GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — At Grand Rapids' World of Winter Festival, a seasonal favorite is making a comeback. The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians are putting on their Great Lakes Snow Snake Competition.
Competitors throw a handmade wooden "snake" through a snow luge to see who can launch theirs the furthest. It's a traditional northern Native American winter sport, played by many tribes in the Great Lakes area.
“We are excited to partner with Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. to showcase this traditional game and have a friendly competition,” said Ron Yob, chairman of the Grand River Bands. “We invite our community to compete for the grand prize, throw practice snakes or simply watch and enjoy.”
Registration is free and the grand prize is $500.
You can participate on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Sixth Street Park, located at 647 Monroe Avenue NW. Registration begins at 11 a.m., and the competition begins at noon. People of all ages are welcome to join.
Tribal members from across the state will attend and compete in the snow snake competition. Even if you don't participate, organizers promise it'll be an exciting watch.
All participants must construct their own snow snake from carved wood, organizers say. You can find an instructional video here. Practice snakes will be available for anyone to try. Learn more about the competition here.
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