Northwoods weenie roast.
Snowmobile races something to relish
The World’s Longest Weenie Roast can best be described as a massive, chilly barbecue at the lake and a last hurrah for the Northwoods snowmobiling season.
Actually, that should be on the lake because this late winter event takes place over the ice in front of the Lakewoods Resort marina at Lake Namakagon.
It will be held Feb. 26 and 27 at the resort, which is eight miles east of Cable.
If the weather is sunny, this gathering of hearty souls can attract several thousand people who come for the grilled hot dogs, music, snowmobile drag races (speeds can top 170 mph) and other activities.
In years past, the celebration has even included a “frozen weenie” polar plunge to celebrate the arrival of spring in a few weeks.
“Once March gets here, people pretty much stop coming up north for winter activities,” said organizer P.C. Rasmussen, whose family has run Lakewoods Resort for four generations.
“After that, they start thinking about going to Florida, Caribbean or California for spring break, so the locals pretty much have the trails to themselves. It doesn’t matter that March can be one of the snowier months around here.”
Rasmussen said the event was created about 25 years ago to draw people to the area, fight off cabin fever and raise money for trailgrooming organizations.
It’s now a fundraiser for local emergency services groups, including volunteer fire departments and snowmobile and dive rescue organizations.
Several years ago, he noted, the weenie roast stretched nearly a quarter mile with 697 people cooking hot dogs at the same time over a long, narrow trench fire fed by wood and charcoal.
Rasmussen said there was no danger of the blaze melting through the ice, however, because it is usually 1 to 3 feet thick.
That achievement was recognized as the world’s longest weenie roast with a certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records.
“Theoretically, with more organization, we could have 2,000 people cooking at the same time,” he said. “But the logistics of getting all those folks stretched out in a line — the one with the record of 697 people was already a quarter mile long — would be tough. If it’s nice and sunny, it’s not too hard to move people around. But if it’s snowing and colder, that’s not the case.”
Now people bring their grills onto the lake to cook their weenies.
Jim Reuter, a plumber who lives in the northern Illinois town of Roselle, said he has been making the 400-mile drive up to the Lakewoods Resort for the wintry hot dog roast for the past dozen years.
Though he’s a snowmobiler, he said he’s never raced in any of the speed events.
But he, his wife and his now-grown kids help Rasmussen set up for the event.
“It’s a big, good old time for the whole family, kids and grandkids included,” said Reuter, who has been going to the resort for 50 of his 57 years, mostly in the summers.
“In fact, my mother went there as a child and my grandmother started going in the 1940s. It’s friendly all year round, but they really roll out the carpet for the weenie roast. And I love getting out of Chicago and going to the Northwoods any time of the year.”
Rasmussen said founders of the event — including his father, Philip — picked the hot dog theme to gain recognition for the area. Though they received a certificate from Guinness World Records, he said they haven’t been “officially recognized” as having the world’s longest weenie roast.
“The Guinness book folks said to have that title, there needed to be some competition,” he said. “So we tried to get groups from Michigan, Arizona and Texas to take up the challenge, but unfortunately they wouldn’t do it.”
Klement’s is the hot dog of choice at the festival, with thousands grilled and consumed. The Milwaukee company has been providing the weenies for the event since its inception and also brings its Famous Racing Sausages.
“We have a big fire and a food and beer tent, too,” Rasmussen said. “People can eat brats or even have burgers if they don’t happen to like hot dogs.” Condiments include relish, onions, peppers, ketchup and barbecue sauce.
He said one of the main draws — in addition to the hot dogs — is the snowmobile ice racing and Outlaw Snow Drags.
Ice racing is done on a shaved-ice track that is prepared by a Zamboni-like machine to make the 1,000- foot course “super smooth and fast.” Rasmussen said some of the high-performance snowmobiles that are competing have 500- and 600-horsepower engines.
The current speed record for snowmobiles on ice, according to Guinness, is more than 190 mph, set in 2013 at a race in Menomonie by Rhinelander’s Jack Henricks.
“Their engines are the same size as top racing vehicles, but snowmobiles are much lighter — pretty much big engines with treads and someone holding on,” Rasmussen said.
Snowmobilers with more conventional sleds can race in the Outlaw Snow Drags, where riders are timed over a 1,000-foot course.
“I’m not a racer, but I have gone over 100 miles per hour on a snowmobile,” Rasmussen said. “And that was plenty fast for my taste.”
More information: The World’s Longest Weenie Roast is scheduled for Feb. 26-27, with snow drags under the lights on Friday and the actual roast taking place Saturday. Admission is $5 per person. For more details, see the Lakewoods Resort website at lakewoods resort.com or call (715) 7942561.
For ideas on other things to see and do in the area, see the Cable Chamber of Commerce website at cable4fun.com.
Getting there: The Lakewoods Resort is at 21540 County Road M, Cable, about 360 miles northwest of Milwaukee.