Hundreds descended onto Little Detroit Lake Saturday to participate in the ULTRA Snowmobile Club Vintage Snowmobile Rally and Swap, and to apply their winter angling skills during the 12th Annual Poles 'N Holes Ice Fishing Derby, hosted by the Detroit Lakes Breakfast Rotary.
The events, both held on Feb. 19, featured prize giveaways, trophies, raffles, and plenty of attractions for the attendees to check out on a frigidly cold and windy day in lakes country.
Wayne Schlauderaff, event organizer for ULTRA Snowmobile Club, said the rally and swap is an important fundraiser for the club, allowing it to continue to maintain 117 miles of snowmobile trails in Becker County.
"This helps support all the expenses in keeping the trails smooth so we can ride them," said Schlauderaff. "We can usually get $5,000 or $6,000."
Vintage snowmobile owners registered their sleds and competed across 24 specialized categories for trophies and bragging rights.
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"It's a good turn out," said Schlauderaff. "Plenty of models, just about for every model made."
The youngest winner, 10-year-old Case Zachariason, won the "mini" category with his retrofitted 1969 Sno-Pony which was made to resembled Mater from the 2006 Disney movie, "Cars."
"I say every show I go to, you'll always see something different," said Schlauderaff.
He added that the continued support of the community, all the families and friends, is what makes the event special, because it wouldn't happen without their support. Also, he noticed a few ice fishermen who made their way over from their nearby derby to buy some raffle tickets.
Lines hit the icy water at noon for the 12th Annual Poles 'N Holes Ice Fishing Derby, with hundreds of winter anglers trying to land the winning catch, in blistering cold winds.
The first place catch was a 1.80-pound northern pike caught by Nick Brower, which won him a 2022 Polaris Sportsman 450 HO 4-Wheeler.
The complete derby results are posted on the group's Facebook page.
In a separate post, the group wrote: "Thank you to everyone who braved the winter winds for a great day on the lake... We're so grateful to everyone who made it a day to remember. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year."
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