Saskatchewan isn’t exactly the destination that comes to mind when you think about winter excitement. Some days, I can definitely see why our own Ryan Benoit packed up and moved pretty much as far west as he could get. I’m not sure that I would even classify what he gets out there as “winter,” but that’s a debate for a different day.
That said, from time to time, we certainly have some fun out here in the prairies. The views might not be as picturesque, but when you combine a good crew of people and a day that’s not -40, a lot can happen. If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you might remember the day we threw our friend Colin’s BMW in the ditch, had Corey from Bouss Construction bring his bobcat out, and turned a prairie flatland into a makeshift snowboard park.
A couple weekends ago, we were able to pull together for another event to try and escape the winter blues, and remind ourselves that summer is just around the corner.
Kyle Zimmer and Travis Fehler were asked to set up a drift track on the lake in the Fort Qu’Appelle valley, as part of the yearly Fort Winter Festival. This was a bit of a challenge, considering there hasn’t been too much snow this year and temperatures were a bit on the warm side, but they certainly pulled through!
Now the lack of snow on the ice track led to some pretty slick conditions and may have slowed down the driving speed. But sometimes sitting door-to-door going 10km/h can be all the fun you need.
The cars ranged from winter-driven cars, to fully purposed track cars, and the common denominator was definitely how much fun everyone was having. This wasn’t about competition, and it wasn’t rivalry or showing off. It was about coming out and having a relaxed weekend sliding around with people who wanted just that. It was a nice release from the boredom of winter, and a great way to blow off some steam.
We also had an unexpected guest driver, Rick Mercer, make an appearance for a chance to get behind the wheel and take a couple laps in the Drop Dead Drift Volvo. After a couple close calls and a few interviews, he headed out to take in the rest of the festival. Check out this video of the Rick Mercer Report’s coverage from the event!
As I write this, winter in Saskatchewan looks like it’s coming to a close, and summer cars are starting to make their first appearances. While the ice track and winter driving were a blast, I’m sure most people are with me when I say that I’m anxious to get this next season underway. This, of course, means that Defrost is right around the corner! Keep your eyes peeled for more information, but definitely make sure that you’re free on April 23rd!