Classic Snowmobiles Ride Again For 23rd Annual Fish Lake Classic Snowmobile Challenge

FISH LAKE, Minn.– Out here on Fish Lake some snowmobilers are breaking out their classic rides.

“Just a great day to be outside actually, the sun’s out, it’s warming up, weather should be good,” said organizer Chris Chesney. “Couldn’t ask for a nicer day for the ride.”

Saturday’s 23rd annual Fish Lake Classic Snowmobile Challenge featured hundreds of snowmobiles from the last 60 years.

“We get a little bit of everything on this run. It’s fun to see the 60s and 70s sleds,” said Chesney. “A lot of them are restored and some of them are original.”

Riders went through a 20 mile loop, going across the lake and around local trails with several stops in-between to enjoy the ride.

But many say the highlight of run is being able to enjoy snowmobiling through the eras on the vintage sleds.

“A lot of us rode these old snowmobiles when we were kids,” said Chesney.

Organizer Chris Chesney is driving a 1974 Polaris, and like many other riders today, his snowmobile needed a little work to get ready.

“We strip them, we paint them, we rebuild the motors, we get the seats redone, and we take them on rides,” said Chesney. “I know my dad taught me how to ride snowmobiles when I was a little guy and now I’m restoring and finding the old sleds we used to have and restoring them.”

Another rider who enjoys the vintage models is Ed Pintok, making the trip up from Rice, Minnesota for his second fish lake challenge with his grandson Gavin.

“It’s just good to see these old sleds out there running around on the trails again,” said Pintok.

The two try to take their 70s Ski-Doo models out every couple weeks. And while there may be newer models out there, Pintok says being on the snowmobile brings him back to the past.

“It’s nostalgia. A part of the old era when snowmobile was really huge and there were so many different makes and models,” said Pintok. “They had hundreds of manufacturers.”

While snowmobilers make their way through the lake trails, they say the best part of the run is remembering the past and making new memories along the way.

“The sound of the machine the smells, the oil,” said Chesney. “Seeing your friends riding in front of you and everybody out here will be smiling when they’re going across the lake. It’s an adrenaline rush, it’s just a great feeling.”

Vintage snowmobile riders won’t have to wait too long before they run with the Proctor Classic Snowmobile Challenge next weekend.