Grayling couple wins ?Best of Show? with their unique two-seater
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
Robert and Sandy Stott of Grayling had never been to a vintage/antique snowmobile show before bringing their head turning, 1981 Ski Doo Elite to Rogers City this past weekend. The Stotts have owned the extreme machine for only three months, purchasing it from the original owner in Lewiston.
The snowmobile had all the luxuries of a compact vehicle, including two bucket seats. It also has an electric heater to warm the legs of the passenger, AM/FM cassette stereo and a cigarette lighter. Another unique feature is the two-seater caboose.
?It is actually fun to ride and turns a lot of heads on the trail,? said Robert Stott. The machines were manufactured from 1974 until 1982, with ?81 being the first year the oil and gasoline didn?t have to be mixed.
?IT IS AN unusual machine,? said Robert Stott. ?It is one of the reasons we bought it.? Sandy Stott went on the Internet searching for snowmobile shows and ?stumbled? upon the 5th annual Antique and Vintage Snowmobile Show in Rogers City.
?We are spontaneous people, we were like, let?s go,? said Sandy. ?There are some very interesting machines here, things I?ve never seen before in my life,? said Robert. The same could be said for their sled, which won ?Best of Show.? The Stotts had one of the 53 sleds on the ride Friday afternoon with terrific weather conditions. It was warm enough to enjoy being outside, but with easily enough snow pack to hold up for the ride.
?The people are so nice,? said Sandy during the middle afternoon Saturday. Organizers had 164 sleds on display Saturday, of which many took part in a parade shortly after 1 p.m. The number of entries was down by only 10 sleds this year and is being blamed on the economy.
THE REST of the award winners follow:
? Best original antique, Paul Teike of Levering, Evinrude Norseman.
? Best restored antique, John McGuirk of Sidney, Ohio, 1962 Polar.
? Best original vintage, Matt Beemer of Lapeer, 1972 Brutanza Brut.
? Best restored v
Bob Robarge and Art Derry cooked the whitefish. Mary Fairbanks was in charge of the kitchen as well as setting up the buffet. ?The dinner was a big hit as no one left hungry, and it was said by many people that it was the best they have had,? said organizer Dan Derry.
Ed Derry was the winner of Steve Witucki?s framed print. The self-taught artist also etched the trophies again, which featured Great Lakes lighthouses. ?Steve also did an oil painting for the show of Gordon Breeding of Alpena on his 63 Artic Cat model 450,? said Derry.
?I would like to thank all that attended this year?s show to make it a success,? said Derry.