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Yuska Bike Ride Vision Realized
By Paul Lata

Yuska addressing the group of mass start riders in 1992.

Twenty-five years ago, Dr Kenneth Yuska, a local orthopedic surgeon, envisioned hundreds of bicyclists traveling to Marinette-Menominee for a bicycle ride. Bicyclists from out of town would boost the local economy and local residents who participated would become more enthusiastic bicyclists.

Much of Yuska’s motivation stemmed from his desire to encourage bicycling. During his medical training in New York and Tucson, bicyclists were rare and others in his class did not commute by bicycle. Now, years later, bicyclists are common in both places and around much of the United States. Yuska believes that bicycling improves individuals mentally and physically. He credits a ride across Wisconsin with making his son Gregor mentally and physically stronger.

When Yuska first proposed the MRC (Menominee River Century), I was skeptical and told him that it would be difficult to attract tourists to an area not known for bicycling. But I liked the idea and have spent the last 25 years helping to prove Yuska was correct. Over 25,000 bicyclists have ridden more than a million miles since the event began. Today the MRC remains one of the most popular bicycle rides in the Midwest.

Ken Yuska, founder of the Menominee River Century, returns to visit the MRC in 1995.

Yuska was instrumental in startup of the MRC. He persuaded Marinette General Hospital and Menominee County Lloyd hospital to become involved and organized a committee of local bicycle enthusiasts to work with the hospitals. The organizers pulled together an event that drew 122 riders in the first year. As years went by, the MRC grew into a major bicycle event.

Organizers added more enhancements as the MRC grew. A musician himself, Yuska began the tradition of music at the Dory’s rest stop by recruiting Virginia Touplik, a nurse at the hospital, to play the accordion. Yuska says, “It seemed like a good thing to do at the time.” Live music has continued to this day at the MRC and has been added by some other bicycle events.

Although Dr. Yuska has left the area and new resides in Madison, he still returns regularly. He is no longer involved with the MRC but is glad that it has continued. He states that police participation over the years has been one of the things that sets the MRC apart from other bicycle events. He believes that law enforcement officers participate not only to keep the riders safe but because of their desire to do community service. Yuska says he misses the mass start, abandoned many years ago when participation in the MRC peaked. He remembers that the event was a tremendous amount of work and credits those who followed him with keeping the event going.

After leaving Marinette, Yuska continued to be involved in volunteer activities including musical events, a shelter for battered mothers, the Diabetes Association, and others. He credits the MRC with providing the foundation for these activities because they require many of the same principles such as organization, keeping enthusiasm among volunteers, and fiscal responsibility. But, Yuska says, “it all started with the MRC.”

Many things have changed over the years. The two hospitals have merged forming Bay Area Medical Center. The bicycle is now a respected and increasingly important means of transportation. The MRC has grown and matured. And the riders keep coming.