We suppose the search for light weight is often considered the relm of the mountain rider. After all, the lighter the sled the better it performs in the steep and deep, all other things being equal. What we also know, however, is that when the trails get twisty a lighter sled can be incredibly fun.

So it should be of little surprise that even though the concept of the lightweight seat started in the mountains, it has become an increasingly popular idea for all riders. We?re not talking about those vinyl covered 2x4s the drag guys use, we?re talking about fully functional, stock looking or at least nearly stock looking, seats.

One visit to the BOSS facility in Pleasant Grove, Utah and you realize that custom, lightweight, aftermarket seats are a big deal to a lot of people. A day?s worth of riding with a BOSS seat under your fanny and you realize how very nice a custom, lightweight, aftermarket seat can be on your snowmobile.

We spent a little time with Jim Atherley, owner of BOSS seats, recently to have him go over the finer points of custom seats and specifically the BOSS seat. BOSS had a fairly straight forward beginning. When asked how it all started Jim responds that there was a need and he figured out a way to meet that need.

To understand that need you first need to look at the typical stock snowmobile seat. To be sure, the OEMs have made huge progress in the past few years with their seats. We?ve come a long way from the vinyl covered, foam pad, wood base seats of the 80s. However, for all the progress made with plastic seat bases, firmer seat foam, and sticky seat material there is still room for improvement.

Probably the first thing snowmobilers look at in a custom seat is what kind of weight savings can they attain. It will amaze you how heavy your seat becomes, especially after a few rides. The stock seat is probably constructed of a plastic base or pan with a foam cushion and vinyl cover. That foam is especially good at absorbing water. After a couple of rides you can easily pick up 10lbs or more in water in the foam and as you might suspect, it doesn?t dry out very well. The BOSS seat combats this in a couple of ways.

But those little breather holes are more than just simple air dryer vents. They are the key to how comfortable a BOSS seat is to ride. Conventional seats suffer from a lack of rebound speed. This causes the seat to ?pack down? as you ride. We?ve all experienced it. You spend a few miles on the sled and when you get off the seat is compressed where you?ve been sitting and if you watch it will slowly return to shape. Well, you?ve smashed all the air out of the foam and as it?s trying to draw air back in, it has to draw it through the vinyl or seams or where ever. This takes a bit of time. The breather holes on the BOSS seat give a direct path for the air to re-enter the seat. This gives almost instant rebound to the seat which eliminates the ?packing down? affect and in rough riding conditions ensures that the seat is immediately returned to full shape and ready to support your fanny on the next bump.

The BOSS seat also offers a sticky cover to hold you in place when the powder flies up on the seat. And as you would expect with a custom seat you have the option to have different colors and you can even have a custom graphic silk screened onto the seat.

The BOSS seat is not just a mountain thing anymore. With the comfort of this seat, nice styling and even light weight, trail riders and mountain riders alike will benefit from the addition of the BOSS seat.

For more information contact BOSS Seats at 801-785-3413.

Contact the author Greg Lonero at MsMamoo@aol.com