Alaska News

Tripod down! The 2016 Nenana Ice Classic is over

And it's a wrap for the 2016 Nenana Ice Classic.

The black and white tripod on the Nenana River finally fell at 3:39 p.m. Alaska standard time Saturday, according to contest manager Cherrie Forness.

Anticipation began building Saturday afternoon, when the tripod disappeared from the classic's webcam, leading to speculation the tripod was down. It wasn't until later in the afternoon that the cord connecting the tripod to the clock finally pulled, marking the official time.

Forness said this year's winners will split a $300,000 pool. She said it will be a few weeks before the organization announces official winners. Last year 28 people split a $330,000 pool.

The popular guessing game involves participants guessing at exactly which minute the ice on the Nenana River will go out by paying $2.50 per guess.

According to the organization, the earliest the ice has ever gone out was April 20. The latest in the classic's 100-year history was May 20.

Suzanna Caldwell

Suzanna Caldwell is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in 2017.

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