ISHOF Inductees - 2020
Terry Hutchinson - Volunteer & Club Organizer
Prior Lake, Minnesota
In his nearly 50 years of organized snowmobiling, Terry Hutchinson has been involved in all levels of the sport. It all started with the creation of the Prior Lake Snowmobile Association in 1972. He served as their President for over 10 years and Trail Coordinator for the past 45 years. In 1984, Scott County’s three snowmobile clubs created an alliance called Sno-Trails, Inc. Terry held the office of President and served as their Trail Coordinator for 40 plus years as well. It didn’t take long and Terry found himself very involved at the state level, serving the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association (MnUSA) as a Region 8 Director. Terry eventually became Vice-President and then President of MnUSA, where he also took on the role as chair of the Trails/DNR Committee. It was then that Terry was instrumental in the implementation of a statewide corridor trail system across Minnesota’s 22,000 miles of snowmobile trails. In 2008, during his presidency of MnUSA and as chairperson of the Minnesota Snowmobile Advisory Council (MSAC), he played a lead role in implementing funding changes when the club payment system went from a reimbursement program to a performance based funding program. Some other significant legislation passed under Terry’s leadership included the change in statute regarding the use of studs on state asphalt trails and MN Snowmobile registration fees to include a state trail pass. Presently, Terry is leading discussions with MnUSA and the state’s ATV Association regarding joint snowmobile and winter ATV trails.Terry also represents snowmobiling on the Minnesota Motorized Trail Coalition and the Coalition of the Recreational Trail Users where he served on their Board since its inception in 2007. Not surprisingly, Terry got involved on a national level as the MnUSA delegate to the Midwest Chapter, American Council of Snowmobile Associations and has attended Washington DC Fly-Ins and several International Snowmobile Congresses. With all that, Terry still remains actively involved in his local snowmobile club and is responsible for marking his own section of trail. Terry’s passion for the sport of snowmobiling knows no bounds. He lives it every day of his life and it reflects in his actions and involvement, which is why Terry Hutchinson is an obvious choice for induction in the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame, Class of 2020.
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John Prusak - Publisher & Journalist
New Hope, Minnesota
John has fond memories of riding relatives’ and friends’ sleds, even though his parents had gotten rid of their snowmobiles when he was young, causing him to miss out on the “golden era” of snowmobiling. John’s background in snowmobiling is fairly recent compared to some of the other ISHOF inductees. Make no mistake when motorsports is in your blood and you’re from the Midwest, snowmobiles will become a big part of your life. Putting his journalist skills to work John plays a major role in keeping all facets of snowmobiling alive and well. In 1993, John started at what was then Ehlert Publishing as an Associate Editor for Snowmobile Magazine, Snow Goer, Snow Week and Snowmobile Business. He was promoted quickly thru the ranks. By 1995 he was Managing Editor and then went on to be the lead Editor of all four publications in 1996. John’s enthusiasm and journalist talents were needed and couldn’t be contained to only snow related motorsports. In 2002, he was promoted outside of the Snowmobile group as Associate Publisher of other magazines such as Powersports Business, Boating Industry and more. Ultimately everybody who knows John knows snowmobiling is his passion. So in 2003 he was promoted once again to Publisher of the Snowmobile Group, and concurrently also served for periods of time as editor/publisher of ATV Magazine, ATV Sport, UTV Magazine, Trailer Life and other publications. To date, in John’s 27 year career, he has participated in 27 Rode Reports/Snow Shoot testing events, 27 consecutive Hay Days events, 25 Eagle River Derby events, 24 of the last 26 Big East Powersports Shows, more than a dozen International Snowmobile Congresses and many other major snowmobile events. You name it … wherever people gather at a major snowmobile venue, John will be there covering the story. In addition, John has personally ridden snowmobiles in 23 states and provinces, and has attended events in an additional 7 states and provinces where he hasn’t snowmobiled (yet). John learned early on from his predecessors, John Ehlert and Dick Hendricks, that it was his responsibility to cover ALL facets of snowmobiling in Snow Goer including snowmobile clubs and organizations, which John does with every single issue. It is with this high level of dedication and professionalism to the snowmobiling community that John Prusak is appropriately inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame, Class of 2020.
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Linda Rockwood - Inventor & Designer
Utica, New York
An innovator, a savvy business person and most importantly someone who cared deeply about snowmobiling, Linda was a pioneer in the Snowmobile Trail Webmap and Smart Phone App design business. She founded Mohawk Valley GIS (MVGIS) back in 2003, which first helped the local snowmobile clubs in New York State and then started working with other states as well. Linda knew that there was a need for the snowmobilers and snowmobile clubs to have a webmap, to be able to locate parking, trails, gas, food and lodging. Her visions for maps being contained within one’s own cell phone while out riding the trails and not being tied to a paper map brought us to where we are today with the technology to safely allow snowmobile riders to utilize their smart phones to navigate snowmobile trail systems. Linda began soliciting the input of several snowmobile clubs to help improve her app and refine it so it could be used to assist with volunteer snowmobile club operations and also aid in raising funds. Later versions included functions such as automatic trail conditions which allowed for refined groomer scheduling and groomer tracking, which kept riders informed of grooming activities. She was also able to incorporate on the app a profit sharing system which gave participating clubs a simple fundraising platform. Linda understood the importance of and genuinely wanted the clubs and the sport to progress and succeed like never before. Dozens of riders wrote and shared how helpful the app was in hazardous situations, especially white-out conditions. The GIS technology helped riders confidently explore new trails. Linda Rockwood’s NYS Snowmobile App was way ahead of its time. Soon her app was adopted in other states such as Massachusetts, Vermont and Wyoming. She set the bar high. It paved the way for other snowmobile apps and remains unchallenged to this day. Linda had to shut down her MVGIS business due to serious illness, to which she succumbed in January, 2020. We lost a true entrepreneur and pioneer who worked and succeeded in making snowmobiling better for many snowmobilers and clubs that were fortunate to employ her technology. Her loss leaves an enormous hole in snowmobile navigation development. It is with heavy heart and great honor that we present this award to her family and acknowledge Linda (posthumously) as an inductee to the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame, Class of 2020.
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Peggy Spieger - Trail Program Developer & Volunteer
LaPine, Oregon
Starting to ride snowmobiles over four decades ago with her husband John and family, they all became involved with their local snowmobile club and the Oregon State Snowmobile Association (OSSA). Peggy has worked tirelessly to represent Oregon’s snowmobilers as well as snowmobilers throughout the western snowbelt. During forty years of distinguished service to the sport of snowmobiling, Peggy has made contributions as a trail and program developer and volunteer leader at the club, state, national and international levels.For the past 32 consecutive years, Peggy has provided unprecedented service for the Oregon State Snowmobile Association where she served as their Secretary, Administrative Coordinator and Executive Director. She has also been active with the American Council of Snowmobile Associations (ACSA), the International Association of Snowmobile Administrators (IASA), and the Western Chapter of Snowmobile Associations, as well as being a long-time, very active member of the Iron Dog Brigade and her local snowmobile club. As OSSA’s Executive Director, Peggy has played a leading role in efforts to keep snowmobiling access open across Oregon. She has worked diligently with the U.S. Forest Service to maintain the rights of snowmobilers to access National Parks such as Crater Lake National Park, the Newberry National Volcanic Monument and development of the Kapka Butte Sno-Park. Peggy works with the Oregon Department of Transportation to administer and operate Oregon’s 6,410 miles of snowmobile trails. She has played a key role in overseeing OSSA’s daily association business, along with coordinating annual snowmobile trail operations. In conjunction with her oversight of the trail administrations, Peggy has served as Oregon’s representative to IASA and has played a key role in every annual International Snowmobile Congress (ISC) since 1988. She has also regularly participated in ACSA meetings and functions since it was created in 1995. She has been a voice for snowmobiling in Washington D.C. by attending ACSA Fly-In meetings every year to work toward protecting the rights of people who use public lands respectfully. Peggy has represented OSSA with a very high level of honesty and integrity, always keeping a focus on doing what is best for the sport of snowmobiling. It is Peggy’s unrelenting drive that so deservingly places her into the 2020 Class of the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame inductees.
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ISHOF Snowmobile Club of the Year 2020 - Sponsored by Woody's
Sno-Trails Snowmobile Club
Hayward, Wisconsin
The Sno-Trails Club began in 1969 and is very active in the Sawyer County Snowmobile/ATV Alliance and Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs. They maintain 175 miles of trail and have logged 850 volunteer grooming hours in a single season. They utilize over 1000 wooden stakes to mark safe passage across 8 lakes and are always researching new easements for new and improved trail relocations. Sno-Trails consistently rosters 200+ family memberships annually, 40% being local residents and the remainder of members simply choose to ride their trails and support the club. Sno-Trails holds three major fundraising events every year with proceeds going to county wide trail maintenance. They are the Vintage Ride for American Cancer Society, Poker Run and Spring Bash. Sno-Trails also publishes a monthly newsletter with safety tips, trail updates and calendar of events. They utilize social media as well as local newspaper and radio to promote the club, their trails and snowmobile safety. Sno-Trails Snowmobile Club adopted their youth program called YETIS (Youth Excited & Interested in Snowmobiles) in 2015. Sno-Trails headline on their website is …….."It’s All About the Trails" and for 2020, Sno-Trails of Hayward, WI earns the coveted International Snowmobile Club of the Year. For more information on the Sno-Trails Snowmobile Club, visit www.sno-trailssnowmobileclub.com
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ISHOF Dealer of the Year 2020 - sponsored by Snow Goer
Day's Powersports
Bloomer, Wisconsin
For a younger dealership, just 11 years old, Day’s Powersports has built a very distinguished reputation. A family owned business that believes in treating customers the way they like to be treated – like friends. The staff is top notch, very knowledgeable and treats every customer like an old friend. Business owner Jamison Day, has been with the Bloomer Sno-Hawks Snowmobile Club for over two decades and has always been active in supporting and growing the sport of snowmobiling in Chippewa County. Since starting the dealership, they have been avid advertisers on local snowmobile maps and sponsor signage on all the snow drags in Chippewa County. They provide a snowmobile for classroom studies during DNR Snowmobile Safety Courses. They open their shop space for club members to work on trail signs. Their shop and mechanics are readily available to help with repairs to groomers when needed and they provide storage for the grooming equipment. Because of their knowledge of Wisconsin’s snowmobile program and their passion for snowmobiling, Day’s Powersports is an excellent choice for the 2020 International Snowmobile Dealer of the Year. For more information on Day's Powersports, visit www.dayspowersports.us
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