Iqaluit (Sep 06/04) - It's official: Nunavut's youth are loving the American Chopper clothing line.

Josephie Pudlat, 24, an Arctic Express worker, was not hard to spot looking sharp and fashionable last week in his black sweatshirt decorated with a bright red Chopper logo.

Josephie Pudlat, 24, felt good wearing his Chopper sweatshirt last week in Iqaluit. - Kathleen Lippa/NNSL photo

The television program that inspired the clothing, American Chopper: The Series, airs Monday nights at 10 pm (ET) on the Discovery Channel. It features the hilarious and talented family team of Paul Teutul Sr., Paul Jr. and Mikey, who build flashy custom motorcycles in their shop in Rock Tavern, N.Y.

The clothing seen on a large number of Nunavummiut features a black iron cross on the front, or the words American Chopper surrounded by flames.

Panniqtuuq is one community with a large number of Chopper fans.

"I think it's mainly because of the show," said Looie Veevee in Panniqtuuq, when asked why so many Inuit youth are wearing the Chopper clothes. "I know my little boy loves it."

In Panniqtuuq, people can't get enough of the sweatshirts and T-shirts emblazoned with the American Chopper logo, said Veevee.

"I would say American Chopper is the most popular," said Veevee. "Although Nike and Adidas are popular, too."

Sold out

Chopper clothes are taking off in Gjoa Haven too, where the Northern Store sold out of a shipment of Chopper shirts in three days.

"I bought a Chopper T-shirt and my teenage daughter saw me wearing it and she said 'Wow, Chopper, that's really big right now,'" said Matt Gee, manager of the Northern Store in Gjoa Haven. "The youth watch the show, they see the guys tearing bikes apart and putting them back together, custom building their bikes, and I think it's something people up here often have to do," said Gee, talking about the appeal of the series.

In Kimmirut, it's the same story. The young people are wearing American Chopper sweatshirts, even though the Northern Store there doesn't sell them, explained Paul Onalik, office manager at the Northern Store.

"They must be getting them in Iqaluit, because we don't sell them here," he said. "We do sell a lot of Nike here -- caps, jerseys."

Onalik said the brand name appeals to people in Kimmirut because they like watching the TV show so much.

"The Inuit here are very mechanically inclined, so that's why they like the show," said Onalik. "I've even seen a lot of older people watching the show, too, even though they can't always understand what they are saying."