Cory micku biography

If you’ve been a mountain snowmobiler for any number of years, chances are, you have probably heard of the Mickus (Dave, Justin, Kyle and Brandon Micku) from Top Secret Shop in Salmon Arm, B.C. If not, it’s time you did. For more than 30 years, these boys have been ripping it up in the backcountry of southern B.C., on their custom turbo mod sleds and every year, they take the sport to a new level by redefining their own limits and testing the limits of what is possible with today’s technology.

Every story must have a beginning, and for this family, it all started with papa bear Dave Micku. Dave got into sledding and building custom sleds when he was a youngster so it was only natural for his sons to follow in the same foot tracks. Over the years, he and the boys developed their own turbo kits for the 800 Arctic Cats and Ski-Doo’s 800 E-Tec engine. In addition to their turbo kits, the Mickus produce other lightweight performance products, such as stingers, A-arms and tunnel extensions, at Top Secret Shop. They also build custom sleds on carbon fibre chassis.

When the Mickus first came onto the sled scene, they were hillclimbers, competing on the British Columbia Snowmobile Federation’s hillclimb circuit. Before the circuit closed down, the boys raced the Canadian circuit each year and at the end of the season, they would head down to the world championship hillclimb finals at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. These days, though, it’s more about hanging out and having fun than winning. We can’t forget, though, that they clean swept the podium in the turbo mod class at the Meteor Mine Hill Climb in Slocan last winter. 

Don’t let their background in hillclimbing fool you—the Mickus are well rounded riders who spend their shred sessions going up and over as well as airing it out and smashing powder through the trees. Last year, the Mickus produced their first sledding video called TSS Action Lines and this summer, they will be releasing a sequel to it. With a slew of great riders—including Brad Gilmore, Rob Hoff, Dave Moore, Chad Greziuk, Nathan Greziuk, Brandon Jones and of course, the Mickus—TSS Action Lines - Volume 2 will feature a variety of different riding styles and amazing footage from deep within the B.C. backcountry.

In addition to TSS Action Lines, Brandon, who is the youngest of the three brothers, landed a full segment with 509 Films and in Alpine Assassins’ next video. Brandon said he also got some shots in Cam “Hollywood” Hick’s next film by Hickshow Productions.

“I tried to get a good all-around segment in each of them—so hillclimbing, boondocking (and) jumping,” said Brandon. “(I) definitely shine in the hillclimb aspect for sure. It’s what we are known for.”

On the phone, Brandon is a mild, soft-spoken kind of guy but on a sled, he’s aggressive, and at times, on the verge of out of control. According to Brandon, his riding style is a mix between his brother Kyle’s fluidity and his cousin Cory Micku’s craziness.

“It’s so funny because the four of us will get together and go for a ride and each one has a completely different riding style . . .”  said Brandon. “Cory’s kind of dangly and out of control and Kyle is super smooth and makes it look super easy and (he) just cruises over the top, you could say, and I’m just completely in the middle of both of them.”

Come fall, you can bet the Mickus will be rested and ready for some more rippin’. Watch for them at the Alberta Snowmobile and Powersports Show in Edmonton, Alberta, this October and at the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Show in Saskatoon in November. To purchase TSS Action Lines - Volume 2, go to Top Secret’s Shop’s website.