Going For A “Joyride”
Adventures in Abundance with Jerrod Kelley
Story By: Jerrod Kelley
Photos: Provided by Jerrod Kelley
When UTV Sports Magazine reached out to me to toot my own horn, I was a bit hesitant. To be honest, I don’t find myself too interesting, but my gigs in life have been pretty dang cool. I like to have fun and don’t really see myself as the 40-something guy I really am. There’s a solid reason why my aptly appointed nickname, “Joyride”, has stuck around. (Hat tip to Glenn Hansen and Terry Beal for that.)
My love for off-road riding began at early age when my cousins and I would take our pedal bikes to the nearby shale pile (coal slag) to find BMX-like trails and jumps. That progressed into finding backwoods trails and jumps to hit with our mopeds. Eventually, we ended up hammering on my step-dad’s old Honda ATV (I think it was the TRX200), jumping ditches, railing farm roads and pulling snow sleds. All those zany things we did as kids really solidified my lifelong love, which ultimately lead me to a serious career.
My first job in the off-road world, after roughly 2 years of covering stick-and-ball sports for newspapers, started in 1998 in an editorial role with ATV Sport and ATV Magazine. I covered ATV racing over the years for ATV Sport, from TT to Motocross to cross-country racing. After years of writing about it, I finally entered my first race in 2002 aboard a Z400 in Minnesota District 23 hare scramble series. That resulted in a third-place finish – not too shabby for a rookie. I entered a few GNCC events for testing stories and did OK, though my “racing career” never progressed beyond those work-related events. I still love riding quads in the woods to this day and a recent trip to Bear River Lodge in Utah was a thrilling reminder of that.
By far, the trip that sticks with me the most, is the solo adventure I took to cover the Roof of Africa race in 2001 for ATV Sport and BRP (then Bombardier) in the tiny mountain kingdom of Lesotho. I was spoiled on my first overseas trip and got to see that the world was much larger and different than my own little bubble. That trip also included a multiple-day dirt bike adventure with an African tour company for REV magazine despite only having been on a motorcycle in Minnesota about seven times prior to the trip. “You went from a zero to hero,” my guides said. Thanks?!
In 2009, after the recession, I was left to reinvent myself as a freelancer and content provider for powersports publishers, online mags and even a few OEMs. Then, my friend Chaz Rice asked me to do some PR riding and writing for Can-Am. I once rode a Can-Am Renegade 4×4 on stage while STYX played “Renegade” live at the Bell Centre during the 2011 Club BRP dealer show in Montreal. (Here: https://youtu.be/cbqMrasxkvo) That role eventually progressed into me creating Kelley Communications, LLC, to become a PR and industry consultant.
These days, I’m involved with PR and media relations duties for Can-Am off-road / marketing along with my buddy Andrew Howard, who manages the agriculture and hunting spectrums. I work hand-in-hand with dedicated teams in marketing, fleet management, racing, corporate communications, accessories, events, product development and design to get the Can-Am brand front and center. My daily grind includes creating media intros, loaning vehicles, press releases, media kits and other forms of communication to share with the off-road, enthusiast and mainstream media.
I enjoy finding great places for media events. It goes beyond the vehicle and test, though, as one of my many objectives is also to create a life episode for the journalists. So much so, that when someone mentions Can-Am, their brain triggers a memory of the exact Can-Am vehicle they tested, the people they met and rode with on the journey and the location of the ride. Things like float planes, helicopters, axe throwing, authentic tacos al carbon, CKMP, 50-inch trails, Heartland Lodge, Vancouver Island, etc., will often evoke recollections of certain Can-Am vehicles, a year and a stellar riding spot.
My most memorable Can-Am adventure was the press launch of the Maverick X3 in Baja California, Mexico. We partnered with Bruce “Bruno” Anderson and took the media nearly 300 total miles on a portion of the Baja course and for an overnight at Mike’s Sky Rancho. Logistically speaking, it wasn’t an easy one to pull off, but with plenty of help, we did it and raised the bar. That’s why we went to Baja, for the launch of the Maverick X3 side-by-side vehicle, as it was the ideal environment for this iconic vehicle and for experiencing its exceptional design. We nailed the messages we wanted to convey to the media, many of whom are enthusiasts themselves. Then, they can also share their experience with their readers, followers and fans. Such a heroic vehicle and bucket-list trip.
My patient, dedicated and lovely wife of 20 years, Michelle, and I have three kids (Shane, Sarah and Sam) and a bevy of animals to keep us extra busy. I usually also make time for fishing, working out, music, collecting Hot Wheels, reading WWII history, watching sports, coaching and playing 35+ baseball for the Alexandria Classic Clippers here in Minnesota.
These last two decades in the industry have been a blast and there are so many people to thank. From the man upstairs, to my family and all those media, OEMs, business owners and racers I’ve met along the way, I can’t thank them enough for sharing experiences, laughter, tears and wisdom with me along the way.