do many fast pros stop by for practice?

Marco [Dubé] came a lot last year, but now he is in California testing for Yamaha of Troy. I got an email from him yesterday, actually, and he says that everything has been going good, so hopefully we can see him get some top fives. We also have Tommy Fortin, the first guy to pull a backflip in Montreal. He lives 10 minutes from here and is going really good on his 125 here. JSR and Kevin Tyler are supposed to come down sometime and put a school on together, too.

Thanks for chatting, Yan. It’s great to see someone provide ground for our riders to train during the winter without having to spend a fortune traveling down south.

No problem, anytime.

To contact Gendron for directions, about renting the track for a day, or for general inquiries, call him at: (613) 282-5713 or email: axdm@hotmail.com. It is  by reseveration only, so you can't just show up and ride. Oh, and if you're making a long trip to the track and would like a place to stay over, Gendron knows of several motels close to the track.