Grantsburg Watercross Is Officially Back For 2021

After a one-year hiatus brought about by the initial COVID-19 scare, the World Championship of snowmobile watercross racing is a “go” for 2021 after getting approval from local politicians.

The Grantsburg World Championship Snowmobile Watercross is scheduled for July 16-18 on Memory Lake in downtown Grantsburg, Wisconsin.

The annual event has been a rite of summer in the Upper Midwest since its founding in 1977. The race is most often the center of a huge festival in town that includes a street dance with live music, fireworks, carnival food, product vendors, vintage show and much more.

For snowmobilers, though, it is also a true World Championship-level event, where the best watercross racers in the world gather to defy physics while riding their sinkable snowmobiles on top of the surface of the lake in several different classes. They include both drag racing and multi-lap oval events.

On April 12, leaders from the Grantsburg Lions that annually hosts the event appeared before the Grantsburg Village Board. Afterward they posted on the event’s Facebook page “Grantsburg Village Board has approved Watercross for 2021!”

Event executive director Rick Quimby was quoted in the local Burnett County Sentinel newspaper as saying the financial impact of last year’s cancellation will likely result in a smaller event for 2021. That includes possibly limiting the live music, street dance and fireworks to just one night (the Saturday of the event), but plans call for the races to go on as usual.

“Due to funding we lost from last year, we probably can’t afford any more of the music festival,” Quimby said in the article. “We’ve got to make due with what we’ve got.”

Still, even a reduced Grantsburg event is significantly better in our books than no Grantsburg event!

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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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