Riders, fans flock to Bear Lake
By Holly Neumann
Winter sports enthusiasts flocked to Bear Lake Feb. 19-20 for the annual Manawa Snodeo, otherwise known as the best show on snow.
With four tracks running, there was always something for everyone to enjoy, from the littlest racers on their Kitty Kat machines, to dirt bikes, quads and more.
Lisa Beresford of Merrill participated in the drag racing event with a 1979 Chevy Corvette.
“I like going fast,” she said. “It is a little frightening at first, but then the adrenaline rush kicks in.”
The camaraderie of the event is what brought Beresford back.
“There is always a variety of things to see and people of different ages doing them,” she said. “It’s a fun day for everyone.”
Adding to the fun was pro stunt bike rider Ryan Suchanek and his son Landrick, 9.
The duo could be seen doing wheelies across the ice on their motorcycles.
“I want to race someday, but I don’t at the same time,” Landrick said. “I don’t want to break any bones.”
Landrick said his dad is an amputee who lost a leg in an accident on Oct. 5, 2007.
“I was coming around a blind corner about a mile from home when a girl delivering newspapers cut the corner and I went through her windshield,” Ryan said. “I ended up with a fake leg.”
The accident, however, has not slowed him down. Stunt riding was his motivation to get better.
“I had just come back from spending the summer in China,” he said. “I was at the top of my game.”
Six months to the day after the accident, Ryan was back in China doing another stunt show.
“I had to relearn everything,” he said. “It definitely makes it more difficult.”
Now, he is sharing his love of stunt riding with Landrick.
“This is something we can do together,” Ryan said. “He gets to see a bunch of cool stuff.”
Their hope for the future is to have fun and to not take things too seriously.
“Landrick is a superstar,” Ryan said. “You never know what will come up.”