RAPID RIVER, Mich. (WZMQ) – This weekend marks two decades of fun, friendship, and braving the cold for a group of snowmobilers.
The 20th annual Rapid River Relic Ride took off just after noon on Friday.
“We’re going up to the [Gladstone] Ski Hill today,” said David Shope, President of the Rapid River Relic Riders. “They’ve been kind enough to donate that to us. Then, we’re going to have lunch done by the Perkins Lions Club. All the proceeds go back to, mainly, scholarships. Today, people will bring canned food and some cash. That goes to our local churches.”
This year’s ride was made up of about 300 snowmobilers. Shope says it was a welcome sight compared to last year, when the ride portion of the weekend was canceled due to a lack of snow.
“Perfect conditions today,” he said. “It’s not too cold; it’s warmed up a little bit. It’s perfect! The sleds run good in this weather.”
On Saturday, January 31, snowmobilers will line Rapid River’s Main Street for the annual Show and Swap, featuring vintage and antique sleds.
“We’ve got Scorpion, Ski Whiz, Sno-Jet, Polaris, Ski-Doos, Arctic Cat, Fox Trac,” Shope said. “It’s just endless.”
“There’s two-strokes, there’s four-strokes, and you’ve got the older ones that are really fun to ride,” said Logan Gerou, Shope’s grandson. “They all sound different, and they’ve all got different fuel mixtures. When they drive by, you can tell what kind of fuel mixtures they’ve got and everything else.”
Many of the Relic Riders have been coming to the event for all 20 years. Some grew up with it.
“I’ve been here pretty much all my life,” Gerou said. “I’m 20 years old. I started when I was 2 with the ride and then when I was 1 with the show.”
“I’ve been going on the Relic Rides since I was 9,” said Relic Rider Zachariah McNally. “Now, I’m 21 years old.”
Currently, the Relic Riders are hoping to bring new members in to keep the tradition going strong.
“The first time I went on a snowmobile, I had no socks on and I was in tennis shoes,” McNally said. “I was wearing pants and a t-shirt—no hoodie on or anything. You’ve just got to do it yourself. It’s just really fun.”
With such an enthusiastic group of snowmobilers, the Rapid River Relic Riders are optimistic about the next 20 years.
“You don’t get very many opportunities to have this much fun,” said Gerou. “We get all kinds of people that come out here, and we’re all doing it for the same reason. We all love snowmobiles and we all like to be outside, so it’s just a good time.”
“It brings the kid out in us,” Shope added.
Registration for Saturday’s Relic Ride Show and Swap will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Lions Club. Trophies will be awarded at 3:30 p.m., followed by can raffle drawings. Attendees will be able to enjoy food, drinks, and antique snowmobile rides for children. For full details, click here.
