The relic ride will take place Friday, Jan. 30. Registration runs from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Quality Plumbing & Heating, across from the Sall-Mar Resort on U.S. 2. Riders will depart at noon for the Gladstone Ski Hill, a roughly 22- to 24-mile round-trip ride.

David Shope, president and founding member of the Rapid River Relic Riders, said the Gladstone Ski Hill has generously lent its space to the group for the day.

While participation in the relic ride is free, riders are asked to bring non-perishable food items or cash donations for local food pantries and churches. Snowmobiles 25 years or older do not require a trail permit for the ride.

The Perkins Lions Club will cook brats, hot dogs and more at the ski lodge Friday, with food provided by the Rapid River Relic Riders. Proceeds will benefit the Perkins Lions Club.

Conrad Johnson, Rapid River Relic Riders member, and Huxley the dog pose by David Shope's 1960 Polaris Snow Traveler, which will be on display at this year's Rapid River Relic Riders event. (Courtesy photo)

Riders will return to Rapid River about 4:30 p.m., when a bonfire will be lit.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, attendees can enjoy a show and swap on Main Street in Rapid River, where snowmobile enthusiasts and curious onlookers can browse snowmobiles on display.

A one-time $5 fee allows individuals to register as many sleds or snowmobiles as they wish for the show and swap. Everyone who registers will receive a mug with the group’s logo and a dash plaque.

Funds raised through raffles will go towards scholarships for students from Mid Peninsula, Rapid River, Superior Central, the Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School District, Big Bay, Gladstone and Escanaba schools.

Trophies and awards presented at the show in the Rapid River Lions Club include the Troy Lee Nieuwenkamp Memorial Trophy, Norman Bergeron Memorial Trophy (Best Polaris), Diamond in the Rough, Best Restored, Best Classic, Best Original, Club Choice and Furthest Traveled.

Raffle winners will be announced Saturday, with prizes that include cash, a knife from Rapid River Knifeworks and more. Winners do not need to be present and may collect prizes Sunday.

“You’ve never seen prizes like what you’re going to see at the show,” Shope said. “It’s unbelievable. There’s so many prizes, you’d be shocked. Some of those prizes are $600.”

The raffle grand prize is a 1973 Johnson Rampage 30.

“I bought that down in Dunbar, Wisconsin, a couple of years ago. That little thing rips. It’s a little firecracker,” Shope said. “The winner is going to be happy with that one.”

A free swap site will also be available Saturday, where participants can sell snowmobile parts, snowmobiles, hats, clothing and other snowmobile-related items. A live auction of various items will also take place from 4 to 5 p.m.

All youth who register a snowmobile for the relic ride will receive a handmade snowmobile trophy. All children who attend the show Saturday will receive a Rapid River Relic Rider medallion at the Rapid River Lions Club.

“A lot of these kids who’ve never rode on an old snowmobile, they come to Rapid River and we have people designated to give kids rides,” Shope said. “You get a ride on one of those old snowmobiles, you’ll never forget that.”

Children can take part in games throughout the event, including the turkey shuffle, where participants can win a frozen turkey.

“We’ve been doing that for a long time,” Shope said about the turkey shuffle.

Shope’s clubhouse, located on South Main Street in Rapid River and filled with vintage snowmobiles and equipment, will be open Saturday as a museum. Another snowmobile museum owned by Rusty Anderson will also be open and is located kitty-corner from Jack’s Restaurant.

“It’s something to see,” Shope said. “We’ll have two personal museums open to the public for viewing.”

Shope founded the Rapid River Relic Riders with his brother-in-law, Scott Nieuwenkamp, and Mark Caswell after the Rock Lions Club discontinued its snowmobile show.

“They were getting people from lower Michigan and all over coming up,” Shope said. “The three of us thought, ‘We can start our own show.’ It’s pretty cool how it happened.”

Planning for next year’s ride and show will begin just after this year’s event.

“It’s fresh in our head,” Shope said. “After doing it for so many years, it’s not that hard. This year, we planned a lot of things early.”

With the large turnout that’s expected each year, the tradition shows no signs of slowing down as it carries its legacy into another year.