For Lumberjack Days, a pontoon on wheels readies for its Downhill Derby debut

Mary Divine, Pioneer Press
·4 min read

Sam Ziemer took a makeshift pontoon car out for a test run on Tuesday at a top-secret test track in western Wisconsin.

Ziemer is one of 11 drivers competing in the Lumberjack Days Downhill Derby at 4 p.m. Friday in Stillwater; the course runs for one block down the Second Street hill near Pioneer Park. Lumberjack Days is returning after a two-year hiatus.

“It ran like a champ,” Zeimer, 37, of Bayport, said after his first foray down the hill. “I was a little nervous. I kind of said ‘Yes’ because I was the smallest of the crew, and then it actually dawned on me that I would actually be barreling down Second Street in it.”

The car – Merganser Customs’ Flote Bote – was built out of leftover bicycle parts and used pontoon parts by Ziemer, Joe Widmer, Ben Pickel and others at Merganser, which is based in Somerset, Wis., and specializes in custom van, bus and pontoon builds.

Ziemer estimates that Flote Bote reached speeds up to 25 miles per hour on Tuesday over the course of six or seven test runs. The crew tailed Ziemer in a golf cart that was used to tow the car back up to the top of a hill. “The golf cart tops out at 22 mph, and I separated from that,” Ziemer said.

Ziemer said he tried going at lower speeds the first couple of runs and had to adjust for fishtailing. “The first time it fishtailed, I could see myself going into the grassy ditch,” he said, “but I managed to keep it on the road and survive unscathed.”

A “Flintstones-type” braking system – “a lever attached to a wooden block that stops the rear tire through friction” – is used to slow the car down. Still, Ziemer plans to wear a bike helmet, elbow pads and a chest protector during Friday’s competition.

“I’m looking for an obnoxious captain’s shirt I can wear over that,” he said. “I don’t think I can wear a captain’s hat. Safety over fashion.”

Widmer, who owns Merganser Customs, also serves as the organizer of the Downhill Derby race. “They call me ‘Derby Joe,’” he said.

Flote Bote was fabricated using less than $100 in parts and equipment, he said. “If you went out and spent a lot of money, it would feel a little dirty,” he said. “This is really to show off your fabricating skills.”

Two drivers compete per heat; the race is double elimination, so drivers can stay alive and knock off the winning-bracket driver, Widmer said, but they would have to beat them twice.

The grand prize? “It’s 100 percent bragging rights and pride, and there might be a little tiny trophy at the end of it too,” Widmer said.

The derby cars will be on display at the Lumberjack Days Ice Cream Social at the Washington County Historic Courthouse in Stillwater on Thursday night. People can vote for “Best in Show” and “Fastest-Looking Car,” Widmer said. “What do they win? Again, just more bragging rights.”

LOCAL MUSIC

Most of the bands playing at Lumberjack Days – including nationally-known Yam Haus, the headliner on Saturday night – have their roots in the St. Croix River Valley, said Paul Creager, the festival’s music organizer.

“We have a commitment to Minnesota because this event is produced in the birthplace of Minnesota,” he said. “There is so much musical talent in the Twin Cities and Minnesota. This year, we really wanted to showcase the extreme local talent.”

Honeybutter, for example, headlines on Friday night; Clara Wicklund, who plays bass and sings, grew up in Marine on St. Croix. Wicklund’s father, Brian Wicklund, also will be performing on Friday night with his band The Barley Jacks.

The father-daughter pairing was intentional, Creager said.

“We want Lumberjack Days to be like a big small-town event – quaint in an intentional way with a welcoming and small-town feel and family oriented community-oriented event,” Creager said. “I expect that after two years away, people really want to connect with the event and experience the things they got to experience in the past.”

LUMBERJACK DAYS

Lumberjack Days returns to downtown Stillwater after a two-year hiatus and will run Friday through Sunday.

On stage: Yam Haus will play 9:30-11 p.m. Saturday on the free stage in Lowell Park, with openers Eleganza, Caballo Cosmico, Clay Fulton and the Lost Forty, and Ruben. Honeybutter will play 10-11 p.m. Friday with openers Barley Jacks and The Sunken Lands. Vallee De Croix, Koo Koo Kanga Roo and The Prizefighters will perform 2-5:45 p.m. Sunday.

Highlights include: The parade is 1 p.m. Sunday. Other highlights include lumberjack demonstrations, medallion hunt, games, rides, log rolling, pancake breakfast, skateboard ramp, yoga and bingo.

To know more: Go to lumberjackdays.com.

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