With the countdown underway to this weekend’s Sheboygan Midwest Challenge on Lake Michigan, it seemed like a good time to talk to the city’s mayor. The conversation ranged from marine motorsport to sports tourism, from environmental sustainability to generating business growth.
In April 2021 as the world emerged from the global pandemic, Ryan Sorenson became Sheboygan’s youngest ever mayor at the age of 27. Millennials are taking a much bigger part in local government across the state of Wisconsin, and Sorenson is excited to see more young people getting involved in politics as he thinks a fresh perspective is a strength. Born and raised in Sheboygan, he is its biggest cheerleader. His political career began at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he majored in political science and history, and he says that being the CEO of the City has made him fall even more in love with his hometown.
The conversation opened gently by asking him about his favorite sports and how much he knows about powerboat racing. “I’m a fan for the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Bucks, but I did know much about powerboats until we hosted the Mercury Racing Midwest Challenge last year,” he replied. “It was our first powerboat event and we were super excited to then receive the 2023 American Power Boat Association Best Race Site Award.” The event celebrated Mercury Racing’s 50anniversary and its nearby Fond du Lac headquarters is important to the regional economy with many people in the Sheboygan area working there. “Wisconsin has a proud history of having a strong manufacturing economye’re famous for sausages, toilets seats, cheese and much more
We move on to Sheboygan being known as the Malibu of the Midwest, with Visit Sheboygan’s figures highlighting that about 1.5 million tourists visit the area each year. A key part of the city’s sports tourism program includes charter fishing, surfing, sailing and golf, and the Mayor welcomes the powerboat racing to attract even more visitors. Last year’s Midwest Challenge reportedly generated an estimated $4.7 million in economic impact and attracted 43,000 visitors, and Powerboat P1’s television coverage showcases the city to both domestic and international audiences.
“Lake Michigan is our number one natural resource and protecting it is key to ensuring that our coastline is resilient,” he adds. "We are proud to be a Green Tier Legacy Community with the Department of Natural Resources and making progress in becoming a more sustainable community.”
Looking ahead to this weekend, Mayor Sorenson said enthusiastically: “We are so pumped about the Midwest Challenge returning. We love showcasing our waterfront and I hope the relationship between the City of Sheboygan and Powerboat P1 continues to grow. Having this event here makes summer in Sheboygan exhilarating, and I hope we can continue to bring awesome events like this to our city.”
When asked how Sheboygan has changed under his leadership and what he would like his legacy to be, the mayor replied, “We have made investments in our infrastructure, built more housing, and have seen business growth. I hope we can continue to move our community forward. We have so much more work to do, and we need to continue to make investments in growth for our wonderful city.”
As the discussion concluded, the mayor was asked if he would like to have a ride in one of the race boats this week. His answer: “You bet!”
Photo courtesy City of Sheboygan & Ronny Mac.