International Snowmobile HOF Announces 2020 Class

A Minnesota-based volunteer and club organizer, a New York-based trail technology pioneer, an Oregon trail program leader and a snowmobile journalist who may be familiar to readers of this website and its related magazine will be inducted in September as the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Class Of 2020.

The ISHOF organization annually announces its class every summer and then hosts at a special weekend of festivities in Eagle River, Wisconsin, in September that concludes with an induction ceremony and the posting of the class members’ photos at the World Snowmobile Headquarters museum.

ISHOF also announced several other awards related to the sport – details of which can be found here.

In alphabetical order, the 2020 class inductees will be:

• Terry Hutchinson, a longtime grass roots organizer from Minnesota with nearly 50 years of experience on the local, state and national level supporting snowmobiling;
• John Prusak, the editor/publisher of Snow Goer magazine who has been with the national snowmobile publication, its dearly departed past sister publications and EPG Media’s other powersports-related media product for 27 years;
• The late Linda Rockwood, a New York-based innovator and inventor whose pioneering efforts brought snowmobile maps into the modern era, paving the path for online mapping and trail apps long before most thought it was possible; and
• Peggy Spieger, who’s 40 years of dedication to the sport include an incredible 32 years in roles for the statewide Oregon State Snowmobile Association, where she served as secretary, administrative coordinator and executive director while being the voice of the sport in many ways.

Below is the full press release, with photos, of the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame Class of 2020. To see the International Club, Dealer and Groomer of the Year honorees, plus the Edgar Hetteen Memorial Award Of Merit honorees for 2020, click here. Details on how to be a part of the Sept. 25-26 ISHOF induction weekend are in the last paragraph.

Announcing the Class of 2020 & ISHOF Special Award Recipients

For Immediate Release : June 21, 2020 Press Release

We are honored to officially announce the annual inductees to the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame as part of the new Class of 2020. 

For 31 years, this prestigious Hall of Fame honor is bestowed upon the incoming class of annual recipients in recognition for their achievements for the sport of Snowmobiling, as awarded each year from select categories that include: • Inventors, Designers & Manufacturers • Explorers & Adventurers • Trail & Program Developers • Volunteers & Club Organizers • Publishers & Journalists

Let’s Meet the ISHOF Class of 2020 Inductees:

Terry Hutchinson, Prior Lake, Minnesota – Volunteer & Club Organizer

In his nearly 50 years of organized snowmobiling, Terry Hutchinson has been involved in all levels. It all started with the creation of the Prior Lake Snowmobile Association in 1972. He served as their President over 10 years and Trail Coordinator for the past 45 years. In 1984, Scott County’s three snowmobile clubs created an alliance called Sno-Trails, Inc. Terry held the office of President and served as their Trail Coordinator for 40 plus years as well.

It didn’t take long and Terry found himself very involved at the state level, serving the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association (MnUSA). Terry became a Region 8 Director. Terry eventually became Vice-President and then President of MnUSA, where he also took on the role as chair of the Trails/DNR Committee. It was then that Terry was instrumental in the implementation of a statewide corridor trail system across Minnesota’s 22,000 miles of snowmobile trails. In 2008, during his presidency of MnUSA and as chairperson of the Minnesota Snowmobile Advisory Council (MSAC), he played a lead role in implementing funding changes when the club payment system went from a reimbursement program to a performance based funding program. Some other significant legislation passed under Terry’s leadership included the change in statute regarding the use of studs on state asphalt trails and MN Snowmobile registration fees to include a state trail pass. Presently, Terry is leading discussions with MnUSA and the state’s ATV Association regarding joint snowmobile and winter ATV trails.

Terry also represents snowmobiling on the Minnesota Motorized Trail Coalition and the Coalition of the Recreational Trail Users where he served on their Board since its inception in 2007. Not surprisingly, Terry got involved on a national level as the MnUSA delegate to the Midwest Chapter, American Council of Snowmobile Associations and has attended Washington DC Fly-Ins and several International Snowmobile Congresses. With all that, Terry still remains actively involved in his local snowmobile club and is responsible for marking his own section of trail. Terry’s passion for the sport of snowmobiling knows no bounds. He lives it every day of his life and it reflects in his actions and involvement, which is why Terry Hutchinson is an obvious choice for induction in the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame, Class of 2020.

John Prusak, New Hope, Minnesota – Publisher & Journalist

John has fond memories of riding relatives’ and friends’ sleds, even though his parents had gotten rid of their snowmobiles when he was young, causing him to miss out on the “golden era” of snowmobiling. John’s background in snowmobiling is fairly recent compared to some of the other ISHOF inductees. Make no mistake when motorsports is in your blood and you’re from the Midwest, snowmobiles will become a big part of your life. Putting his journalist skills to work John plays a major role in keeping all facets of snowmobiling alive and well.

In 1993, John started at what was then Ehlert Publishing as an Associate Editor for Snowmobile Magazine, Snow Goer, Snow Week and Snowmobile Business. He was promoted quickly through the ranks. By 1995 he was Managing Editor and then went on to be the lead Editor of all four publications in 1996. John’s enthusiasm and journalist talents were needed and couldn’t be contained to only snow related motorsports. In 2002, he was promoted outside of the Snowmobile group as Associate Publisher of many other magazines such as Powersports Business, Boating Industry and more. Ultimately everybody who knows John knows snowmobiling is his passion. So in 2003 he was promoted once again to Publisher of the Snowmobile Group, and concurrently also served for periods of time as editor/publisher of ATV Magazine, ATV Sport, UTV Magazine, Trailer Life and other publications.

To date, in John’s 27-year career, he has participated in 27 Rode Reports/Snow Shoot testing events, 27 consecutive Hay Days events, 25 Eagle River Derby events, 24 of the last 26 Big East Powersports Shows, more than a dozen International Snowmobile Congresses and many other major snowmobile events. You name it … wherever people gather at a major snowmobile venue, John will be there covering the story. In addition, John has personally ridden snowmobiles in 23 states and provinces, and has attended events in an additional 7 states and provinces where he hasn’t snowmobiled (yet).

John learned early on from his predecessors, John Ehlert and Dick Hendricks, that he always felt it was his responsibility to cover ALL facets of snowmobiling in Snow Goer including snowmobile clubs and organizations, which John does with every single issue.

It is with this high level of dedication and professionalism to the snowmobiling community that John Prusak is appropriately inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame, Class of 2020.

Linda Rockwood, Utica, New York – Inventor & Designer

An innovator, a savvy business person and most importantly someone who cared deeply about snowmobiling, Linda was a pioneer in the Snowmobile Trail Webmap and Smart Phone App design business. She founded Mohawk Valley GIS (MVGIS) back in 2003, which first helped the local snowmobile clubs in New York State and then started working with other states as well. Linda knew that there was a need for the snowmobilers and snowmobile clubs to have a webmap, to be able to locate parking, trails, gas, food and lodging. Her visions for maps being contained within one’s own cell phone while out riding the trails and not being tied to a paper map brought us to where we are today with the technology to safely allow snowmobile riders to utilize their smart phones to navigate snowmobile trail systems.

Linda began soliciting the input of several snowmobile clubs to help improve her app and refine it so it could be used to assist with volunteer snowmobile club operations and also aid in raising funds. Later versions included functions such as automatic trail conditions which allowed for refined groomer scheduling and groomer tracking, which kept riders informed of grooming activities. She was also able to incorporate on the app a profit sharing system which gave participating clubs a simple fundraising platform. Linda understood the importance of and genuinely wanted the clubs and the sport to progress and succeed like never before. Dozens of riders wrote and shared how helpful the app was in hazardous situations, especially white-out conditions. The GIS technology helped riders confidently explore new trails.

Linda Rockwood’s NYS Snowmobile App was way ahead of its time. Soon her app was adopted in other states such as Massachusetts, Vermont and Wyoming. She set the bar high. It paved the way for other snowmobile apps and remains unchallenged to this day.

Linda had to shut down her MVGIS business due to serious illness, to which she succumbed in January, 2020. We lost a true entrepreneur and pioneer who worked and succeeded in making snowmobiling better for many snowmobilers and clubs that were fortunate to employ her technology. Her loss leaves an enormous hole in snowmobile navigation development.

It is with heavy heart and great honor that we present this award to her family and acknowledge Linda (posthumously) as an inductee to the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame, Class of 2020. 

Peggy Spieger, LaPine, Oregon – Trail Program Developer & Volunteer

Starting to ride snowmobiles over four decades ago with her husband John and family, they all became involved with their local snowmobile club and the Oregon State Snowmobile Association (OSSA). Peggy has worked tirelessly to represent Oregon’s snowmobilers as well as snowmobilers throughout the western snowbelt. During forty years of distinguished service to the sport of snowmobiling, Peggy has made contributions as a trail and program developer and volunteer leader at the club, state, national and international levels.

For the past 32 consecutive years, Peggy has provided unprecedented service for the Oregon State Snowmobile Association where she served as their Secretary, Administrative Coordinator and Executive Director. She has also been active with the American Council of Snowmobile Associations (ACSA), the International Association of Snowmobile Administrators (IASA), and the Western Chapter of Snowmobile Associations, as well as being a long-time, very active member of the Iron Dog Brigade and her local snowmobile club.

As OSSA’s Executive Director, Peggy has played a leading role in efforts to keep snowmobiling access open across Oregon. She has worked diligently with the U.S. Forest Service to maintain the rights of snowmobilers to access National Parks such as Crater Lake National Park, the Newberry National Volcanic Monument and development of the Kapka Butte Sno-Park. Peggy works with the Oregon Department of Transportation to administer and operate Oregon’s 6,410 miles of snowmobile trails. She has played a key role in overseeing OSSA’s daily association business, along with coordinating annual snowmobile trail operations. In conjunction with her oversight of the trail administrations, Peggy has served as Oregon’s representative to IASA and has played a key role in every annual International Snowmobile Congress (ISC) since 1988. She has also regularly participated in ACSA meetings and functions since it was created in 1995. She has been a voice for snowmobiling in Washington D.C. by attending ACSA Fly-In meetings every year to work toward protecting the rights of people who use public lands respectfully.

Peggy has represented OSSA with a very high level of honesty and integrity, always keeping a focus on doing what is best for the sport of snowmobiling. It is Peggy’s unrelenting drive that so deservingly places her into the 2020 Class of the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame inductees.

Join us for ISHOF Induction Weekend in Eagle River, Wisconsin on Fri. and Sat. Sept, 25-26, 2020

We Invite YOU to Honor the new Class of 2020 and Special Award Recipients with a Special Banquet and Induction Ceremony in their Honor. The International Snowmobile Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Induction Ceremony Weekend celebrates and honors those involved in the sport of Snowmobiling; Recognizing a NEW class inducted into the Hall. Join the celebration: We invite all industry representatives, dealership personnel, club members, motorsports enthusiasts, friends, fans and supporters alike to attend this ISHOF annual special event. YOU can join this year’s ISHOF Induction Weekend with FUN activities of interest in Eagle River, Wisconsin beginning on Friday September 25, 2020. Along with a formal sit down Prime Rib or Chicken Dinner (your choice) to officially honor the Class of 2020 as they’re inducted into the Hall on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at Eagle Waters Resort 3958 Eagle Waters Rd, Eagle River, Wisconsin. This is a semi-formal affair so please dress accordingly for the event.

Show your support for the newly inducted Hall of Fame Class of 2020 and all special award recipients by registering online www.ishof.com to attend. ALL major cred-it cards and PayPal are accepted for secure online payment with immediate receipt and event info provided to you via e-mail with your paid registration. NOTE: Registration is REQUIRED for ALL guests and supporters to attend. Registrations closes on September 15, 2020. Thank You for Your Support. See YOU in September!