Michigan Holds First ‘Snowmobile the Mighty Mac’ Event on Mackinac Bridge
While most construction machines have lifespans of only 15 years, other vehicles, like snowmobiles, can last for decades with the proper maintenance.
Last Saturday, December 17, dozens of vintage snowmobiles crossed the Mackinac Bridge as a part of the inaugural “Snowmobile the Mighty Mac” event.
The “Might Mac,” as it’s called, is a 26,372-foot suspension bridge that spans the Straits of the Mackinac to connect the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of the state of Michigan. It is the world’s 17th-longest main span as well as the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the entire Western Hemisphere.
The event was co-organized by the St. Ignace Events Committee and Naubinway’s Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum. At 11 a.m. and for a registration fee of $35, snowmobile owners could ride across the bridge as long as their vehicles were at least 25 years old and equipped with wheel kits.
“Each year we have the tractor show in September, and part of that is a display with antique snowmobiles from the museum in Naubinway,” said Quincy Westhuis, St. Ignace Convention and Visitors Bureau Assistant Director. “It had previously been impossible [to cross the bridge on snowmobile.]”
Inspired by the Mackinac Bridge Antique Tractor Crossing, and due to the popularity of the snowmobile component of the show, the museum and events center worked together to hammer out the details.
According to Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum Chairman Charlie Vallier, they gave out awards in six different categories: furthest traveled, craziest dressed driver, best wheel kit, oldest driver, youngest driver, and oldest snowmobile.
Of course, safety is always a concern when an organized event involves large vehicles or machinery. Sports injuries, including winter sports like snowmobiling, affect about 12 million people between the ages of five and 22. Fortunately, although it was snowing, the winds were mild that morning.
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