Enjoy these pictures from our 2023 Winter Meeting --- at ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minnesota - in conjunction with the Midwest Ride-In
Click on any picture below to see it in full-size
Recap of 2023 Winter Meeting - Elk River, MN
Again in 2023, the 500 acres of ERX Motorsports Park became a magical playground for hundreds -- no THOUSANDS -- of antique, vintage, and classic class snowmobiles. It seemed like the entire acreage was tracked up as machines tooled around and played in the private property just north of Elk River, Minnesota. By the end of January, Minnesota had been blessed with plentiful snow and the site was a veritable playground for the old machines. It reminded me of one of those dog parks where no "virgin snow" could be found.
The theme was a great one -- TRIPLE WARS. Now, recall that we tried to pull this off in 2021, but Covid forced a postponement. We heard from a great many fans that they had prepared a triple-cylinder machine back in 2021 and were most disappointed up hearing our no-show announcement. Back then, we promised another go at it and the 2023 response was impressive. Why? The sound of a triple-cylinder beast is unique and music to our sledhead ears.
In fact, the triple contingent showed in two varieties. VINTAGE: One group is the free-air monsters of the early 1970s. Many were old racers, yes, but recall that the infamous Hirth HONKER power plant was installed in a great many consumer makes and models. I have a t-shirt with a list of some 17 brands that included a Hirth Honker engine option --- from Alouette to Viking. (Think AMF, Arctic Cat, Boa Ski, Chaparral, Scorpion, Moto Ski SM, and Bullet, Northway, Ski Roule RTX, Sno*Jet, Starcraft and Sno Prince.) Further, how about the starburst-head Kohler and Sachs engines mounted in Speedway, Boa Bar, Auto Ski, and Alouette Super? These were my dream machines when I was a teenager.
CLASSIC: The second contingent at Triple Wars this year included liquid-cooled beasts from the 1990s. The Triple-Triple era. Lake racers and the horsepower wars. Here, think of Ski-Doo Mach Z, Polaris Storm, Arctic Cat Thundercat, and Yamaha VMax 4. In this genre, the magazines touted aftermarket exhaust pipes and muffler setups that both reduced weight and delivered more horsepower. Think NOISY, in the days before their sound became a collective aftermarket industry no-no.
Not to be left out, the Triple Wars themes also included FOUR cylinder snowmobiles. I have already mentioned the 1990s Yamaha V-Max four. But there were predecessors. Recall the 1971 Arctic Cat King Kat, which was offered in a four-cylinder Kawasaki variant. But even before that, there were a handful of four-cylinder "drone" engines installed in Arctic Cat, Scorpion, and Rupp snowmobiles. An Arctic Cat example was shown in Saturday's judged show and a Scorpion drone sold at the pre-show auction.
The 2023 edition of the Midwest Ride-In came with major changes. In recent years, we witnessed a large drop off in attendance on Sunday. Our interviews with participants revealed that Sunday was a day to travel home for out-of-towners; or for locals, a day to spend with family. Our Organizational Committee also observed that other old snowmobile shows, such as Princeton had moved to a Friday-Saturday format. So, the Midwest Ride-In went that route for 2023. Did it work? Yes, we saw big attendance on Saturday. Our Saturday judged show witnessed an increase of 24% in participants compared to last years Sunday format.
A new event played out on Friday afternoon. At 4 pm, a new trail ride wound around the property and ended at a meadow where a large bonfire greeted participants on the first annual Kevin Lehse Fireside Trail Ride & Social. (Kevin was a beloved Committee member who passed this past summer. Many of you know that Kevin's contributions included the artwork that adorned the event clothing.) The Friday Trail Ride was a big hit, socializing around the warm fire and food/beverage truck on-site.
And speaking of new events, new this year was Saturday evening Midwest Retro SnowCross racing. This was a "dash for cash" style event with single, twin, and triple-cylinder classes competing in LeMans racing under the lights. Big fun to watch. (Those drivers had to be in great shape!)
Saturday at ERX was a busy day, what with the 11:00 am Trail Ride as well as the Judged Show. Most also visited the swap meet between events, if they weren't around on Friday.
The Midwest Ride-In welcomed two special clubs at this year's event. The Boa Brotherhood held its annual reunion gathering at ERX 2023. This club is a group of some 60 individuals from states and provinces who celebrate the Boa Ski brand. Their display of colorful Boas is impressive. Such interesting shapes and color combinations. And, with this year's Triple theme, they came loaded with Kohler and Hirth Honker-equipped triple racers like the Boa BAR and "Coffin" racer. They had been at the Waconia location in 2010 and it was great to visit with them again. Another featured guest was the Antique Snowmobile Club of America. It was their semi-annual Winter meeting and came with their unique "demonstration driving" (read: Racing -- but don't tell their insurance company). Great to see this rolling history of our hobby's roots.
Some of the most impressive on-snow displays and hardware were found to the far north of the site in "Club Row" -- brand-specific groupings that have become quite popular at the ERX Ride-In. In the warm Ballroom, one wall was reserved for a bevy of triple machines. Eye candy, indeed, especially the 1970's free air engines sticking up through the hood. The Polaris X-3 speed run machine was there, with it's dual triple power. Also, raffle sleds, event clothing, and vintage memorabilia were for sale. Several tables rotated silent auction items that sold briskly.
If you use the Internet, you can see videos of other weekend happenings. Google "Midwest Ride-In" and several will pop up. For still pictures, they can be accessed at www.waconiaridein.smugmug.com in full resolution and downloaded at no cost. Can you find you and your sled on this site?
The theme was a great one -- TRIPLE WARS. Now, recall that we tried to pull this off in 2021, but Covid forced a postponement. We heard from a great many fans that they had prepared a triple-cylinder machine back in 2021 and were most disappointed up hearing our no-show announcement. Back then, we promised another go at it and the 2023 response was impressive. Why? The sound of a triple-cylinder beast is unique and music to our sledhead ears.
In fact, the triple contingent showed in two varieties. VINTAGE: One group is the free-air monsters of the early 1970s. Many were old racers, yes, but recall that the infamous Hirth HONKER power plant was installed in a great many consumer makes and models. I have a t-shirt with a list of some 17 brands that included a Hirth Honker engine option --- from Alouette to Viking. (Think AMF, Arctic Cat, Boa Ski, Chaparral, Scorpion, Moto Ski SM, and Bullet, Northway, Ski Roule RTX, Sno*Jet, Starcraft and Sno Prince.) Further, how about the starburst-head Kohler and Sachs engines mounted in Speedway, Boa Bar, Auto Ski, and Alouette Super? These were my dream machines when I was a teenager.
CLASSIC: The second contingent at Triple Wars this year included liquid-cooled beasts from the 1990s. The Triple-Triple era. Lake racers and the horsepower wars. Here, think of Ski-Doo Mach Z, Polaris Storm, Arctic Cat Thundercat, and Yamaha VMax 4. In this genre, the magazines touted aftermarket exhaust pipes and muffler setups that both reduced weight and delivered more horsepower. Think NOISY, in the days before their sound became a collective aftermarket industry no-no.
Not to be left out, the Triple Wars themes also included FOUR cylinder snowmobiles. I have already mentioned the 1990s Yamaha V-Max four. But there were predecessors. Recall the 1971 Arctic Cat King Kat, which was offered in a four-cylinder Kawasaki variant. But even before that, there were a handful of four-cylinder "drone" engines installed in Arctic Cat, Scorpion, and Rupp snowmobiles. An Arctic Cat example was shown in Saturday's judged show and a Scorpion drone sold at the pre-show auction.
The 2023 edition of the Midwest Ride-In came with major changes. In recent years, we witnessed a large drop off in attendance on Sunday. Our interviews with participants revealed that Sunday was a day to travel home for out-of-towners; or for locals, a day to spend with family. Our Organizational Committee also observed that other old snowmobile shows, such as Princeton had moved to a Friday-Saturday format. So, the Midwest Ride-In went that route for 2023. Did it work? Yes, we saw big attendance on Saturday. Our Saturday judged show witnessed an increase of 24% in participants compared to last years Sunday format.
A new event played out on Friday afternoon. At 4 pm, a new trail ride wound around the property and ended at a meadow where a large bonfire greeted participants on the first annual Kevin Lehse Fireside Trail Ride & Social. (Kevin was a beloved Committee member who passed this past summer. Many of you know that Kevin's contributions included the artwork that adorned the event clothing.) The Friday Trail Ride was a big hit, socializing around the warm fire and food/beverage truck on-site.
And speaking of new events, new this year was Saturday evening Midwest Retro SnowCross racing. This was a "dash for cash" style event with single, twin, and triple-cylinder classes competing in LeMans racing under the lights. Big fun to watch. (Those drivers had to be in great shape!)
Saturday at ERX was a busy day, what with the 11:00 am Trail Ride as well as the Judged Show. Most also visited the swap meet between events, if they weren't around on Friday.
The Midwest Ride-In welcomed two special clubs at this year's event. The Boa Brotherhood held its annual reunion gathering at ERX 2023. This club is a group of some 60 individuals from states and provinces who celebrate the Boa Ski brand. Their display of colorful Boas is impressive. Such interesting shapes and color combinations. And, with this year's Triple theme, they came loaded with Kohler and Hirth Honker-equipped triple racers like the Boa BAR and "Coffin" racer. They had been at the Waconia location in 2010 and it was great to visit with them again. Another featured guest was the Antique Snowmobile Club of America. It was their semi-annual Winter meeting and came with their unique "demonstration driving" (read: Racing -- but don't tell their insurance company). Great to see this rolling history of our hobby's roots.
Some of the most impressive on-snow displays and hardware were found to the far north of the site in "Club Row" -- brand-specific groupings that have become quite popular at the ERX Ride-In. In the warm Ballroom, one wall was reserved for a bevy of triple machines. Eye candy, indeed, especially the 1970's free air engines sticking up through the hood. The Polaris X-3 speed run machine was there, with it's dual triple power. Also, raffle sleds, event clothing, and vintage memorabilia were for sale. Several tables rotated silent auction items that sold briskly.
If you use the Internet, you can see videos of other weekend happenings. Google "Midwest Ride-In" and several will pop up. For still pictures, they can be accessed at www.waconiaridein.smugmug.com in full resolution and downloaded at no cost. Can you find you and your sled on this site?
