Cross-country snowmobiler honoured

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This article was published 29/02/2016 (3539 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A bad shoulder prevented Bobby Enns from participating in the Ride with the Champs last February after he was inducted into the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, Wis.

This tradition sees new inductees lead cross-country trail rides for other snowmobilers who sign up.

Enns, now 65, retired from cross-country snowmobile racing some 30 years ago in order to concentrate on his family’s business, Enns Brothers. Before that, though, he logged many hours at the controls of his snow machines, first driving a Polaris, then a John Deere for many long-distance races.

These included the Winnipeg to St. Paul, Minn. International 500, a gruelling competition that stretched over four days. From 1969 to 1974, up to 400 racers, who came from as far away as Alaska, would follow a marked track from Winnipeg that included riding along ditches, trails and country roads, Enns said. The reverse route was followed in other years.

“I didn’t get lost, but some people did,” he said.

The timed race saw riders check in each night to repair their machines and visit with each other. Enns said he doesn’t recall any serious accidents but there were a few broken bones and cases of frostbite.

He said the key to completing the race was to concentrate on the track ahead and hope your machine held up.

“With 400 starting, at the finish line there’d only be about 50 left. The attrition rate was high.”
“I raced it seven years and only finished it twice,” Enns said.

While snowmobiles aren’t allowed to drive into the St. Paul area any longer, organizers were hoping to run a similar race from Winnipeg to Willmar, Minn. in early February of this year. However, a lack of snow in the United States led to the race being cancelled.

Nowadays Enns and his two brothers, Vic and Dave, sponsor local racer Cale Anseeuw, son of Danny Anseeuw. Cale was going to compete in the Seven Clans 600 race from Winnipeg to Willmar.

Enns began driving snowmobiles when his father Jake started selling Polaris machines in 1968.

“We always had machines around,” he said.

He began racing cross-country in 1969, switching to a John Deere model when the company started making them in 1972. The John Deere machines were painted the same green as the company’s well-known farm equipment.

Enns raced for the John Deere team from 1973 to 1975 on a circuit that included races in Canada, Minnesota and North Dakota. He later switched to being part of a dealer team with his brothers.

He recalls that he divided his time between snowmobile racing in the winter and running the family farm near Oak Bluff in the summer.

His decision to leave racing was partially based on the fact that the popularity of cross-country snowmobile racing waned in the 1980s.

“The racing peak was there, then it declined,” he said.

He kept up his involvement in snowmobiling through membership in the local Cross Country Snow Drifters Club, and sponsoring Cole.

“It’s fun watching these young guys,” Enns said.

He’s also still involved in the snowmobile business as Enns Brothers sells Ski-Doo models.