Hiller's Radar Run to Return in '26 After One-Year Absence

Organizers of one of the most widely recognized and supported fundraiser events of the winter months are planning a return to Little St. Germain Lake this coming February.

After losing some momentum and pausing Hiller's Radar Run this past season, along with the subsequent events which included their famous bikini runs, the volunteers behind the scenes are bringing the show back to ice after setting the event down in 2025.

"The show must go on," the group wrote in a social media post last week. "We are excited to have the St. Germain Chamber and The Snow Outlaws continue the Hiller's Radar Run in St. Germain. Knocker's Bikini Run racers are back at it, raising funds, making appearances at events and ready to race back in St. Germain and continue to be a huge show for this event."

Scheduled for Feb. 13-14, 2026, the event will be a two-day spectacular on the West Bay of Little St. Germain Lake where, along with the famous fundraising bikini runs hosted by the West Bay Radar Racers group, there will also be sanctioned radar runs through the Snow Outlaws group.

Organizers and volunteers announced the 2025 Hiller’s Radar Run in St. Germain was going to be postponed in August of 2024 for at least the coming winter season, as the main group responsible for hosting the event each year needed to reset and refocus their efforts.

The West Bay Radar Racers, composed of committee members Amy Greenberg, Greg Byrns, Tom Best, Jim and Mary Anderson, and Shelley Hodkiewicz, made the official announcement, citing growing issues behind the scenes in particular as the main culprit.

Lack of winter weather also had thrown the group plenty of obstacles the last few years, though the group had moved events a few different times from West Bay on Little St. Germain Lake to areas within the town to try and keep momentum going.

However, putting on the popular event came with many headaches. And with getting less and less help from a number of different entities within the town and area, it led to the decision to sit out last year as the group put its time and efforts into bringing the event back to prominence again in 2026.

“Our decision to take a reprieve from the event for the 2025 season was not made lightly and there were many contributing factors,” said Greenberg, one of the lead organizers of the event and a spokesperson for the West Bay Radar Races, a 100% nonprofit group that for over 20 years has taken on the responsibility of spearheading the event.

“For the majority of our board members, the biggest factor comes down to the time we have taken away from our families and businesses, as well as events in our personal lives that cannot be put on the backburner or ignored,” she said. “As a committee, we know the amount of time, effort and planning it takes to put on our event as we have lived it for the past 20 years. Over the years, it has grown to one of the biggest winter events in our state and is not one that can simply be passed on to someone else to put on.”

The news of the event rekindling spread quickly, as members of the community quickly reacted to the positive forecast of Hiller's Radar Runs returning. The last season the event was held was 2024 when the group of bikini racers raised more than $86,000 in pledges and donations to help support the numerous area causes.

For information about the event, or to volunteer to help, contact the West Bay Radar Racers group at amyjo05@gmail.com

About the author: Doug Etten is a 20-year Northwoods resident whose life in journalism began in high school where he rose to editor of his school's newspaper. After graduating he achieved an Associate Degree in Communications from the UW-Systems Colleges and began working for The Star News in Medford. After two tours with The Lakeland Times in Minocqua where he served as reporter, Sports Editor, Outdoors Editor and photographer, he was also Sports Editor at the Tahoe Daily Tribune in South Lake Tahoe before working for the Vilas County News-Review in Eagle River as reporter, photographer, Sports Editor, News Editor and Sales Manager. Etten currently serves as Director of Sales for Hahn Printing and North Star Marketing in Eagle River. He, his wife Ellie, daughter Liza and son Luther reside in Woodruff.