Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
TWO COMPETITORS lean hard on Wakefield's Sunday Lake as they race in one of Saturday's divisions of the International Watercross Association. The racing continued on Sunday. Other activities starting on Friday included live music, prizes and food vendors.
By DAMIIAN LANG
Wakefield - Professional racers made waves last weekend as the International Watercross Association brought summer snowmobiling to Sunday Lake for the first time.
Taking off like drag racers, participants roared the engines of their modified snowmobiles from land to water, circling colored buoys and sometimes stalling and sinking before returning to shore.
Along with locals, the audience also included other racers, racing team members, and their family and friends, some of whom traveled from across the region to provide support and enjoy the spectacle.
Jacob Mackendanz, a 7th-year, pro-stock racer from Paynesville, Minn., explained the modifications needed to run a snowmobile on water.
"The front end is narrowed and lowered," he said, "You actually don't need the skis. Those are for landing on shore at the end. The snow flap on the back works like a boat rudder. You use your body weight to steer. Lose that flap, and you'll just spin in circles. A flotation device is required that hooks up to the winch on the rescue boat in case you sink."
Even with the right equipment, successful racing requires a learning curve.
"When I first started racing I was a terrible racer," said Rachel O'Brien, IWA president and a 5-time world champion in this male-dominated sport.
"I couldn't even keep my sled on top of the water," she said. "I didn't get a win until I was about 10 years into my career. It takes drive, determination, passion, and a dedicated race team to succeed."
Now a 20-year veteran of the sport, O'Brien - who is from Frederic, Wisconsin - said having top-notch equipment is number one.
"I have an amazing sled builder," she said. "I have the best team behind me. You cannot do this alone. When you have your race family, it makes all the difference. Also, there's always somebody who is willing to work harder than you, so you have to put in as much practice as you can."
Arita Ramey traveled from St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, to cheer on her grandson.
"I've been going to these races ever since my grandson was knee-high to a grasshopper," said Ramey. "He used to say, 'Granny, granny, angry bees?' Now he's part of the colony."
When they're racing, the snowmobiles do sound like bees buzzing, and it does get loud. Hence, ear plugs were available.
The IWA races on Sunday Lake were made possible by the outreach of Wakefield City Manager Robert Brown Jr. The Wakefield Fireworks Committee sponsored the event.
The 47th annual World Championship Snowmobile Watercross will be from July 19-21 at Memory Lake Park in Grantsburg, Wisconsin.
This annual event draws racers from around the country and includes fireworks, live bands, street dancers and family activities.
Snowmobiling on the water began in Grantsburg in 1977 as "water skipping" 300 feet across a pond.
