KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Friday's weather wasn't quite cold or dry enough for snowmobilers and snow bikers, but that's not stopping a first-of-its-kind event at Cannonsburg Ski Area. Hundreds of professionals are in West Michigan for the competition this weekend.
The 2022 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series Final features the best racers in snowmobiling and snow biking from around the world, Cannonsburg Ski Area Marketing Director Danielle Musto says.
The lodge is expecting plenty of spectators to fill the stands.
"Expanding with bigger events like this is huge for us, but (it's) also introducing so many spectators," she says. "We're expecting 5,000-plus. It's great for West Michigan in general. I mean, everyone's eating and drinking and needing a place to stay."
This event is happening two years after it was originally scheduled.
"We were so excited in 2020 to have the event here. And on the day of, we had to cancel it," Musto says. "Just like the rest of the world, we had to just kind of shut down."
Ron Pattyn with Stud Boys Traction says he was disappointed to not race back in 2020.
"We were actually here racing ourselves in 2020 and ready to go with a couple guys in the pro class and pro-lite class," he says.
But Pattyn is glad to be here as a fan.
"We just love the sport," he says. "It's a great family based sport. You can do it at all levels from young kids at four years of age all the way up to the pro level."
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Musto hopes this event is the first of many here.
"Our goal is to have big events every single season here, so Snocross is just the start," she says.
Snocross continues Saturday at Cannonsburg Ski Area, and Musto says this event is especially exciting for them after a late start to the season because of warmer weather.
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