"it’s a tradition, people come from all over just to see it," Shaw said. "We refer to ourselves as the Daytona 500 of the snowmobile world."
But as of Monday morning, this tradition has postponed two weeks. Shaw says Mother Nature is to blame.
"Normally she lets us have cold enough temperatures to make snow so we can have the race," Shaw said. "But this year, she decided to give us September weather in November."
So for now, all 21 of Spirit Mountain’s snow guns wait. Organizers say this has happened twice before– once in 1999, and again in 2001. Based on those years– Visit Duluth and Spirit Mountain say they’re anticipating a 20-percent drop in attendance, and a big bite out of the event’s $5 million boost to the local economy.
"There are some hotels that will probably loose some overnights for the weekend, and that’s disappointing, but hopefully they’ll pick them up in two weeks," Shaw said.
Shaw says despite the changes, he is optimistic the event will have a strong turnout. Adding, there is just something about the Snocross spectators– that says devotion.
"I don’t want to say they’re diehard but they’re very dedicated fans," Shaw said.
The even has been rescheduled for December 11th-13th. Organizers say any tickets already purchased are still valid during the new weekend.
