Ken Whitehorse Nominated for 4LIYC Honor Roll

by | Jan 18, 2024 | 2023-2024, Home Page, ISA

Photo: Sean R. Heavy

Ken Whitehorse Archives
4LIYC Honor Roll
Ken Whitehorse has been nominated for induction in to the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Honor Roll by Greg McCormick and Daniel Hearn. Congratulations, Ken, and thank you for contributing so much of your time and effort to this club and the sport of iceboating. The club will vote on the recent Bylaw proposal and Ken’s induction into the Honor Roll at our February 15, 2024 business meeting.

Never in the history of competitive iceboating has the name of a boat more clearly reflected the heart and character of its skipper. This is especially true in the case of Kenny Whitehorse, sailing his A skeeter WARRIOR. Kenny’s tenacious and competitive spirit was never more evident than when he won the 1977 Northwest regatta, claiming victory in an epic battle over the Skeeter Iceboat Club’s Sparky Lundberg. Kenny won the regatta on the last leg of the final race, with the lead changing right up to the finish. Those in attendance witnessed one of the sport’s most epic battles. Kenny’s cousin, Greg Whitehorse, reflected on his many years of racing Ken and stated, “I could never manage to beat him in the close ones.”

Kenny’s indomitable spirit could also be observed off the ice, squaring up with Buddy himself in one of Fontana’s favorite haunts: “Chucks.”
Details can get lost over time, but one thing is perfectly clear: somebuddy poked the bear.

Remarkably, Kenny’s most lasting contributions to the sport may not be on the ice but in the countless hours of painting, welding, building, tuning, and repairing club equipment and competitors’ boats. Ken has fixed or repaired four-wheelers for both the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club and the DN Western Regional Association. Without skilled sailors like Kenny lending their time and talent, safe and competitive racing would not happen.

Ken Whitehorse has competed and won against the legends of the sport, including Mattison, Melges, and Kruger. One of those legends is Kenny’s trailer and shop partner, Paul Kruger. Their teamwork has enabled them to sail recreationally and competitively into their 7th and 8th decades—a remarkable achievement. Ken has proven to be a fierce competitor and loyal friend and truly deserves to be inducted into the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club’s Honor Roll.
Submitted by Greg McCormick and Daniel Hearn

Pk Skeeter Iceboat Sailor
Gang Of 5
Ken Whitehorse Bill Mattison
Kn Whitehorse A Skeeter
A Skeeter Champion Ken Wahoo Whitehorse Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club, holding the Tom Hyslop Sunday Series trophy and coveted Bottle Trophy donated by Harry Whitehorse. The A Skeeter fleet sailed 32 races.
Atv 1
Bottle Trophy

Wisconsin Skeeter Association 2023 Virtual Awards Ceremony

by | Apr 20, 2023 | 2022-2023, Home Page, ISA

Ken Whitehorse on Lake Kegonsa in March 2023. Photo: Ethan Brodksy

The awards season kicks off today with this virtual presentation for the Wisconsin Skeeter Association. The in-person 4LIYC banquet is this Saturday, April 22 at Springer’s on Lake Kegonsa. There’s still room for you to join the party! Please get in touch with Deb today.

Submitted by WSA Trophy Chair Ken Whitehorse:
Eleven years ago, Paul Krueger, Bill Dale, Tom Hyslop, and Ken Whitehorse formed the Wisconsin Skeeter Racing Association while sailing on Green Bay in mid-April 2012. We sailed six competitive races, yet “how would you know (copyright Bill Mattison.).” During lunch breaks, the racers discussed how poor ice conditions made club races a rarity. We determined that wherever good ice should appear in Wisconsin, we would hold sanctioned iceboat races as the Wisconsin Skeeter Racing Association. Wisconsin iceboat clubs carry letters on their sails: M for Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club in Madison, I for Skeeter Iceboat Club in Lake Geneva, V for Pewaukee, and U for Windjammers in Green Bay.

The 2023 champions are:
C Skeeter: Pat Heppert
B Skeeter: Jim Smith
A Skeeter: Ken Wahoo Whitehorse

Kn Whitehorse A Skeeter
A Skeeter Champion Ken Wahoo Whitehorse Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club, holding the Tom Hyslop Sunday Series trophy and coveted Bottle Trophy donated by Harry Whitehorse. The A Skeeter fleet sailed 32 races.
Pat Heppert C Skeeter
C Skeeter Champion Pat Heppert Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club, holding the Pat Heppert Wisconsin C Skeeter trophy donated by Damien Luyet. The C Skeeters held 5 races.
jim-smith-b-skeeter
B Skeeter champion, Jim Smith, Skeeter Iceboat Club, holding holding the Little Brave M195 B Skeeter Trophy donated by Harry Whitehorse. The B Fleet sailed 15 races. First time champion, Jim Smith, out sailed 3 time champion, Steve Schalk.

4LIYC Racing Report: Fun For the Faithful

by | Mar 6, 2023 | 2022-2023, Home Page

Ken Whitehorse’s Class A Skeeter WARRIOR. Photo: Ethan Brodsky

4LIYC Racing Scores

Fun For The Faithful

This time of year, when both the weather and the Fat Lady are warming up, it’s only the faithful who show up for possible ice sailing. What looked to be a questionable weekend turned out to be loads of fun. On Saturday morning, the ice had firmed up nicely, but there didn’t appear to be a lot of wind, as our launch area was on the protected shore. Undeterred, as the rest of the faithful had what we’ll call a casual setup pace, I pushed off to check things out. Once clear of the point, Chaos, my Renegade, hooked up immediately. For about the next hour, I explored the entire lake, never seeing any ice to be concerned about. By about 11:00 or so, the rest of the fleet made their way out to the .9 mile course set up by our esteemed Treasurer and Saturday PRO, Jerry Simon, assisted by the Goddess of All Things Ice Sailing, Deb Whitehorse. It became apparent that racing might be a challenge at this point. And since we were now conveniently located on the Springer’s side of the lake, we decided the wise call would be to head to lunch. We summoned our Ice Uber, a red Bombardier with license DX 4967, driven by Jerry, who promptly delivered us to our destination. Delicious lunches were had by all. And one beer, but not by an iceboat pilot.

 

Shortly after 1:00, we decided it was time to give it a go. By the time the first flag dropped, the ice had softened up quite a lot with the increasing temperatures. The Renegades went off on port and the DNs went off on starboard. The first lap was great for everybody, but then the combination of slushier surface and lighter wind turned the remainder of the race into a pushing contest. The former runner and the former triathlete, both with bad knees, continued their battle until realizing the RC had taken down the bottom mark. The sailor who prefers a supplemental push at the start and the one who had some work done on his ticker, were much smarter than the over-the-hill athletes. They retired after the first lap chuckling to themselves watching two knuckleheads try to sail in slush without enough wind. Chris Berger in his DN was able to keep her going for three laps, so he was our one race overall winner.

 

Hoping the forecasted afternoon wind would arrive, we made our way back to the pits, some with motorized assistance. After an hour or so of visiting in the pits, the breeze did indeed fill in. The surface was slushy in spots, but we now had enough velocity to blast right through. The DNs ventured back out, along with Greg McCormick and me in our Renegades. We had a wonderful afternoon just sailing around. Once it started to drizzle, we decided it was time to call it a day.

 

When I pulled up to the ice Sunday, it was already a great day. It warmed my heart to see my friend, Tim McCormick, on the ice setting up his Renegade. Tim has been fighting a more important battle, so I was thrilled to see him. And joining the optimism for the day, were Kenny and Pk setting up their A-Class Skeeters, with the newly MacGyvered DN Western Region ATV stationed nearby. As the morning progressed, many guests arrived with Nites and DNs. It was wonderful to meet so many new people who share our passion. Also joining was a couple who came all the way from the Twin Cities just to check out ice sailing. They’ve been following the action on our website, so with an open weekend available, Greta and Handan (sorry, doc, if I just sent your name to the ER) to see if they could get a ride. After a tour of the various boats and a spin on the motorized kick sled, they took turns driving my Renegade assisted with the new boat-pusher Kenny made for the WR-ATV. With the coach just astern, “left-right-sheet in-sheet out” were the only instructions needed. They both did great and also took turns in Tim Mower’s DN. Hope they’ll join us again!

 

By mid-afternoon, the breeze had filled in nicely. With the, now, pretty slushy conditions and wise age of our A-Skeeter pilots, they elected to do flying starts for their races. We’d wind them up with the WR-ATV; they’d get themselves in close formation and pass through the line together to start each race. It worked great and PK and Kenny had a ball. At least until PK’s mast dropped near the top mark. You’ll have to get those “dets” from him on that. The Renegades ripped off four races, each won by a McCormick. And the DNs also notched four, with Matt Meyer setting the pace.

 

Back in the pits, it was a group effort to get everything off the ice using the aluminum ramps to protect the ice. Andy McCormick showed up at that time. It was either a meeting of the Irish Republican Army–Madison Chapter, or a discussion about the Northwest. Maybe both.
Daniel Hearn

MacGyver of Madison

by | Mar 2, 2023 | 2022-2023, DN, Home Page


Even as we wait to get back on the lake, ice sailing shops have been keeping busy. The DN Western Region ATV gets a complete make over thanks to 4LIYC Skeeter sailor, Ken Whitehorse.
Via 4LIYC Commodore Daniel Hearn:

Not sure what it is about ice sailing that attracts people with little use for idle time and a penchant for ingenuity, but the sport is flush with such individuals. In Madison, Ken Whitehorse matches the profile perfectly. I always call him Kenny. Probably because it feels to me more fitting for his youthful spirit. He’s one of those guys who is older than he looks, with the same mischievous sparkle in his eyes that I see in my grandson. And a head of hair worthy of a rock star. Honestly, I don’t know Kenny well, but I know he’s got a huge heart. If it were not for Kenny, we wouldn’t get to see PK (Paul Krueger) on the ice ripping it up anytime 4LIYC is in action.

 

If you’ve ever been to Kenny’s shop, you’ll learn instantly that he is also Madison’s MacGyver. The “Past Champions Iceboat Shop” is housed in a building that used to be a Whitehorse Body Shop. Back in the day, I’m told it was stuffed with race cars, when the bill-paying cars were pushed out of the way. Now it’s stuffed with decades of ice sailing gear, each with a unique story Kenny would be happy to tell. And various motorized vehicles seemingly close to successful ignition, but just not quite there yet. Kenny has a very impressive “To Do” List.

 

I am certain his personal list would be shorter, if he weren’t doing stuff for others all the time. Over the last couple weeks he’s created the DN Western Region ATV Version 2.0. Thanks to Kenny, this machine will now be the envy of the ice sailing world. V2.0 is sporting a shiny new muffler, even though a local dealer told us it couldn’t be replaced. And that 4WD that wasn’t working? A new switch assembly made the orange 4WD indicator light shine like a Christmas tree. With the remaining maintenance items addressed, it was now time to macgyver. First up was the hitch. It’s always been kinda janky, so Kenny welded up a heavy duty reinforcement bracket. Even for “that-hurts-my-back” tongue weight, the hitch is now good-to-go. And for the “don’t-kid-yourself” tongue weight trailers, the Kenny Tongue Jack Sled, which he created last season, now has a rock-solid place for attachment.

 

Not satisfied with just rear-end upgrades, Kenny MacGyver decided V2.0 needed a combination boat pusher and fold up scoring table on the front end. This machine is now MONEY! If you’re a DNr, buy Kenny a PBR the next time you see him. If you’re not a DNr, buy him a PBR anyway. You’ll be particularly grateful when V2.0 shows up to push you back to the pits when the wind dies.

 

Thanks, Kenny!

The Regatta That Wasn’t

by | Feb 17, 2023 | 2022-2023, Home Page, ISA

WSA Official Ice Hunting Vehicle

The Wisconsin Skeeter Association President, Ken Whitehorse, has been doing everything to find ice for the Skeeters. He thought he had a site lined up on Lake Petenwell in central Wisconsin with the prerequisite bar and restaurant at the landing, but “nothing fickler” came into play. Looks like Madison area lakes received another dose of snow yesterday meaning we wait for the big Zamboni to roll through again. I’m in Stockholm, soon heading to Latvia for the DN European Championship. The weather over here isn’t making it any easier either.

The Wisconsin Skeeter Racing Championship Race is called off. The Director of Competition, Tom Hyslop advised me to evaluate the smoothness of the racing surface. The surface is race worthy provided there is light wind velocity. However the racing surface is more than 1 1/2 miles out. We would need a safety committee and vehicles. This is a mammoth lake and there are very few sports people on it. Today people drove their trucks all the way across. 12″ to 14″ of ice is the report. If the ice surface were closer to the shore and the Lure Restaurant launch site you can bet M-197 and M-165 would be rippin’ it up this weekend. Let see what happens during this week. Fair winds to all!
-Ken Whitehorse