ICE RACES

Sean Hudson, a Thorsby native and new racer at the Leduc Ice Race on Telford Lake, a 10-year AEIRA-sanctioned event. Pictures and Story by Dominque Vrolyk

Telford Lake, Leduc- With this City’s cooperation, the Leduc Motorsports Club (LMC) hosted the 10th Annual Leduc Ice Race on Saturday January 26, an AEIRA-sanctioned race held on the east side of Telford Lake. The Alberta Endurance Ice Racing Association is a dynamic group of avid dirtbike and quad riders who love to ride and endurance race all year-round, and enjoy racing on icy tracks, usually on a lake.  

On a sunny and clear winter sky, fifty-six riders started the day with an hour’s delay, as the contingent of racers included twelve first-time riders who take a bit more time to get their gear and bikes ready…With six hours of endurance racing ahead of them, solo racers and teams were grateful for the mild weather and lack of wind.

 A crowd of more than 300 spectators attended early (as proven by the waivers signed when they got on the ice), to the great pleasure of the organizers. Principals of the Leduc Motorsports Club (LMC) Curtis Rill, Jim Burrows, Darren Topliss and Murray Treiber are enthusiastic and articulate promoters of this winter sport. With leading industry supporters and sponsors such as Riverside Yamaha and Southgate Buick GMC, recent races have seen a lower number of racers, when compared to 150 in 2004. Economy and family budgets might keep some bike riders away from this type of racing, as winter studded tires can be quite costly. Sponsors are precious to the racers who wear logos on their jackets and transport vehicles.

The enthusiasm and passion for this winter sport has endured: it’s easy and fun to chat with racers when you attend the race. A native of Thorsby, a lifetime rider and first-time ice racer Sean Hudson is the proud owner of a shiny, high-performance 2013 KTM 300 XC-W: with a rich career as a farrier and a safety leader for Ensign Drilling, this friendly young man has found a new passionate hobby that he admits is only second in his heart to his lovely girlfriend. He placed well in the Novice division, and shares that he intends to participate in the famed “Baja 1000” in November of this year. Other novices came from far and wide to compete in this ice race.

A Leduc native, Colin Danilak is a passionate racer keen to pursue this sport all year-round. An “extreme bike rider and racer”, Colin likes to ride in mountains and challenging terrains: to reach his maximum fitness to be in top form to successfully and safely do so, he trains with Andrea of BodyRocX, a well-established personal trainer in Leduc. Aside from having a couple of sponsors, he transports his bikes in a large trailer purchased from an old friend, Robin Postnikoff owner of MiSafety in Devon, a benefactor to his racing endeavor. Colin is also a racer bound for the extreme competition in Mexico in the fall. Support to the racers comes in many forms: family members, friends, kids, canine buddies, hot drinks and even little bonfires were seen all over the pit area.  

Co-organizer Curtis Rill was quick to express his gratitude to all the event volunteers who worked hard before and on race day, and for the cooperation of City of Leduc officials, in particular the tireless Jolene de Marco, Special Events coordinator for the City. As the committee made a decision to build the track two weeks in advance, in anticipation of some rainfall, Mrs De Marco and other City officials lent their support, making sure the access road was plowed perfectly to allow easy access to the race venue on the lake. The track this year was smooth and conducive to extremely safe and excellent racing conditions.

The annual, now 10-year-old Leduc Ice Race is a popular event for fans of the sport, as proven by this year`s impressive spectator numbers: they will be treated to another Ice race, as Grande-Prairie had to cancel their event due to unstable ice conditions. Saturday February 9 will see another Endurance Ice Race on Telford Lake, hosted by the Leduc Motorsports Club. On the 16th, the world-renowned Numb Bum race will take place at Sandy Beach. Supporters can look at race results on the Association’s website (www.aeira.com) and they can get familiar with the Leduc Motorsports Club’s operation and events at www.leducride.com.