Rendezvous features old and new

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, February 10, 2007

Whether yesteryear’s vintage snowmobiles or today’s high-performance machines, the recreational machines have an effect on Minnesota’s economy, Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau told enthusiasts in Fergus Falls Friday.

“Sales of snowmobiles alone make up $1.6 billion in business,” Molnau told the crowd gathered for the Frostbite Festival Snowmobile Rendezvous at the Bigwood Event Center.

Molnau spoke to the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association convention reception as a regular attendee.

“Snowmobiling means a lot to our state,” Molnau said. “It makes Minnesota a year-round tourism site. It’s a huge part of our tourism business and makes it a good place to go for family fun the whole year.”

The convention also gave observers the opportunity to see something old in addition to something new during the vintage show.

Proudly displaying his roadster snowmobile, restored from a Model T in 2001, was 81-year-old Leonard Jacobson of Fergus Falls. Also at the Bigwood Center was Darrell Dey of Vergas, owner of a replica of a 1963 Arctic Cat.

“It took me about two years to make the Model T into a roadster snowmobile, complete with skies,” Jacobson said in the center of the antique and vintage displays. “Many people have stopped by to see the roadster and to talk with me about how I built it. This has been a fun day for me.”

It took a lot of work by Jacobson to complete the roadster snowmobile at his residence near the Otter Tail River near Fergus Falls. He obtained the skis from Montana. One of the highlights was to use his roadster along the West Central Trail last February.

Jacobson obtained a special license for his roadster snowmobile from the Minnesota State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Dey built his 1963 Arctic Cat replica in the fall of 2006.

“It took me about two months to build,” Dey said. “I built it from a photo in a book written by Arctic Cat founder Edgar Hetteen who also is the co-founder of Polaris. Fortunate for me is that I obtained original skis from a collector.”

The Snowmobile Rendezvous is sponsored by the Otter Country Trail Association in conjunction with the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association. Free snowmobile demo rides run today from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Bigwood Center, and groomer rides take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.