One of the most respected and successful racers to emerge from the ICCSF cross-country racing scene of the 1970’s, Gerard Karpik posted a surprise win at the famous Heartland Grand Prix Cross-Country in February of 1975 aboard a dark horse Mercury Sno Twister to begin a racing career that helped define the profile of terrain racing for the rest of the decade.

A crack mechanic and racer tuner, Karpik prepared Mercury, Yamaha, and Ski-Doo oval racing sleds with Ed Schubitzke before attracting Bombardier factory attention and a support ride in 1977 aboard the Ski-Doo Cross Country RV. Known for meticulous set-up and preparation, Karpik’s conistent running and skilled driving put his Ski-Doo sleds across the finish line for an unprecedented four wins in a row in the 1978 season.

As cross-country racing exploded in popularity during the late 1970’s, Karpik was soon known as “The King” as he posted his second consecutive four-in-a-row winning streak in 1979 en route to the High-Point title and Ski-Doo’s first cross-country championship. Karpik repeated as High-Point Champion in 1980 and remained a top competitor in snocross, cross-country, and oval until his retirement in 1984 after winning the Pro Stock title at Eagle River in his final racing appearance.