Eagle River, the “snowmobile capital of the world,” hosted the World Championship Snowmobile Derby over weekend. The event saw over 340 racers, with 12 reaching Sunday’s final. The derby began in 1966, started by two resort owners to boost winter business, and rapidly grew after a permanent track was built in 1967-68.
The derby significantly benefits the city’s winter economy, drawing spectators nationwide who call it where “the best of the best come.” Tom Anderson has owned the complex since 2020 and even competed in the derby in the 1980s. He noted the widespread economic benefit, including “hotels, the restaurants, the gas stations, drug stores, the hardware stores, everything,” driven by his “passion for racing” to maintain the tradition.