Weather messes with speed run
FAIRMONT — Everyone loves the mild January weather, right?
You might think so, but for organizers of the annual Icekahana and speed run in Fairmont to be held Saturday, Jan. 28, the unseasonably mild temperatures have been a recurring headache. Year after year.
This year is no exception, as the Blizzard Snowmobile Club keeps an eye on the ice thickness of Hall Lake, near the Yacht Club. The snowmobile club’s Greg Gellert was out on the lake Friday. He said the needed 16 inches of ice is there, from the Yacht Club to a point about a half-mile north.
“We’re still working on it,” he said. “As of right now, it’s still on.”
The main concern is for the National Straightline Snowmobile Racing (NSSR) portion of the event, which features amateur and professional racers climbing to speeds of 160 mph. The NSSR wants 15 to 16 inches of ice underneath for its 1,000-foot run, as well as the 2,000-foot shutdown area. The runs also must be smooth and well-groomed.
Gellert said that while Icekahana plans will move forward regardless, a decision on the NSSR portion of the event will have to wait until next week. He was anticipating overnight lows below freezing beginning Wednesday night, so that may bode well for the speed run.
As for the Icekahana, it is all about winter machines, or at least machines modified for winter. Participants race around a snow-packed — sometimes icy — course, attempting to post the quickest time.
The machines include snowmobiles (including little ones carrying tykes), all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles. The engine sizes vary, as well as the setup of the vehicle, namely whether the wheels and belts are studded.
In addition to the action, the event is about camaraderie and good-natured competition.
The Icekahana serves as the Blizzard Snowmobile Club’s biggest fund-raiser of the year. It has been held since the late 1960s.
In addition to its role as a way for snowmobile enthusiasts to get together, the club grooms trails so those folks have somewhere to ride.
Gellert says those looking for more information and updates about the Icekahana and speed run can go to the Blizzard Snowmobile Club website at myblizzardclub.com or visit the group’s Facebook page.
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