Viva the Stick! The Leland Stick hung on through blizzards and windstorms. For more than two years, a humble stick came to symbolize the spirit of Leland. Once hanging from a powerline crossing M-22 just south of Leland, the Leland Stick is no more. Around 3 p.m. on May 12, a tree crew clearing limbs removed the branch and almost certainly reduced it to undifferentiated chips. For many, it was the unofficial Welcome to Leland sign.
Since opening a year ago on June 24, and pumping even more excitement into an already thriving downtown, the River Club Glen Arbor minigolf course and outdoor lounge has hosted wedding receptions, corporate events, family reunions, many kid playdates, a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, the M22 Challenge afterparty, and at least one marriage proposal on the venue’s sky deck. Sheldon and his team built the venue on the banks of the Crystal River large enough to be able to accommodate both special events and everyday customers. “What’s unique about this place relative to the alternatives is that we can handle a massive amount of people and not have it overwhelm the system,” said Sheldon. “You couldn’t go to average bar or small winery [elsewhere in Leelanau County] and do that. Plus, we have live music, and the river, and food. People are discovering that it’s an ideal location if you have a group.”
Ryan DeCook, a 42-year-old resident of Washington, Michigan, won his second consecutive M22 Challenge on Saturday, June 10, with an overall time of 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 47 seconds. This was the third time he has won the popular triathlon, which local organizers consider one of the most beautiful races in the nation.
More than 900 athletes came out to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore early Saturday morning to participate in the ninth annual M22 Challenge. Nicholas Amato, 20, of Suttons Bay, was the first in the men’s group to cross the finish line at a time of 1:15:06, with Jamie Endicott, 24, of Oak Park, securing the top honor among the women with a time of 1:26:46.
Northern Michigan’s largest brand puts on one of the best athletic events of the year. At 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 10, 900 racers will line up for the ninth annual M22 Challenge. The race includes a 2.5-mile run, 17-mile bicycle ride, and 2.5-mile paddle — making it the most unique “tri” event in northern Michigan.
Glen Arbor pedestrians and shopping tourists have one more reason to walk west on M-109 this spring. Just past the Good Harbor Grill and the Pine Cone ice cream shop, Katy and Matt Wiesen have opened the clothing apparel store Coastal in the space formerly occupied by Great Lakes Tea & Spice. The tea & spice shop hopscotched west to the other side of Ruth Conklin Gallery, and now shares a space with Arabella Concepts jewelry store.
In celebration of Earth Day last Saturday, M22, a Michigan-based lifestyle company, pledged 100 percent of all in-store and online gross sales to the Leelanau Conservancy. Supporters of both M22 and the conservancy came out in force, generating nearly $20,000 in sales, which represents the largest single-day donation by the company to the conservancy to date.
Online registration for the ninth annual M22 Challenge will go “live” at 8 a.m. on March 1. The event, to be held Saturday, June 10, near the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb, is capped at 900 athletes and in the past several years has reached capacity within 15 minutes.
M-22 is a scenic road that hugs the Lake Michigan shoreline, it’s the namesake of a triathlon, it’s an apparel brand, and apparently also a hot commodity for thieves. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) says it has replaced approximately 90 M-22 road signs in the past three years.
Check out this video of last year’s M-22 Challenge. This unique triathlon features a run up the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb, a bike race around the Glen Lakes and a paddle on Little Glen Lake.