Feb. 22—By GREG JORDAN

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

As spring weather approaches, the Hatfield-McCoy Trail system was off to a strong start Wednesday while a manufacturer of ATVs debuted its new off-road models on southern West Virginia’s trails.

Jeffrey Lusk, executive director of the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority, said the new ATV tourist season is looking good. Lusk checked the authority’s records for trail pass sales last season. The figures included the number of out-of-state visitors coming to West Virginia to ride the trails which includes the Pocahontas Trail in Mercer County.

“I can give you the exact number. We got all of our reconciliations done now,” he said. “Last year we sold 92,531 passes and 77,897 of them were to non-West Virginia residents, so we are very excited about that. We’re having a great start this year.”

Some recent snow did not reduce ridership, and the numbers of people arriving on the trails is up by about 10 percent so far, Lusk said.

Gov. Jim Justice spoke Wednesday about the Hatfield-McCoy Trails during an administrative briefing and announced that Kawasaki, a manufacturer of ATVs, motorcycles and other vehicles, was unveiling its new off-road models this week in southern West Virginia.

“I’m beyond excited that Kawasaki chose West Virginia to show off their new machine on our Hatfield-McCoy Trails,” Justice said. “These trails are a huge driver for tourism in West Virginia. I’m so proud of the hardworking folks running Hatfield-McCoy and all the small business owners along the trail; they’ve created the success responsible for this week’s tour. It’s truly an honor to have Kawasaki here.”

Lusk said he attended a presentation Monday night about the company’s upcoming visit and unveiling of its new RIDGE® Side x Side.

“We think it’s just amazing,” he said. “They could have gone anywhere in the country. To make this the launch point for this new unit speaks volumes about the trail system and the quality of the trails we have.”

The Kawasaki machines will be ridden on the Bearwallow Trail System in Logan County and Rockhouse Trail System in Mingo County, Lusk said.

State Secretary of Tourism Chelsea Ruby said the company’s visit helps promote the state as a tourist destination.

“It’s so great to see West Virginia in the national spotlight once again. Having a brand like Kawaski chose our state as the backdrop for their product launch is a testament to the success of our rebranding efforts,” Ruby said. “I want to thank Gov. Justice who has led those efforts and shown unwavering support of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails. We’ve seen a complete transformation along the trails in southern West Virginia and none of that would have been possible without the governor and the amazing folks working at the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreational Authority.”

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com