Ben Jansen: 90-Years-Young, Still Grooming Weekly

Ben Jansen’s preferred mode of transportation. Photo courtesy of the Merrifield Marathons Snowmobile Club Facebook.

At 90-years-young, Ben Jansen is all about keeping active. After all, no one ever claimed that grooming trails was a young man’s game.

The Bemidji Pioneer recently detailed how Jansen has for decades groomed a 35-mile stretch of trails near Merrifield, Minnesota – hours a day, multiple times a week, regardless of temps. Throughout his tenure he’s seemingly seen it all – from seasons with barely any snowfall, to ones so plentiful it made grooming nearly impossible.

According to Jansen, the key to a long and happy life is keeping active and the old adage that “a body in motion stays in motion,” with the Pioneer quoting him as saying, “Don’t sit on the couch and wait for time to go by. … Like I said, keep active, boy!”

An avid fan of snowmobiling, Jansen first rode a snow machine at the young age of his mid-40s, which happened to be during the initial production boom of the 1970s; he’s been active ever since.

“He’s a jokester,” friend and fellow club member Marge Winkleman said of Jansen, according to the Pioneer. “He likes to tease and he stays so active, dancing twice a week at all the clubs in the area. If you old-time dance with him, you better hang on. He’s just a heck of a guy and he leads by example… his viewpoint on life is so positive and he’s really an amazing, amazing person.”

It’s always great to see news outlets covering people involved with the snowmobiling community. Do you know your own “Ben Jansen”? If so, tell us about what makes them special in the comments section!

Editor’s Note: Every Snow Goer issue includes in-depth sled reports and comparisons, aftermarket gear and accessories reviews, riding destination articles, do-it-yourself repair information, snowmobile technology and more. Subscribe to Snow Goer now to receive print and/or digital issues.

One thought on “Ben Jansen: 90-Years-Young, Still Grooming Weekly

  • Avatar for Roger Standiford

    I love SnowGower mag

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *