Northwoods Adventure: North Country Snowmobile Club Radar Run

The rip and roar of snowmobiles could be heard all weekend throughout downtown Bemidji as the North Country Snowmobile Club hosted their Radar Run. The run has seen dramatic growth over the past five years, mainly because of the weather and the love of the sport.

For these folks, sleds are not just for friendly recreation: they are also for competition. For participant Tia Vanguilder, who has been driving for 28 years, Radar Runs are a chance to compete against their own best time of 147 miles per hour, which at that speed leaves the driver with an incredible feeling.

For this competitor, it’s also a family sport where everyone spends the off-season working on their sleds and rebuilding them to make them faster and more powerful.

The run was also a chance to get kids hooked on the sport, and to let them try out their own sleds on the track.

While some do this for bragging rights, others do this as friendly competition against friends. But for these competitors, there is no better way to spend the winter months.