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Sno
Mo
Cade Beginnings
In 1964 the first Winter Fest was to be held on March fourteenth
and fifteenth, if the weather cooperated. The reigning St. Paul
Winter Carnival Queen of Snow Carrie Patch and the Prime Minister
William Huot’s visit to Roseau were to be a highlight of the weekend.
Roseau would proudly put their young people on the ice in a ice revue
on Sunday afternoon. The first year of snowmobile races were to be
held including a thirty mile Cross County event.
On January seventeenth the Selvin Bertirud’s had reopened the
former Roseau Hotel in January after remodeling it. Renamed the Guest
House, it was to host a Duluth entrant who had reserved 14 units. The
restaurant would be a busy place.
Well it didn’t happen. The snow disappeared and the races had to be
canceled. The ice revue, Rhapsody On Ice, did go on and approximately
1,100 people attended the event. It was a success and then there was
next year. This time there was plenty of time to plan and plan they
did.
Paul Knochenmus was to chair the event for thirteen years. The event
grew and grew. The proceeds went on to pave the way for four young
people including Dr. Ralph Herseth to become doctors and serve in
Roseau.
The Lions planned with vengeance for the next year. Chairmen
Knochenmus, Lloyd Olson and Bob Foley organized 1965 event along with
fifty-one committee members who committed to making the event run
smoothly.
This year the event would go on. The Queen of Snows Carla August and
the King Laurence W. Thulin from the St. Paul Winter Festival reigned
along with twelve princess from the surrounding areas, including five
Canadian young ladies.
1965 was to be the year of the first Cross-County Snowmobile Race. The
contestants raced round trip from Roseau to Sprague and back. Don
Pearson of Duluth was the first contestant to cross the finish line in
the Cross Country race on a 9.5 HP Skidoo. Gerald Reese, Hallock was
second on a Skidoo, and Randy Hites of Roseau took third on a Polaris
Mustang. Greg Grahn was the winner in the 7 – 9 HP class, and Vincent
Decoste took first in the 7 HP and under, both were on Mustangs.
The race did have its hazards. Leland Dahlquist of Gilbert broke a
leg, some ran out of gas or had machine break downs, and one even lost
a gas cap.
Mrs. Edson Brandt took the Powder Puff race with Eleanor (Mrs. David)
Johnson right behind her, both were on Mustangs.
Other events included the Slalom where Bob Eastman brought his Mustang
in first, with Don Pearson riding a Skidoo in second and Mitchell
Johnson arriving in third on a Mustang.
Some of the extra curricular events included a snowmobile Fox Hunt,
Roseau Lion’s President Jim Oie taking on Bill Kozyra, first Vice
President of the Beausejour chapter on snow shoes, Jim won. The Lions
held a beard growing contest but Don Funk spent the festivities in the
stockade for non-compliance.
This was only the beginning of what was to become one of the major
events in snowmobile history in the early days. (Information from the
Roseau Times-Region, February 1965 and Paul Knochenmus)
Newspaper Articles
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