Becker/Big Lake area resident Willie Ewing, owner of the Shock Shop in Becker, will be attempting to break the Guinness World Record March 8 for most miles driven on a snowmobile by a single rider in 24 hours. Ewing will be attempting this in order to raise money to send underprivileged kids to Bible Camp.

Snowmobiling

Ewing was introduced to snowmobiling when he was only seven years old by his dad. His cousin, Darcy Ewing, was the one who really encouraged him to get into the hobby.

Darcy Ewing was a professional snowmobile racer, and was the one who originally had the idea to try for the world record. Unfortunately, he lost his life in a traffic accident (not snowmobile-related.)

So Willie Ewing decided to go for the record instead. He will be driving a 2022 Arctic Cat Turbo 4-stroke Thundercat, which the Ewing family has named “ThunderOne.” The sled was donated to the cause by Thomas Sno Sports in Ogilvie.

Ewing and his family and friends have been planning this ride for three years, and have come up with many precautions to make sure Ewing stays safe. First, Ewing has cut off his caffeine intake, so his tolerance will be way down, and the caffeine will hit that much harder when he needs it. Next, Ewing will be in constant radio contact with his crew, to make sure he is awake and doing well. Ewing’s crew will also be walking the trail to make sure there is no wildlife or debris on the trail. A NASCAR-style pit crew will make sure Ewing’s machine is good to go. Most of the time, Ewing will be driving over 100 mph, from March 8 at noon to March 9 at noon.

Ewing originally planned to ride at Grand Marias, but is looking at other options currently, as those who manage the trail were concerned that recent weather has made the track unsuitable for the long ride. The event will be open to the public to come watch. 

“We are hoping to set the number [of miles run] high enough to where nobody will even want to attempt this record,” Ewing stated. 

Bible Camp

Willie’s wife, Rebecca Ewing, has volunteered with Living Word Bible Camp for many years, originally volunteering as a young adult, and then doing so again when her daughter was old enough to go. 

The camp is held in week-long sessions for six weeks during the summer. All the staff are volunteers, in order to help keep the price down. This way, the camp is able to offer scholarships to those students who would otherwise be unable to go.

The Ewings like that no kid is turned away due to inability to pay, so they are hoping to raise $50,000 to donate to the camp in order to allow as many kids to attend as possible. 

Rebecca Ewing stated the camp was formed and run by one family. They used to rent the space for the camp, but now, after fighting hard, have gotten a permanent location in Grand Rapids, on a beautiful setting on a lake. 

Rebecca said that many parents are hesitant to send their kids away for the week-long camp, assuming their kids aren’t ready to be away that long, but assures nervous parents that the kids have a blast.

“The kids don’t want to go home at the end,” she said. “It’s the parents who miss their kids. It can be hard to be away from them!”

Activities include swimming, kickball, and other fun activities that keep the kids busy all day and leave them exhausted at night. They don’t even miss their electronics!

“It’s a great camp with great teachings,” Rebecca said. “And kids need as much hope as they can get these days.”

Sponsors

The Ewings wanted to thank the sponsors who have donated money or equipment to the cause (equipment used during the run will be sold after the fact to continue to raise money for the camp.)

Sponsors include: Thomas Sno Sports, Arctic Cat, The Shock Shop, FXR, Rox Speed FX, Arrow Components, Rugged Radios, and C-Tec 4. 

Anyone interested in donating can visit 1Day4Kids.com.