Right after Christmas , social media filled with remembrances of Olav Aaen , a quiet giant in the snowmobile performance segment . He was 80 when he died in late December .

Aaen was a master tuner , creative designer / fabricator , noted book author , successful speed shop owner , racing supporter , magazine writer , historian and trusted friend to many . His slow-walking , slow-talking demeanor contrasted the rowdy high-performance products he created .

The Norway native first gained acclaim within the snowmobile world in the early 1970s when he was a leading engineer at the Outdoor Marine Corporation ( OMC ) snowmobile division – maker of Johnson and Evinrude sleds . After OMC pulled the plug on its snowmobile efforts , in 1976 Olav started Aaen Performance , a Wisconsin-based high-performance speed shop that he ran for the rest of his life .

From building sleds , chassis or driveline components for high-profile racers like John Wicht III , Tim Bender and Darcy Ewing to working side-byside with new competitors to eventually being the go-to source for aftermarket exhaust systems for vintage sled racing , Aaen was involved in pretty much all forms of snowmobile racing and competition . In fact , Aaen was one of three men who started the International Snowmobile Racing rules making body .

But his reach went far beyond that . Aaen was quick to share his knowledge . His Clutch Tuning Handbook and Carb Tuning Handbook were very popular must-reads for racers and tuners young and old . He also wrote tech articles for various magazines for more than 40 years , starting with Hummer magazine in 1974 and expanding well beyond that afterward , including but not limited to USSA SnoTrack , Snow Week , American Snowmobiler , Vintage

Snowmobile Magazine and many more .

Aaen was inducted into the competition-focused Snowmobile Hall of Fame way back in 1997 but continued to impact the sport for another 27 years afterward . He and his aftermarket products were also highly respected in the ATV and dirt bike worlds , and Aaen himself competed in road course auto racing .

Friends remembered Aaen as a smart , introspective , witty man who was a great storyteller .

“ In addition to his talent as a motor builder and with clutching and chassis design , he was also a good friend ,” said Tom Anderson of the Snowmobile USA shows and the World Snowmobile Headquarters . “ When you ’ d hear him speak , he had that little Scandinavia brogue about him , and he always had interesting things to say and was always willing to help people out .”

“ He was truly an independent tuning genius who people trusted ,” said Jerry Bassett , founder of American Snowmobiler magazine and a former Snow Goer editor . “ He was an honest , objective guy who was very bright , knew the industry well and was an excellent engine guy and brilliant businessman .”

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