Ray Loisel
In the movie XXX, extreme sports enthusiast Xander Cage snarls that he likes “anything fast enough to do something stupid in.” That’s not exactly Ray Loisel’s philosophy, but the senior vice president of managed print services for West Point Products and Clover Technologies Group does have some extreme hobbies.
The 46-year-oldArizonaresident has been snowboarding for more than 20 years and is an avid car collector (Porsches and BMWs are his favorites). The car collecting is a particular weak spot for Loisel. “It’s my one bad vice,” he explains. “I don’t play a lot of golf. I don’t spend a lot of money on other things. I like cars.”
Indeed, his life outside his hobbies is relatively tame.West Pointmarkets consumables for printers and other office devices. He’s been with the company about a year and a half. Previously, he ran thePhoenix, Ariz.-based company LMI Solutions, a manufacturer and distributor of premium replacement toner cartridges. He’s also a husband and father of four kids, aged 6 to 15. The family, not surprisingly, is his number one priority, and most of his down-time is spent with them. “Four kids is a lot,” he points out. “I just get to the hobbies as I can.”
Snowboarding in particular had to take a backseat this season, as Loisel was sidelined by a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in December. On Christmas Eve day, he was teaching his 10-year-old daughter how to board and, as she was getting off the lift, she stumbled and grabbed his knee. “I walked on it for about a month until I realized something was wrong,” says Loisel. The injury required surgery and he was off the board for the rest of the season.
Even before his ACL tear, Loisel says he’s always considered boarding the less accessible of his two hobbies as he often has to travel a bit for access to boarding territory. However, he doesn’t have to go as far as you might think. “Most people think that Arizona isn’t snow country,” he says laughing. ButFlagstaff– two hours away from where he lives – has mountains and is an ideal spot for snow sport enthusiasts like him.
The family even has a cabin there. Before snowboarding, Loisel was an avid skier. But when boarding started to emerge as a sport, he decided to mix things up a little. “I thought, ‘I’ll try that. It looks like fun.’”
Though this past season was short for him, Loisel says he’s sure he’ll be back in fighting shape by winter. “Oh, yeah, for sure – I’ll definitely be out there again next year.”
