Organizers of the third annual Sundre Slingfest — a rally for Polaris Slingshots that offers participants a sneak peek of the surrounding area — were pleased with this year’s turnout.
Although there weren’t quite 20 registered riders, Shawna Brackley, who with husband Mark owns and operates Wagons West RV Park, said, “While we didn’t have a tremendous amount of slingshots, we had lots of traffic coming from all over Alberta to test drive them.”
On Sunday afternoon as the event was winding down, some people were still arriving, seeking a chance to experience the machines, including a mom who drove almost an hour with her four sons “just for her kids to go for a ride,” said Brackley.
She added there was lots of laughter from people who wouldn’t otherwise usually get to ride one.
“That was non-stop,” she said, adding representatives from the two dealerships that got involved were “blown away” by the number of people who came out.
“At any given time, there were a few people lined up waiting for a turn.”
The organizers also received positive feedback from some local businesses, which reported the event provided a boost, she said.
This weekend’s inaugural Sundre Fine Arts Expo at the community centre was also included as a suggested stop for the riders, many of whom ended up buying some work, she said.
“Our registered riders were impressed with the calibre of talent…it was a wonderful addition to have that here,” she said.
“I hope she does it at the same time next year!” said Brackley about Melany Sealy, who organized the art expo.
Riders who came to Sundre for the slingfest started arriving Thursday, when the group toured around Banff, and Friday featured some excursions through the surrounding area before they rode out in a convoy to the Airdrie Airport for some drag racing.
Riders get ready to take off from the Twisted Pantry on Friday to head over to the Airdrie Airport for drag races. Noel West/MVP Staff
Saturday’s poker rally departed from Wagons West on a northern loop through Mountain View County to Dickson Dam before coming back into Sundre for a midday pit stop followed by a southern loop through the county to explore Water Valley and Fallen Timber Trail Way before finally returning to the campground.
Harvey Adams, who lives in LaPorte, Ind., not far from Chicago, attended last year for the first time. The experience convinced him to make the commitment to return.
“I wouldn’t have come back if I didn’t have a great time last time,” he said.
“The people and the town were great; the community and everybody was really good.”
Driving the truck, trailer and his slingshot to Sundre — a one-way distance of almost 3,000 kilometres — was Dianna, his wife.
“She drove it all the way last year and she said she’d never do it again. But we had such a great she said, ‘I’m gonna eat my words!’” said a grateful Harvey, who due to work and a tighter timeline had to fly into Calgary.
Originally obtaining his first slingshot in 2015, just months after Polaris first started rolling the machines off the production lines, Adams said he has in the years since expanded his repertoire to include two more.
“I can’t ride a motorcycle, so it was the next best thing for me,” he said, adding he never rode a motorcycle because “Too many of my friends got hurt and killed. I knew it was too much power for two wheels.”
But he said the slingshot’s three-wheeled design — two up front, one in the rear — combined with the low clearance, offers ideal handling and stability for hugging curves on the road.
“Polaris did their homework,” he said, adding the machines also have a reputation for reliability.
“The biggest thing out there everybody says is they’re the most fun you’re going to have with your clothes on!” he said.
“The air hitting you, just going down the road, it’s great to be in the mountains.”
There is a fairly large, supportive online community of slingshot owners, but being able to rally in person has been a great experience, and Adams said he and Dianna intend to return next year.
“Mark and Shawna do a great job organizing and preparing activities,” he said.
During one pit stop in the West Country, the group encountered some horses and snapped some pictures with the animals alongside the slingshots, he said.
“We don’t have that at home,” he said.
“The people here are just — you don’t get better people,” he said.
“Every place we’ve gone, the people have been really good. That’s why we came back,” he said, adding that’s why they look forward to next year.
Brackley said Monday morning she was “the best kind of exhausted” following the busy weekend, and that they were already committing to making plans for the fourth annual Sundre Slingfest. The date has already been set for the fourth weekend of July next year so people who need to plan well in advance have a chance to book the time off and line up reservations, she said.
