{"id":72155,"date":"2026-01-30T15:10:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T20:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/?p=72155"},"modified":"2026-01-30T15:38:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T20:38:39","slug":"meet-the-michigan-troll-who-runs-an-iconic-up-snowmobile-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/outdoors-life\/meet-the-michigan-troll-who-runs-an-iconic-up-snowmobile-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowmobile race coming to the Soo. Meet the Michigan &#8216;troll&#8217; in charge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The International 500 Snowmobile race is an iconic Upper Peninsula event taking place in Sault Ste. Marie Feb. 1-7<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The chairperson of the race, Ric Federau, is a self-proclaimed \u201ctroll\u201d hailing from more than three hours south of the Mackinac Bridge<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Despite not being from the Sault Ste. Marie area, Federau has managed to help spread race visibility in his role as the longest-serving chair<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>In about a week, as part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/i-500.com\/\">International 500 Snowmobile Endurance Race<\/a>, sleds will zoom around a mile-long ice oval in Sault Ste. Marie, getting up to speeds over 100 mph, attempting to do 500 laps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than a half-century after its founding, the I-500 is the heart and soul of Sault Ste. Marie winters and everyone in the area seems to have a tie to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So why is the race led in large part by \u201ca troll\u201d from under the Mackinac Bridge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ric Federau, the race\u2019s chairperson, is not from the Soo. He\u2019s not even from the Upper Peninsula. He\u2019s from Okemos, near Lansing, more than three hours south of the Mackinac Bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt takes a long time for people from the Upper Peninsula to trust somebody from below the bridge,\u201d said I-500 board member Scott Drzewiecki. He knows from experience, being from Flushing, south of the bridge, himself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRic has gained their trust,\u201d Drzewiecki said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/michigan-history-and-ev-future-collide-snowmobile-museum\/\"><strong>Michigan history and the EV future collide at a UP snowmobile museum<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/outdoors-life\/a-wintry-winter-is-boosting-cold-weather-recreation-in-michigan\/\"><strong>A wintry winter is boosting cold-weather recreation in Michigan<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/outdoors-life\/michigan-state-park-camping-reservations-going-fast-for-memorial-day-weekend\/\"><strong>Michigan state park camping reservations going fast for Memorial Day weekend<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The event was dreamt up in 1968 by local businessmen who looked at an Indy 500 pace car on display in their city and thought about a popular local vehicle. \u201cCould a snowmobile run 500 miles?\u201d they asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Federau, a long-time spectator, got involved as a sponsor in the late-1990s. He owned a company that made reflective safety products and he volunteered to make signs to help guide racers around the curves of the track at night.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At one point, he started attending board meetings \u2014 not in any official capacity, just because he was curious. While watching the proceedings, something started bothering him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-attachment-id=\"72151\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/20251016_ricfederau_courtesyi500-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-S906U&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1760635847&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5.4&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;20&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0010848910005654&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500 (1)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Ric Federau, a self-proclaimed \u2018troll\u2019 who hails from below the Mackinac Bridge, is chair of the iconic Upper Peninsula snowmobile race, the International 500. (Courtesy International 500)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?fit=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A man stands in a field\" class=\"wp-image-72151\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?resize=780%2C439&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20251016_RicFederau_CourtesyI500-1-1024x576.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ric Federau, a self-proclaimed \u2018troll\u2019 who hails from below the Mackinac Bridge, is chair of the iconic Upper Peninsula snowmobile race, the International 500. (Courtesy International 500)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>As he tells it, he had been sitting off to the side, but he stood up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been coming to these now, I think, three or four times,\u201d he recalled saying. \u201cI&#8217;m going to tell you this with no disrespect intended. You people don&#8217;t know what you have. You have the only mile oval ice track in North America. Are you kidding me? You need to promote this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It must have made an impression, because Federau was asked to come on as a board member. He initially declined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s fair to the historical aspect of this, where all your families made this thing happen years ago, and you&#8217;re going to have a \u2018troll\u2019 from below the bridge come up here, be on a board of directors with you guys,\u201d he recalled responding.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But he kept thinking about it. He believed he could bring something to the table. And, eventually, he realized that, as he stepped further away from work, he would need to fill his free time somehow.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, in the early 2000s, the troll from Okemos became a board member of the I-500. In 2013, he was elected chair, and he\u2019s now the longest-serving chairperson the race has ever seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As to why those with ties to Sault Ste. Marie let a troll like Federau play such a central role, board member Wes Jourden said, \u201cHe\u2019s been willing to step up. And he\u2019s a pretty good negotiator.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The I-500 is not just run by Federau. Bill Cryderman is the race director and is integral to the operation. There are also nine board members and hundreds of volunteers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, Federau\u2019s role is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Jourden, Federau is like the captain of the ship.<br>\u201cIn the Navy, the captain gives the orders, but he doesn\u2019t actually steer the ship,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And in the case of the I-500, it\u2019s a big ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI mean, it takes about 400 volunteers, probably somewhere in the range of 50,000 volunteer hours worked,\u201d Jourden said. \u201cHis job is to keep us all together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-attachment-id=\"72153\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/troll_ricandvolunter_i500-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SLT-A65V&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1391276430&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;50&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500 (1)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;International 500 Snowmobile Race Chairperson Ric Federau, right, and a volunteer. (Courtesy International 500)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?fit=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Two men sit in a golf cart\" class=\"wp-image-72153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?resize=780%2C439&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll_RicAndVolunter_I500-1-1024x576.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">International 500 Snowmobile Race Chairperson Ric Federau, right, and a volunteer. (Courtesy International 500)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Federau has grown the visibility of the race. He\u2019s spent the last few summers promoting the I-500 at racecar events, hoping to bridge the gap between stock car racing and snowmobile racing. He\u2019s formed ties with NASCAR and has brought in new sponsors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drzewiecki, who describes Federau as a \u201cball of energy\u201d who \u201clives and breathes\u201d the race, said Federau \u201cthinks like a business person and everything, to Ric, is an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Federau has always had a project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a teen in 1967, he played drums and sang for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/article\/lansing-state-journal-balloon-farm-to-a\/190183584\/\">a five-piece soul and rock band called Balloon Farm<\/a> that toured Michigan with a red trailer shaped like a barn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1980s, he turned away from music long enough to become a professional stoneskipper. Yes, you can get paid to throw rocks onto water and see how many times they hop. There are competitions around the world, including the International Stone Skipping Tournament on Mackinac Island that Federau competed in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnyone can skip stones, but, to be a pro at it, you need a sponsor,\u201d the Lansing State Journal wrote in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/article\/lansing-state-journal-the-onlooker-sto\/190179644\/\">a tongue-in-cheek story about Federau<\/a> in 1982. \u201cRic has a staff of five persons (producer, trainer, photographer, manager and something called a rockman) \u2026 He and his staff all wear \u2018Skip with Ric\u2019 uniforms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_I44uJBvk1U?si=mkzjHe0JzCtPNX1M\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the early 2000s, Federau has poured his heart and soul into the I-500 Snowmobile Race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are the world&#8217;s largest, biggest, actually fastest, longest snowmobile endurance race in the world, no doubt about it,\u201d Federau said. \u201cThe only difference between what we do and what NASCAR does: They do 200 miles an hour, we do 120. They have roll cages, roll bars, HANS (head and neck support) devices, protection. Our guys have a Kevlar vest, and that&#8217;s it,\u201d Federau said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignright has-light-gray-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sign up for our outdoors newsletter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Want more coverage like this delivered directly into your inbox? Sign up for the Bridge Michigan Outdoors newsletter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/signup\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The big race happens Feb. 7, but the I-500 hosts a week\u2019s worth of events that kick off on Sunday. Professional sled racers will come from across the US and Canada and spectators are expected to show up in the thousands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While there\u2019s still lots to do to direct the ship, Federau was able to take a little time to reflect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor them in that community to allow me, somebody from below the bridge, to come in and represent the most prestigious snowmobile event in the world, are you kidding me?\u201d Federau said. \u201cI am one lucky son of a bitch.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ric Federau is the longest serving chair of the International 500 snowmobile race in Sault Ste. Marie, but he\u2019s from south of the Mackinac Bridge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":72152,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-01-30T20:10:15Z","apple_news_api_id":"8736e030-7165-40d9-aaf4-f2d66af5701e","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-01-30T20:38:44Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AhzbgMHFlQNmq9PLWavVwHg","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[2448],"tags":[2396],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[2473],"class_list":["post-72155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outdoors-life","tag-upper-peninsula","entry"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Snowmobile race coming to the Soo. Meet the Michigan &#039;troll&#039; in charge - Bridge Michigan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/outdoors-life\/meet-the-michigan-troll-who-runs-an-iconic-up-snowmobile-race\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Snowmobile race coming to the Soo. Meet the Michigan &#039;troll&#039; in charge - Bridge Michigan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ric Federau is the longest serving chair of the International 500 snowmobile race in Sault Ste. 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One tribe is investing to restore species that have declined in recent decades.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Michigan Environment Watch&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Michigan Environment Watch","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/category\/michigan-environment-watch\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"a net full of fish","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fish-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fish-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fish-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fish-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fish-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":195,"url":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/outdoors-life\/get-outside-michigan-run-freighters-and-catch-sucker\/","url_meta":{"origin":72155,"position":4},"title":"Get outside, Michigan: Run for the freighters and catch a sucker","author":"Laura Herberg","date":"March 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Sault Ste. 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