Racers and fans gather this week at Summit Lake for the annual Arctic Man Ski and SnoGo Classic. Race day is scheduled for Thursday in the Hoodoo Mountains off the Richardson Highway, where organizer Howard Theis said wind has taken a toll on the snowpack.
“And so it’s got a hard base,” Thies said. “We got a snowpack, so we’ll get a course in.”
Theis says past champions in the snowboard and ski divisions are on the roster, but the overall number of teams registered is far below last year’s 65.
”Looks like about 26 teams for the whole thing which is really low this year, but I don’t really know what’s going on this year,” Theis said. “We got what we got.”
Competition aside, Arctic Man typically draws thousands to watch, ride and party in the mountains. Theis says early reservations for campsites were also down this year.
”You know, the economy’s tight,” Thies said. “Everybody understands that. But we’re fine. We’re gonna make budget., We’re gonna make it go.”
Theis notes many Arctic Man fans wait until the last minute before deciding to attend. This year’s Arctic Man event also includes a kid’s snow cross race that’s expected has attracted 65 to 70 competitors.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
