Frank and Karen Roy are members of the Umbagog Snowmobile Association.
Years snowmobiling: 50-60
Current ride: 2018 Pisten Bully 400 Trail
Favorite sled of all time: Karen claims that Frank’s favorite snowmobile was a Yamaha Vmax. Why would she remember? Because she crashed it (beyond repair) on Dixville Peak, back when the trail was a challenging goat path. Karen chuckles, “I never heard the end of that.”
Current position: Frank is the trail administrator and Karen is secretary. They have volunteered in those positions for decades.
Volunteer work and accomplishments: They both served as officers and on multiple committees, including running the club’s famous steak feed fundraiser, which is still a major attraction.
The duo lived in Concord years ago and would travel to Errol on weekends, eventually building a camp. One of the first things that caught Frank’s attention was an Alpine grooming the trails. He knew that wouldn’t do. Using their own cash as seed money Frank convinced others to donate and then went to the bank and got a personal loan to buy the club’s first large groomer, a Tucker. That first groomer purchase was the catalyst for major trail improvements in Errol.
Frank ran the groomers for years and fixed them, too. In order to mix in some fun, they would get up early and ride before anyone else, then have a late breakfast. Frank would then groom into the evening.
One of their proudest moments was Frank being inducted into the Iron Dog Brigade during the 2015 International Snowmobile Congress.
Tell us a snowmobile story: Their trip to Yellowstone National Park was unforgettable for many reasons. One in particular was Karen being chased by a buffalo. Everyone laughed as she zipped past the group trying to escape. She laughed, too. Eventually.
Tell us something most people don’t know: Snowmobiling brought Frank and Karen together. Back in the day Frank raced Sno-Jets, both ovals and drags. A Harley mechanic who often wrenched his sleds trackside had a lovely daughter named Karen, who also enjoyed snowmobiling…
Karen adds that Frank has a soft heart. While many think he’s a tough guy, that’s not necessarily true. “I enjoy him taking me to my Christmas show in Myrtle Beach and a tap dance show in Concord.”
Favorite riding area: Obviously that would be Errol. One that stands the test of time was the ride from Errol to the Valcourt Grand Prix in Quebec. Many trips to Canada would often start right from the back yard.
Frank Roy passed away on January 17, 2019 and will be dearly missed. His contributions to NH snowmobiling will live on.