The SnoRiders SledTown ShowDown for 2023 is in full swing! The contest started with 16 snowmobile destinations from each of the four western provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) for a total of 64 locations. The competitors go head to head over six rounds, with visitors to the SnoRiders West website voting to determine their favourite destination. The locations with the most votes then move on to the next round. The first four rounds of the contest will decide the provincial Champion, which will move on to compete for the title of 2023 SledTown ShowDown Champion of Western Canada.

Swan Hills won the Provincial SledTown ShowDown Champion in 2022, but we’re back to take the big prize this year. According to the SnoRiders’ website, the overall Champ gets “ A shiny SledTown trophy, bragging rights and feature articles on SnoRidersWest.com. Plus, it is a chance to raise positive awareness of snowmobiling and to recognize local clubs for all their hard work.”

There is a little bit of a change to the proceedings this year; people can only vote once per round. Last year, people could vote once per day.

Two out of six rounds have already passed, and we are down to 16 destinations altogether, four in each province. Swan Hills has a commanding lead so far, with 275 votes against Alberta Beach’s 67 votes. Elsewhere in Alberta, Whitecourt is ahead in their race against Edson with 260 votes versus Edson’s 175. Round 3 runs until March 12, so vote for Swan Hills at snoriderswest.com/sledtown_showdown/alberta if you haven’t done so already. And keep coming back to vote for rounds four, five, and six.

Please share this contest with your family, friends, and followers on social media, and help the not-so-computer-savvy folks in your circle navigate the SnoRiders website. The total number of votes decides the winners, and with a population of just over 1,200 people, Swan Hills will need all the help we can get if we want to take down the bigger destinations.

So gather your crew, get to your keyboards and/or mobile devices and vote Swan Hills onto that Champion’s podium!

Dean LaBerge, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Grizzly Gazette