A Snowmobile Lifestyle Apparel Brand
Racing across the snowy terrain, maneuvering jumps and the various downslopes gives Chase Hibma a sense of freedom and exhilaration. He loves the wind whipping across his face almost as much as helping a customer at Sno-Baron’s Hay Days Snowmobiling Festival every September. The rush of adrenaline has always motivated this 16-year-old junior from Lake Park, IA and a big reason why he created his own Snowmobile Lifestyle Apparel Brand in 2022.
“You just can’t be afraid to try something new. There’s so much learned along the way, whether something works or not,” Chase said. “Being a part of this experience has been so valuable for me! I also really love snowmobiling – it’s so relaxing and exhilarating at the same time!”
Since he was old enough to ride, Chase has enjoyed snowmobiling trips out west with family and friends. Many years, the group has especially appreciated the snow around Steamboat Springs in Northern Colorado and often explores the snowy backcountry landscapes for days.
“There’s so much joy in going out on your sled and exploring a new area. When you get out there, you don’t have to worry about anything and just go exploring,” Chase shared. “Sometimes you think you could be the first person to touch this tree because it’s so remote.”
While there are fewer hills around Lake Park, Chase also enjoys snowmobiling in Northwest Iowa, especially with his brother Carter at his uncle’s nearby field. “There’s a really big bluff that we like snowmobiling around and down!”
Two years ago, Chase’s love of snowmobiling led to a different passion—one that has grown into the development of his own snowmobiling lifestyle apparel. Steep and Deep Sled Co. has become highly sought after by customers from around the United States, along with being noticed by the top snowmobile content creators.
Stepping Out in Faith
Snowmobiling in the backcountry can be a step of faith, as the terrain and landscape can hide unexpected circumstances along the path. Chase said starting your own business is similar. At age 14, Chase became the owner of Steep and Deep Sled Co, out of Lake Park, IA.
With the assistance of his family, he developed a clothing label that featured one of his life’s passions—snowmobiling. The first steps were creating an attractive, simple design centered around his name.
“The name was actually an idea from my dad (Chad),” Chase said. “I tend to drive my sled in places I can’t get out of. Before starting out on another day of snowmobiling, my dad always tells me to ‘Stay out of the Steep and Deep!’ because he didn’t want to pull me out every ten minutes. I obviously didn’t always listen to the advice, and my nickname became ‘Steep and Deep!’”
Chase’s mother Ashley Hibma owns Water Tower Boutique, a popular women’s clothing store in Lake Park, which Chase said her wisdom and assistance has been huge in knowing how to develop and run his business. It's become a family affair with his brother and sisters modeling for the website, as well as family and friends helping sell merchandise at Hay Days.
“My family has been hugely supportive of my dream,” he shared. “My mom has helped me each step of the way to create a clothing label people really like and design clothing for those who like to ride the ‘Steep and Deep.’”
When brainstorming ideas for Steep and Deep’s branding, Chase knew he wanted to keep the design simple but attractive. Then because of his love of the mountains, he chose to incorporate the mountains around the name, as well as the year Steep and Deep Sled Co. was established. “I wanted it to look nice on any type of material we put the logo on,” he added.
On December 15, 2022, Chase opened Steep and Deep Sled Co. to the world, a tremendous endeavor for this teenage entrepreneur and a rare undertaking for most 14-year-olds. “The first day I opened my website, there were a whole bunch of sales, more than I imagined,” Chase remembered.
Chase started gaining a following and became a brand ambassador for Freshies Built, as well as Rocky Mountain Sled Conditions, an app that provides snow reports to snowmobilers. He has also become a popular booth at Sno-Baron’s Hay Days Snowmobiling Festival in Blaine, MN every September and traveled to Utah for SnoWest Magazine’s Utah Snowmobile Show later in October.
He really enjoys helping his customers and meeting new people from around the country. At Hay Days, over 40,000 people can visit his booth, and he quickly became popular around the snowmobiling community. “I want to really connect with my customers and make them feel like they are valued, and I care about the relationship,” Chase said. This means every online order includes a personal thank you note from the junior from Harris-Lake Park High School.
“I want to ask them questions and know if they have any suggestions. Like any small business, you value and need your customers' feedback to find continued success,” he added.
Steep and Deep Sled Co. has an entire line of clothing options, especially geared around the snowmobiling season, including sweatshirts, t-shirts, base layers, stocking caps and ball caps.
“He became really popular at Hay Days especially with his age,” his mother Ashley said. “It’s rare to find a small family-owned business at these trade shows and even rarer to find a teenager owning their own clothing label.”
December 15, was Chase’s two-year anniversary of Steep and Deep Sled Co. In that time, he has sold thousands and thousands of items in merchandise. His dreams aren’t slowing down as his future goal is to manufacture his own private tag and create custom designs that includes special patches, laces and armbands.
To learn more about Steep and Deep Sled Co., visit steepanddeepsled.com and follow Chase on Facebook and Instagram.
Snowmobiling in the back country takes a level of expertise and knowledge in how to handle unexpected snowy terrains. Chase recommends taking the time to undergo avalanche training because it could become the matter of life and death.
“It’s important to know what to look for when you’re riding the back country and know what to do if an avalanche takes place,” Chase said.
He added that it’s important to observe your surroundings and to stay off a sloop steeper than 30 degrees and covered in deep snow or an area that has already experienced an avalanche. “It’s also best to stay away from overhanging masses of ice or snow, usually found on a ridge,” he said.
Part of this reason is a stable snowpack develops strong bonds between its layers, while an unstable snowpack contains weak layers that easily become collapsable whether through noise or movement.
Another good safety procedure is to create a riding plan prior to the ride, based on the current avalanche and weather forecast. Chase follows the Rocky Mountain Sled Conditions when snowmobiling out west. He also suggests selecting a route near dense timber and to travel with a partner or in a group.
“It’s more fun to ride with people you enjoy anyways but it’s also safer to go together,” he shared. “If you are on a slope, go one at a time and make sure everyone has the right rescue gear along.” Most of all, have fun and enjoy the ride!