Arctic Man on Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Ballot

Arctic Man is, in our opinion, one of the most raw and radical Ski Racing Events ever hatched.  An extreme combination of gravity and motor sport at speeds well in excess of 80 miles per hour.  A skier starts at the first peak, when they reach the bottom they grab a rope attached to a snogo already in motion which drags the athlete to the next peak and literally slingshots them over the crest of the next run and finishing At the base of the second descent.

It evolved from a bet made in a bar (Sounds familiar Mt Marathon) between skiers and snowmobilers as to who could descend the fastest.  Snowmobiles won all around so they decided to join the two and the Arctic Man was born.

The physical setting Is the spectacular Summit Lake AK with the breathtaking views that one would expect from an Alaskan Event.  It is remotely located about a 4.5 hr drive from Anchorage roughly East by Northeast and about A 3 hr drive South of Fairbanks.

The scene is the ultimate AK tailgate with no shortage of exuberant spectators.  The numbers have grown from about 1,500 to 13,000 spectators in the last five years, which is very impressive considering the effort to get there,  

There is is a list of nearly 40 sponsors.... It's become one of Alaskas premiere events.  The Mens event was cancelled mid race in 2015 which means double the purse in 2016.  This will be a much anticipated race and you'll likely see some familiar faces and no doubt some thrilling athletics.

So book your flight early get in a day of heliskiing a few days on either end at Alyeska and check out the craziest race and funniest group of spectators ever.  2016's race Is scheduled for April 7 with the 8th and 9th as backup days.

Final votes will be tallied on Monday to determine if the Arctic Man has made its way into the Alaskan Sports Hall of Fame (follow the link below).

http://alaskasportshall.org