Elk River Snowmobile Race To Go On As Planned, Despite Soaring Temps

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- This weekend Red Bull is hosting a huge, first of its kind in Minnesota snowmobile race called Red Bull Snow Boundaries.

While temperatures are set to climb well into the 40s, race organizers say they're not worried about the course melting. They say they used more than 12 million gallons of water to make enough snow to build the eight-mile track in Elk River.

It's an endurance-based competition, and an adrenaline junkies dream. Red Bull Snow Boundaries will be a mix of snow cross and cross country racing. Organizers say it's the first of its kind.

"There's never been a race like this anywhere in the world," ERX owner Chris Carlson said.

Carlson says they had hoped for a classic, snow-lover's Minnesota winter.

"That's frequent snowfalls and cold enough temperatures for it to stick around," he said. "Even though Mother Nature hasn't been cooperating, they've still been able to build the course, with eight snow guns and 25 days of around the clock snow making."

It's a giant operation that included large volumes of water, piping and tanker trucks. Carlson says with several feet of a base, a couple of melting days won't be an issue.

"If we had 20 degrees below zero that they were predicting, we'd really have an issue on our hands," he said. "We wouldn't be losing any snow, but we'd be losing fans."

More than 200 racers will compete from around the world. And for the fans, Carlson promises the ultimate snowmobiling experience.

"They're gonna see high-flying action," he said. "We've got one jump in particular where they fly over 100 feet. We've got ice sections where they're running across water"

The race is Saturday at ERX, from 2 p.m. to about 3:30 p.m.