DRIFTBUSTERS SNOWMOBILE CLUB HAPPY WITH THE NEW SNOW

Winter Storm Eboni has dumped plenty of snow around Crookston this week making at least one group of local citizens happy, the Crookston Driftbusters snowmobile club. The Driftbusters manage a total of 88 miles over five trails heading in five directions out of Crookston explains the club’s treasurer Mike Boucher.
“We have trails going east of town through Gentilly to Red Lake Falls, a trail going north through Euclid to Warren, a trail west of town going through Fisher to East Grand Forks, a trail to Fertile through the old railroad bed and a new trail to Climax that we started last year south on County 14 and County 41 west to Climax,” said Boucher. “Depending on which way the wind blows you can use find one or two of the trails that are still pretty smooth.”
The club has a weekly ride on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. “When we have decent snow conditions, we meet at the Drafts sports bar and take a vote on which way to ride that night based on conditions and grooming,” said Boucher. “We try to pick a different route and visit the nearby towns within 30 miles or so each week.”
The Driftbusters also teach snowmobile safety to local youth. Youth register for an online class through the Minnesota DNR for $24.95 at www.snowmobilecourse.com. Then the club holds the Snowmobile Safety Training Field day, which will be at 8:00 a.m. January 5 at the Crookston Sports Center, to which students need to bring their voucher of completion explains Boucher. “Most of the class is done online on the computer, then on Saturday they get registered, we review what they learned, have a DNR officer talk about the laws of snowmobiling in Minnesota, a written test and a riding test.” He added, “Our club members provide the snowmobiles equipped with throttle blocks, and we have a little course set up. If they pass, they are licensed to drive a snowmobile in Minnesota.”
The club also manages the snowmobile races, and bikini runs for breast cancer during Ice Buster Days. “We do a radar run on the river with two tracks, one is a shaved ice track for traction equipped sleds and a snow track for sleds without traction,” said Boucher. “We have several classes for the speed test, and we also do a Bikini Run for the Pink Ribbon Riders. Every year we have a couple of girls come up and strip down to their bikini and run the course. The first year they came up it was -17 degrees outside.”
Boucher added, speeds during the bikini run have exceeded 92 miles per hour. Local clubs manage almost all the state’s 2,200 miles of snowmobile trails says, Boucher. “All snowmobile trails in the state, easements, grooming, signing is done by volunteers. A lot of work goes into snowmobile trails; someone had to go pound in all the signs and secure permission to ride on the property.”
The Driftbusters began in the 1960s and were reformed in 1994. There are currently around 120 members in the club, to get in contact with the club, “We have a website, www.driftbusterscrookston.org, email driftbusterscrookston@gmail.com, we have a Facebook page, search Crookston Driftbusters and like our page or get a hold of a club member or anyone you know who snowmobiles,” said Boucher. “Membership is $40 a year for a single, $60 for a family. $20 goes to MNUSA, the state organized snowmobile club, and from them, you’ll get six copies of their magazine, a small life insurance policy and a few other benefits.”