R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press | A building that used to serve as the American Legion post in Rapid River is now the Rapid River Relic Riders’ clubhouse and houses a portion of President David Shope’s collection of vintage snowmobiles and associated paraphernalia.

RAPID RIVER — A building on South Main Street in Rapid River that houses a number of antique and vintage snowmobiles and related paraphernalia serves as the clubhouse for the Rapid River Relic Riders and opens up as a museum during the annual show, which is held the last weekend of January and draws aficionados from around the country.

David Shope, just one man in a larger community of like-minded individuals, has made a hobby of collecting and restoring old snowmobiles. Most of the sleds and parts he acquires are Ski Whiz, a design from tractor manufacturer Massey Ferguson. Ski Whizzes were produced between 1969 and 1978, though for the last couple years they were made by Scorpion. The interest now harbored by Shope for the brand could be said to be a byproduct of his father’s loyalty.

In 1970, the Shope family moved from Gladstone to Rapid River when David’s parents bought Bill’s Bar, now the Rapid River Pub. The restaurant they erected next door is no longer standing, but it was there that young Shope worked bussing tables and washing dishes while attending school and growing an interest in snowmobiling.

In ’72, Shope recalled, he was begging his parents for a snowmobile.

“Sno-Jets were blue, and that was my favorite color,” Shope recalled. “I wanted a Sno-Jet.”

At the time, the owner of the local Massey Ferguson tractor and snowmobile dealership, Lloyd Brannstrom, was a regular patron of Bill’s Bar and Restaurant, which the Shopes owned, so it was through him that David’s father decided to do business.

Well, Massey Ferguson Ski Whizzes came in red, not blue, so that’s what the boy got.

Shope explained that he recognized that his father did a good thing by choosing to buy from his customer: “I learned this in my own business — you do business with people that do business with you,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

As a youth, Shope had a lot of fun on that Ski Whiz, playing hide-and-seek in the woods with other snowmobilers and towing his brother on a saucer.

As an adult raising his own family, Shope fell out of snowmobiling for a while. When his son got a little older, the two got into restoring old trucks together.

During that time, Shope’s brother-in-law, Scott Nieuwenkamp, was into vintage snowmobiles and was going to a lot of shows. Nieuwenkamp talked about how much fun the pastime was and encouraged Shope to get into the same.

“And I said, ‘Scott, if I ever do, I’m gonna get me a Ski Whiz.’ And the light switch went on, and I’ve been collecting them ever since,” said Shope.

He estimated that in buildings at his home on Stonington, plus several semi trailers full, he’s got about 185 Ski Whiz snowmobiles — many of which are parts sleds. A shelving unit in the clubhouse building holds stacks of new old stock parts in aged Massey Ferguson red-and-white (yellowed) boxes. He said that people scout for him; he buys parts up when he can, for it’s always handy to have supplies at the ready when working on machines. Many Shope restores himself, but he’s also bought some already restored.

Now, he’s collected so many sleds, parts, promotional materials, apparel, gear and related equipment that branching out beyond Ski Whiz was practically inevitable.

In the clubhouse, he’s got loads of signs, vintage helmets, an all-original Scorpion Bullwhip race sled, and something called an “ice slick,” the metal bars of which are reminiscent of a dune buggy. There’s a SnowJob, a rectangular fiberglass frame made by Kawasaki for converting a motorcycle into a type of snowmobile — with the tires off the bike, a ski connects to the front; the rear, chain-driven, connects to an axle which powers tracks on either side.

One machine Shope is really excited about, which he said will be his first project at Shope Restoration — the building adjacent to the clubhouse, which he’s working on opening as a workshop — is a one-of-a-kind creation built by a local welder named Wes Everleigh in the 1940s. It features a 1913 engine, and the story goes that Everleigh built it after seeing an Eliason motor toboggan. Carl Eliason is widely accepted as being the inventor of the single-seater snowmobile, having hand-built the first prototype in 1924.

Shope said he looks forward to showing off the Everleigh at the Relic Riders’ event in January.

The annual show is not just a social meet and swap for members and current snowmobilers; they also count on public engagement. Hoping to touch the youth and people in need of community, the Relic Riders offer snowmobile rides to kids during the event.

Funds raised in their raffles are used to give scholarships to students from Mid Peninsula, Rapid River, Superior Central, the Intermediate School District, Big Bay, Gladstone and Escanaba schools.

Having a hobby — especially one like snowmobiling, which gets people outdoors during the long, dark winters — is important, Shope said, remarking, “There’s gotta be something that makes you happy.”

He commented on how prevalent depression and suicide are, and said he’d like it if the Relic Ride could reach a few people who need help finding a passion. “All you got to do is go on a ride or come to the show,” he said.

Now that it’s nearly autumn, the Relic Riders will soon resume their monthly meetings in the clubhouse, which had halted during the summer. When the Relic Ride itself draws closer, they will ramp up to weekly meetings at the Lions Club and begin preparations.

This winter’s 19th annual show, during which Shope’s clubhouse will be open, falls on Saturday, Jan. 25. The ride from Rapid to Gladstone will take place on Friday, Jan. 24.