Seven months from now, Whitecourt, Alberta, will be the scene of an event that’s attracting international attention. It’s called the World Snowmobile Invasion (WSI), and it will take place February 11 to 15, 2015.
Members of the Whitecourt Trailblazers are the ones organizing the WSI—in conjunction with the Town of Whitecourt, Woodlands County and the Alberta Snowmobile Association (ASA)—and they have sent out close to 3,000 invites to snowmobile clubs, dealers, manufacturers and riders from around the globe. Ambassadors from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Japan and the U.S. have responded, and will have some sort of representation at the event.
Willard Strebchuk, who is the former mayor and town councillor of the Town of Whitecourt, even travelled to Ottawa, Ontario, in June 2014 to help solidify the relationship between the various embassy offices and the Town of Whitecourt.
The goal, according to organizers, is to have every country in the world that offers snowmobiling represented.
Your name is on the invite list, too—whether you’re a sledder or not—as there will be something for everyone.
Five fun-filled days
There’s a lot going on during this five-day festival, so let’s break it down.
It all begins on Wednesday, February 11, with a two-day guided snowmobile tour of the Golden Triangle loop. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required for this activity.
Thursday is the ASA World Snowmobile Parade in downtown Whitecourt, where participants will attempt to break the current Guinness World Record of 820 for largest number of snowmobiles riding in a parade.
Another guided snowmobile tour will take place on Friday; this time, it will be of the Silver Summit Trail System.
Then, starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday will be the highly anticipated snowmobile freestyle show, featuring Winter XGames riders, who will perform a variety of stunts and amazing aerial displays. Dan Guenette, president of the Whitecourt Trailblazers, said there is even a possibility of some new world records being attempted.
And the fun won’t stop there. Right after the freestyle show, spectators can head over to Whitecourt’s local riding arena for the Beer Fest where there will be a variety of tasty refreshments, a live country band and dancing.
Then, in the morning, snowmobilers can take part in the World Snowmobile Rally, which will also be the ASA’s annual jamboree. Like the name implies, the rally will be a chance for riders to see the world. The club is decorating each checkpoint along the way to depict snowmobiling in another country.
There will be two different rally route options. Riders can choose the South Route, which will take them through Finland, Japan and Canada checkpoints or there is the North Route, which will take riders through Norway, Sweden and the U.S.
Saturday evening is the World Snowmobile Showcase, which is essentially a concert night, but there will also be international cuisine and refreshments as well.
The event wraps up with another freestyle show on Sunday evening.
Book early
Tickets to the freestyle show, Beer Fest, and the World Snowmobile Showcase are limited so the Whitecourt Trailblazers encourage all those interested in attending to buy a ticket package early.
A list of hotels is provided on the WSI website. More information will be released when it becomes available. Check the WSI website or follow the WSI blog on SnoRiders for updates.
