One of the most notable facts about Roseau is that it was the birthplace of snowmobiling and Polaris Industries.
Today, Roseau is still home to the snowmobile and Polaris Industries. Although Polaris is most famous for building snowmobiles they now actually produce more All Terrain Vehicles or ATVs than snowmobiles.
Visitors are invited to visit the Polaris Industries assembly plant in Roseau and watch snowmobiles and ATVs being built. Plant tours are Monday through Friday at 2 p.m.
Guests may also visit the Polaris Experience Center located just north of the assembly plant and take a trip back to the very beginnings of Polaris in Roseau and the very first snow machines that are the predecessors of today’s snowmobiles. The Experience Center highlights the changes and growth of Polaris to the company it is today with approximately 16,000 employees worldwide and numerous locations throughout the USA and the World. The Experience Center contains a gift shop where various Polaris items can be purchased. Admission to the Experience Center is free with regular hours Monday through Saturday. Call 218-463-4999 for more information.
Let’s take a look back at the Polaris Race Team, known as the Mid Night Blue Express.
Snowmobile manufacturers, including Minnesota-grown Polaris (Roseau) and Arctic Cat (Thief River Falls), had begun competing with each other on the race track in the late 1960s. By the mid-1970s, professional snowmobile racing was a wildly popular sport with a rabid fan base. Polaris’s factory racing team enjoyed its greatest success with a threesome of drivers—Steve Thorson, Brad Hullings, and Jerry Bunke—known collectively as the Midnight Blue Express. On February 26, 1978, Bunke, whom snowmobile historian Jerry Bassett later called “the supreme embodiment of the golden age of snowmobile racing,” was killed in a race accident. It was clear that the speed of the vehicles and the design of the sleds were changing and moving toward a powerful sport model. (Bunke on the R)
Today two great riding legends still reside in Roseau: Bob Pzakwas and Jim Bernat. Their stories are lively and capture the thrill of the ride. That same thrill that made Polaris the company it is today.
This year Polaris will be celebrating its 70th Anniversary. On January 11, 1956, David Johnson’s snowmobile took its first test run. The rest is history! Roseau will be hosting a celebration commemorating this milestone on August 16-18, 2024.
From an idea developed in a shop in Roseau to a Fortune 500 Company. This company had a rocketship ride to success in development, manufacturing, racing, and engineering. Polaris would like to welcome its riders and all powersport enthusiasts to the city where it all began-Roseau. Come celebrate with us.
Photo Credit: Polaris Industries
