Gophers and Cheese

There was a solid turnout at Pokey Tire 2026 including cars, bikes, planes, and assorted death traps. 

Pokey Tire Ice Racing 2026 was held on German Lake at the Beaver Dam Resort in Cleveland, MN on January 31st.  I went last year and had a lot of fun, so I was planning to return, this time with a different vehicle.  January has been difficult here in Minnesota, especially in and around Minneapolis.  I've lived in this state longer than any other, and the last month has been a roller coaster mix of heartbreaking, infuriating, and inspirational.  It was nice to get outside and enjoy just a little bit of fun in a way that felt very Minnesotan (though I know other nearby states have fun on frozen lakes too).  I brought my 1970s SnowCo Tri-Scat.

Here's the last batch of photos from Pokey Tire Ice Racing 2025...

More photos from Pokey Tire Ice Racing 2025!!

Pokey Tire Ice Racing was held on Duck Lake in Madison Lake, MN on February 1, 2025.  It's been going on for a few years, but this was the first time I attended.  It was a cold, cloudy, and windy day out on the lake but it was a lot of fun!  The ice was solid, smooth, and very slippery as there was no snow cover.  I brought the Snowmonkey, which is the winter version of the Evil Monkey, my 1976 Honda Z50.  It has a studded tire in the back and banana ski up front.  It's been about 7 years since I've had it out on a frozen lake and it's as sketchy as it looks.  When I wasn't taking pictures, I did a bunch of laps and I even drag raced a newer 125cc Monkey... twice!!

OK, here's my last post from Mama Tried 2017 and it's a REALLY good one.  Like 2016, the weather was a bit warm so there was no "official" ice riding on Sunday.  Also just like 2016, a small group found a [mostly] frozen lake to go play on.  This time it was Sinnissippi Lake, about an hour northwest of the city.  Like the previous year, I tagged along.

The weather for Mama Tried in 2016 was relatively warm so the official ice riding event known as Slippery Sunday was cancelled.  That didn't keep a few people from finding an alternative place to go.  It takes a long time to stud a tire and I'd understand if people didn't want that effort to go to waste.  Here are Matt & Mark posing for pics.

Here's my last batch of photos from the Polar Devils Vintage Racing last Saturday.  It was all fun and games until the vehicles started breaking down and the cops showed up.  Isn't that always the way??? I found a good spot to get a lot of the photos you see below, far away from the crowd, but found it odd when the cars and bikes stopped going by.  It was about 12:30 and the event was supposed to go from 10-3.  I walked back towards the starting line area and overheard people saying the event was shut down for lack of permits and saw a Sheriff on a snowmobile that seemed to be telling people to leave (last photo) so I headed out.  I have since heard it was due to COVID restrictions, not permit issues. I'll admit that it was nice to be out - to see, hear, and smell motorcycles and hot rods again.  Hopefully it was a small taste of things to come but, in the mean time, stay safe out there and try to look forward to fun days ahead.

While they weren't actually racing each other, occasionally seeing cars and bikes side-by-side on the track reminded me of Moto Mania.  This event actually had a bit of that Moto Mania fun-and-free-for-all vibe.  The only real restriction was trying to limit it to pre-1955 vehicles.  That didn't stop one or two newer models from sneaking onto the track but most seemed period correct.

Here are more photos from the Polar Devils Vintage Racing on Saturday.  There was a wide array of unique vehicles, all set up for snow and ice.  Towards the end of this set, you'll see Kevin Baas riding around on his knucklehead with a checkered flag.  I initially thought he was just holding it but I later saw a video where someone tossed the flag up in the air and it amazingly landed perfectly in his forks, as you'll see in the photos.  He rode a few laps like that.

After a few bitterly cold weeks here in Minnesota, the weather on Saturday could almost be described as beautiful, even though it was still below freezing.  It was sunny and felt warm(ish) but I was layered up.  The event drew a good-sized crowd, including families.  While it was outdoors, I still did my best to keep a safe distance from others.  I took most of my photos farther down the track, away from the crowded starting line.

On Saturday, February 20th, I headed just south of the cities for the first motorcycle event I've attended in over a year, ice racing on a frozen lake.  Under the banner of the Polar Devils, vintage (pre-1955) motorcycles and hot rods took to the ice for a little fun.  Over the rest of the week, I'll share a bunch of photos so check back daily.

In case you missed it, my photos were featured for the 4th time on Chop Cult last month. This most recent feature was for Mama Tried / Flat Out Friday / Slippery Sunday 2017.  Here's the link: Mama Tried 2017 Here's just a small sampling of photos.  Check out the feature for lots more. Thanks Lisa!

My 3rd feature with Chop Cult was posted yesterday.  It features Flat Out Friday , Mama Tried , and ice riding.  Go check it out here: Mama Tried Motorcycle Show 2016 Here are my previous two Chop Cult features: Moto Mania Gophers and Cheese

To wrap up the ice riding event at Mama Tried 2015, here are few last photos from the day. A few other guys from the Twin Cities made it out to the marina to check things out: It was fun to watch this kid on mini bike take to the ice. The ice Sportster (aka the "Hardley") from Revival Cycles was awesome.  It was great to see Sportsters represented.  When I posted this photo to Instagram, Harley-Davidson re-posted it ( click here ) and it went on to get nearly 10,000 likes so I was super Internet-famous for a few minutes that day. I got some of my best photos of the day when I bravely/stupidly headed into the center of the track. Here are some photos of the Hardley. More ice riding!!! After sharing over 500 photos across 20 blogposts, I think you get a good sense of what Mama Tried is all about.  That is why you should absolutely be there later this month (2/19-2/21) in Milwaukee.  I didn't go the firs...