This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Power Toboggan Championships (CPTC), and organizers have a multitude of activities planned to celebrate this momentous occasion.
The event, which takes place on March 2, 3 and 4 in Beausejour, Manitoba, will feature a banquet on Friday night at the Brokenhead River Recreational Facility in Beausejour, followed by a full weekend of ice oval snowmobile races. Attendees can also look forward to a party on Saturday evening as well as seeing the Canadian Armed Forces fly over the racetrack during an opening ceremony on Sunday.
The community of Beausejour helped to launch the CPTC, and in honour of that, event organizers are resurrecting Beausejour’s Winter Farewell festival. Throughout the week prior to the races, there will be live entertainment and pool tournaments as well as a poker derby, car rally, family skating party, beard-growing competition and a torch-light parade.
Full-throttle performances on ice
The CPTC race series begins with a season opener in December. At this season’s opener, organizers were excited to see the new Outlaw 600 class in action for the first time. Competitors in this class raced a new snowmobile that resembles a mini sprint car. Glen Kaatz, who is a director with the CPTC, said it was an interesting race to watch.
“On Thursday, when the guys were out practising, it was like Bambi on ice,” said Kaatz. “It was quite comical because nobody really knew how to drive them. But on Sunday, when the final race came along, they put on a really good show.”
The CPTC’s ice oval track in Beausejour is one of the finest; it attracts competitors and ice racing aficianados from across Canada and throughout the U.S. According to Kaatz, the racetrack requires approximately two weeks to build and it’s not an easy task. All of the work is done by volunteers of the CPTC and they spend many more hours throughout the season to maintain the track and ensure it is in top-notch condition for the final races in March.
Well worth it
Kaatz enjoys his involvement with the CPTC. He said that over the years, he’s formed friendships with people from across the country.
“It’s quite a tight-knit group—the racers and the people that put on the events,” said Kaatz. “We have very close relationships with other organizations that have events, and they are all just very down-to-earth, good people.”
Kaatz is looking forward to seeing some new faces at the 50th anniversary celebration of the CPTC in March.
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