There won’t be any Fisherman’s Picnic this summer, but snowmobile water skipping, a popular event held last year during the town’s biggest summer festival, will be brought back this summer if some contingencies can be met.
By a 3-2 vote the Grand Marais Park board approved the special event application submitted by Justin Bystrom at its July meeting.
However, because Justin is no longer associated with Grandma Rays, he must find a new sponsor and a new insurance policy. Because of those two issues, he must resubmit the application before its’ final approval which also must be green lighted by the Grand Marais City Council.
Should all go as planned, the races will be held on the west side of the harbor, with two to four snowmobiles taking off from the shore and traveling 400 feet before turning around a buoy and racing back for the shore.
Each race will last no longer than five minutes.
A total of five boats will be in the water to provide any needed water rescue or first aid.
Each snowmobile will have a buoy with at least 50 feet of line attached to it to make for a safe and fast removal from the water in case it sinks.
In his application Bystrom stated there would five staff members on site at all times during the event and cleanup would be taken care of by him and his staff after the event
Spectators will watch from behind a barrier to provide plenty of space and distance for safety.
Port O Potties will be on site for all sanitation needs and signs will direct people where to park and safely view the race.
Bystrom estimated there could be as many as 16 participants in the races.
No start times have been listed for the races at this juncture.
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