On Saturday October 12, 2024, the Northwest Relic Riders Vintage Snowmobile Club held their 16th annual vintage show and swap meet at Flat Creek Lodge in Hayward.
The Relic Riders have been hosting this vintage snowmobile show since the club’s inception in 2009, when founding club member, Bruce McMillan and other vintage enthusiasts met at The Beechmoor Restaurant on Whitefish Lake. The newly formed club put on their first vintage show that year and then made it into an annual event to be held on the second Saturday of each October.
The show consists of a vintage snowmobile show with several different trophy classes, including the popular People’s Choice Award, a swap meet where folks sell or trade snowmobile parts, a food truck, a Relic Rider apparel and vintage patch store, Bruce McMillan’s trivia contest, and a raffle area highlighting this year’s snowmobile prize.
Bruce McMillan previously gave me some history about the early snowmobile manufacturers – During 1972, there were over 120 companies manufacturing snowmobiles for this booming sport back then, and even department stores, such as Gimbels, and Montgomery Ward, sold snowmobiles! The Relic show offers classes for snowmobiles made by these early companies.
Over the years of economic ups and downs, poor snowfall years and business transitions, snowmobile manufactures had funneled into just 4 remaining major North American companies today: BRP, Polaris, Arctic Cat, and Yamaha – with Yamaha expected to leave the snowmobile market in 2025.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), an ‘antique’ sled is 35 years or older and they pay a discounted registration fee of $20 for the initial 3-year period, with a $5 fee for each 3-year renewal for use on public land. No annual trail pass is required if registered as an antique. There are currently over 9000 antique sleds registered in Wisconsin.
Regular snowmobile registration is $30 initially and $30 for each 3-year renewal. In addition to registration, trail passes are required; an annual resident trail pass is $10 for Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs (AWSC) members or $30 for non-members. A non-resident annual trail pass is $50 to ride public Wisconsin trails.
Last year, Relic Rider’s president, Craig Bell, told me that he’s seen a decline in vintage snowmobile enthusiasts over recent years- the vintage show used to bring in competition from all over the state and beyond, some groups bringing dozens of old sleds to each show. Craig explained that many of the vintage folks that used to exhibit here, had retired and sold out their collections.
This certainly seems to be the trend as we see fewer entries each year- three years ago, we had probably close to 90 entries, compared to about 35-40 for each show since. But the weather might play a big part in the recent decline as it has been cold, rainy, and miserable for the past two shows.
Regardless of the weather, the Relics always put on a fun show. This year, we had the pleasure of our AWSC Miss Snowflake, Brianna Crotteau, in attendance with her escort and sister, Jamie. Ms. Crotteau hails from the Barron County area – making it convenient for her to get to club events in the northern part of the state this year.
I spoke with Brianna and her sister, while we meandered through the show. Despite the lack of snow this year, she had been extremely active and attended many club events, snowmobile functions and celebrations, and even participated in ATV rides! She told me that the people she met on her travels, made everything worthwhile.
Brianna is delightful, and a skilled promoter of our sport and I will personally miss her when she relinquishes her crown to the next queen at the AWSC Fall Workshop on October 25-27.
At noon, Brianna drew the winning ticket for the Relic Riders’ yearly snowmobile raffle. This year’s winner was Shain Kroenecke from Iowa- he won a nice 1997 Ski Doo Formula 500.
Our vintage judges this year were John McIntosh (Vintage Mercury Outboards), Bruce Wick, Jim Bajorek, and Dave Dahlin. Just after lunch, the entrants all gathered around to hear Craig Bell announce the class winners and hand out trophies, again graciously donated by Hayward Power Sports. Then the group of trophy-winning vintage enthusiasts gathered in the drizzle so I could snap a picture for this article.
The rain tried to dampen our fun, but again, we made the best of it and enjoyed the endless snowmobile stories, tidbits about snowmobiling history, and the camaraderie that we’ve developed and honed over the years. Now we are all hoping for a great snowmobile season!