New-Tom Sno Fleas have ‘best year ever’ for vintage show

The New-Tom Sno Fleas Snowmobile Club held its biggest fundraiser of the year on Saturday, Feb. 22, in downtown Lake Tomahawk.

Club president Kevin Krueger said the turnout for the vintage snowmobile show was better than expected and the club already can’t wait for next year.

This was the 15th year the New-Tom Sno Fleas held its vintage day fundraiser, which included a vintage snowmobile show, bogie toss, a vintage ride and more on Saturday, Feb. 22, in Lake Tomahawk.
(Contributed photograph)

The event entailed a number of activities, from a vintage show and ride to the world championship bogie wheel toss and groomer rides.

For those who aren’t familiar with what a bogie wheel is, it’s a small wheel used in snowmobile suspension systems. Krueger likened the bogie wheel toss to cornhole or horseshoes. 

The “coveted golden bogie wheel” goes to the winner, he said, which is displayed at Lizzy T’s Tamarack Tap. 

Something special about the bogie wheel toss that Krueger mentioned was participants ride their vintage sleds a few miles out to a spot overlooking the Wisconsin River. 

“And so it’s also a ride for all these guys too and probably 75 percent of those sleds were ridden out there and back, and it’s probably about a four mile ride each way so it’s an eight to ten mile ride,” he said.

This was the 15th year the Sno Fleas have held its vintage show.

Krueger said it’s always on the last Saturday in February.

“The turnout was better than expected because there’s lots of stuff going on that weekend,” he said. “We had 108 sleds, vintage sleds that were registered for the show and there were probably another 20 to 30 that were there, but didn’t register. They were out riding them and they’d stop and look around. And I can’t even begin to guess how many people (came out), but it was a lot.”

There was a drawing for a $100 equipment raffle as well, Krueger said, where only 250 tickets are sold with 25 winners. 

“It was a very successful event from a financial perspective,” he added. “Actually what (the money) is doing is helping offset the cost of replacing half our groomer barn in 2024 and we finished that project in January and had to replace a 52 by 56 building. And then we … also had just purchased in 2022 a tractor for trail work, brushing, grooming and maintaining trails.”

Additionally, Krueger said, the raffle has always been done in conjunction with a local restaurant that provided pulled pork, brats and hotdogs, and if a person purchased a meal, they would receive a raffle ticket too.

The event has grown, he said, from having around 50 sleds the first year to an excess of 120 sleds.

Krueger said the list is long for everyone the club wants to thank for helping put on the event and, of course, “all the participants and supporters.” 

“There’s lots of people,” he said. “I mean we had people parking sleds, we got people directing traffic and where to park trucks and trailers, we had the people with food, we had the people selling merchandise, we had the raffle that we did, it’s just a busy day. This was actually our best year ever.”

Club update

Overall, he said, the club is “stable” and the Sno Fleas are currently considering working more closely with the Lake Tomahawk ATV/UTV Club.

Krueger said the two clubs are in the process of combining. 

An open house for the groomer barn rebuild was held in January, he said. 

Krueger said that event was “really well attended.”

“Because there was no snow or nothing on the trails and I figured we’d be lucky to have 35 or 45 people,” he said. “We probably had 125 or (130) people attend that open house at our groomer barn on Jan. 4.”

Fundraisers are crucial for snowmobile clubs. 

Krueger said the next event for the Sno Fleas is a chicken dinner on March 29 at the Shamrock Pub n’ Eatery downtown. 

“There will be raffles and raffle baskets and the 50/50 raffle from noon to 4 p.m. at the Shamrock,” he said. “Any chicken dinners purchased from the Shamrock on the day of that event, the proceeds will go directly to the snowmobile club … they donate any chicken sold all day long, not just from noon to 4 p.m.”

The New-Tom Sno Fleas has a pretty rich history.

Krueger said the club, incorporated in 1973, is over 50 years old.

He’s has served as the club’s president for more than 12 years and has been a member for approximately 18 years.

The trails, he said he thinks, are what sets the Sno Fleas apart from other clubs. 

“Our trails are like interconnecting trails for St. Germain, the Willow, everybody has to cross through our area and we’ve been working really hard at being diligent with our grooming,” Krueger said. “ … We have some of the best groomed trails in the area. We have three PistenBullys that we groom the trails with and they’re out typically almost everyday, weather permitting … but if they can be out … they’re out grooming.”

The club is always looking for members, he said. 

To find out more or to join, Krueger said the Sno Flea’s website, newtomsnofleas.com, and Facebook page are great resources.

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].