March 13, 2006 – Snowmobile Report

State senate candidate tries snowmobile stumping
Anorthern Minnesota state senate candidate began her campaigning in early February with the pull of a recoil.
Mary Olson, of Bemidji, Minn., made a four-day, 21-stop snowmobile tour of her district as a way to meet constituents as well as showcase the area’s scenic and recreational assets. Her stops included coffee shops, bars and restaurants.
Olson, an attorney, made the tour with her husband, John. In addition to recreation, conservation and environmental issues, Olson’s interests also include health care reform, economic development and education.
WPSA will Organize March Snowmobile Gathering
The World PowerSports Association (WPSA), based in White Bear Lake, Minn., will switch gears from organizing snowmobile race events to putting on shows for snowmobile consumers.
The WPSA will take a lead role in organizing Snow Blast in West Yellowstone, Mont., on March 10–12. The event was organized last year by Arctic Cat under the name Arctic Blast. Arctic Cat will remain a sponsor.
Weekend events will include demo rides, a WPSA-sanctioned snocross race and headline country music performances by Jo Dee Messina and Blake Shelton.
One-day tickets, which include admission to the race and demo rides are $25, while tickets to the concert are $60.
Yellowstone Joke Causes Offense
John Sacklin, the chief of planning at Yellowstone National Park, apologized to people in the snowmobile community to whom he had e-mailed a joke that called for “an annual snowmobile hunt in and around Yellowstone Park.”
Sacklin sent the lengthy e-mail parody to Ed Klim, president of the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association; Chris Wright, an employee of Arctic Cat; and Jim Vlzanko, an employee of Yamaha.
Sacklin apologized to the recipients personally, said Al Nash, spokesman for Yellowstone, but not before people in the organized snowmobile community called for Sacklin’s resignation.
Ken Volker, president of the Wyoming State Snowmobile Association, also called for Sacklin’s removal from the winter-use planning team.
“This is such a slap in the face to snowmobilers, as well as to our neighbors in Montana who are mocked throughout the story Mr. Sacklin circulated. There is simply no excuse for such tasteless behavior by a federal employee,” said Volker. psb