I want a SxS (aka side by side ATV) so bad. When you live somewhere where there are trails galore, it’s hard not to be envious of those driving the mean machines when I’m riding a bit of an older 4-wheeler that needs some work after trying to plow out our driveway over this last winter. There was so much snow, and it was such heavy stuff, as if I need to remind anyone around here.
Perhaps I’ll be able to secure a SxS before next year’s Ride the Shore event, which takes riders from Silver Bay to Finland, looping around the Moose Walk and Moose Run Trails. The Minnesota ATV Riders, which organizes the event each year, provides a map to the participants which outlines the must-see sites on the trails all for the good of both the ATV community and the community of the north shore.
“Minnesota ATV riders is a non-profit organization we started to help promote the positive things that ATV riders do in the state of Minnesota,” Dean Schliek, President and founder, told me while we chatted about this year’s event that occurred on June 24th.
The Minnesota ATV Riders started as a social group online back in 2015. It gave ATV enthusiasts a forum to talk about, according to their Facebook page,“All things ATV (and SxS) for Minnesota from the rocky shores of Lake Superior to the plains of pipestone… Riding around the bluffs of the southern river valley to the edge of the great white north!”
This is the fifth year Ride the Shore has been an adventurous destination for ATV lovers. This year’s event brought in riders from Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and all over Minnesota. It was raining, which may have brought down the number a bit from the 2021 event (2022 was cancelled due to wind damage from all those darn storms). Still, four hundred die-hards, a huge jump from the first event which had around forty riders, participated in the ride. Some still weathered the weather to play some mini golf at Black Beach Mini Golf, which generously provided two-for-one coupons for the occasion.
Ride the North Shore raises money during the event for the Silver Bay Vets Home Recreational Department, who have sent thank you’s for the opportunities like going on trips to hike and fish, or building RC cars to race around the backyard.
This year, through donations and charity sales throughout the event, the Minnesota ATV Riders handed the Minnesota Veteran’s Home in Silver Bay a check for $10,000. “I was pretty excited,” said Dean, of Breezy Point, Minnesota. “That is double what we did in 2021. We were able to donate $3,000 and then $5,000 the next. So, we’re approaching the $20,000 mark.”
Dean and all of the Minnesota ATV Riders are grateful for all those who maintain the trails. “This event wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the support of the 4-wheeler clubs. They’re the ones that take care of the trails up there,” explained Dean. “The Finland ATV and Snowmobile Club as well as the Silver Trails Riders are the reasons we can do this event, because they have the trail system for it.”
“We get a lot of support, also, from the city of Silver Bay. We do the pancake breakfast at the fire hall every year on Saturday and Sun-day, so nobody leaves hungry,” Dean said. Breakfast starts at 7 AM and the drawings for thirty-two different door prizes begin at 7 PM. Prizes ranged from an autographed Vikings Football Team to mirrors and wind-shields for ATVs, all donated by sponsors.
The list of sponsors for the event is long, 116 donated this year. To name a few businesses who contributed, Mies Outland, Trail Star Audio, Tousley Motorsports, and Up North Power & Sports all supported the ride.
Dean hopes that Silver Bay will allow them to continue the tradition year after year. He appreciates that Silver Bay is an ATV-friendly community and commented on how beautiful the area is. “I love it up there,” he said, and we all know he’s not the only one.
In 2024, if I don’t have a SxS quite yet, please let me know if anyone has an extra seat for me. I’ll buy dinner at one of the food trucks at the end of the ride!
If you would like to learn more about the Minnesota ATV Riders, you may request to join their Facebook group or visit their web-site at https://www.mnatvriders.com/.
Feel free to contact me at sarahwritesnsj@yahoo.com with any news we should news about!
