[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 22, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E43]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMSOIL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 
               SNOWMOBILE DERBY IN EAGLE RIVER, WISCONSIN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SEAN P. DUFFY

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 22, 2013

  Mr. DUFFY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th 
Anniversary of the Amsoil World Championship Snowmobile Derby on 
Sunday, January 20, 2013, in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
  Fifty years ago, the sport of snowmobiling had just begun. Today, the 
sport has a national economic impact of $24 billion with an additional 
international economic impact of $13 billion. Over 100,000 full-time 
jobs in North America are generated by the snowmobile industry. These 
American jobs include jobs in manufacturing, sales, and tourism-related 
services.
  I am proud to have a snowmobile manufacturer with facilities located 
in Wisconsin's Seventh Congressional District. Polaris Industries, Inc. 
manufactures and distributes quality snowmobiles, among other high-
performance motorized products. This employee owned company is just one 
example of the positive impacts the snowmobile industry has on our 
economy.
  The history of snowmobiling started in Vilas County, 40 years before 
the very first snowmobile race took place. In fact, Carl Eliason of 
Sayner, Wisconsin, invented the first snowmobile, which was a snow 
toboggan, with skis and a track to drive the machine over the snow. By 
1964, John and Betty Alward in Eagle River, along with Walter 
Goldsworthy of nearby Three Lakes, WI, gave the winter economy a boost 
with the sport of snowmobile racing. The initial news release called 
this the ``World's First Snowmobile Derby,'' which at the time, was an 
entirely new concept in winter sports celebrations. Between 2,000 and 
3,000 people attended that event in 1964. Today, the World Championship 
attracts over 30,000.
  I am thankful for those who envisioned the snowmobile derby and for 
those who have made this event an incredible success. Snowmobiling is 
an important part of Wisconsin's heritage and I ask my colleagues to 
join me in extending my congratulations on the 50th Anniversary of the 
Amsoil World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River, WI.

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