Four million cars cross the Mackinac Bridge every year, and a large portion of those are heading for the Upper Peninsula. When they make it across the expanse of the Mighty Mac, the town of St. Ignace is the first thing they see.
What's so wonderful about that is St. Ignace does an amazing job representing the Upper Peninsula--the entirety of it. Hospitality is the name of the game in the town that sits overlooking the Straits of Mackinac, as are so many of the defining traits of the typical Yooper--friendly, outgoing and charismatic. Every shop owner has it, as do the folks you meet simply walking down the street or on your way to catch a ferry to Mackinac Island.
What's more is that the town and the residents who call it home aren't afraid to invite everyone who cares to come for a visit. They aren't shy--and nothing is more evident of that than the two recent world-class events held in St. Ignace.
The
Labatt Blue Adult U.P. Pond Hockey Championships were held last week and the
World Ice & Snow Sailing Championships followed almost immediately. Both of these events bring in a slew of people, and both of them have found a great home in St. Igance.
These events aren't just small little gatherings, either. The pond hockey championship is one of the largest tournaments of its kind in North America. This year, the event's sixth, the tourney hosted approximately 160 teams on 24 separate rinks.
It didn't take long after the hockey players left the ice for the ice sailing athletes from around the world to arrive, and take on the challenge of competing in the 2012 World Ice & Snow Sailing Association championship. The event in St. Ignace marks the first time the WISSA championship has been held in the United States since 1995.
St. Ignace handled the challenge of hosting such top-notch events without batting an eye. Even when Lake Huron's ice conditions refused to cooperate, the city officials didn't sweat it. They headed out to the local lakes and found ice that was suitable for both events.
The entire time the athletes were in St. Ignace and Mackinac County, they experienced just a slice of what the Upper Peninsula has to offer--but at the same time, they were surrounded by people who know how to represent all facets and all corners of the U.P.
Thank you, St. Ignace, for being a world-class representative of the Upper Peninsula and each and every Yooper who calls it home.
Sam Eggleston is the managing editor of U.P. Second Wave. He was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula and has visited St. Ignace at least once a year since he was a small child--and, yet, they still let him come back whenever he wants. He can be reached via email.
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