BETHEL – The Nenana Ice Classic may have the fame – and the big bucks – but the Kuskokwim Ice Classic has its own charm.
Kuskokwim River ice, which has been moving for more than a week upriver, officially went out at 1:35 p.m. Monday when a tripod built to resemble story knives and a kayak moved far enough downriver to stop the clock. Within hours, the community came out to celebrate at the Bethel Break-Up Bash, which featured free hotdogs, live rock 'n' roll, Yup'ik dancing and temperatures in the 60s.
Nora Horn and Bryan Kelila came closest to guessing the right time, at 1:33 p.m., said Paul Basile, the Kuskokwim Ice Classic director. They win $10,000. In all, more than 6,000 tickets were sold and more than $26,000 collected, Basile said.
The rest of the money goes to five charities that sold ice classic tickets.
As to the student-designed tripod itself, it's headed downriver.
"My hunch is it will become somebody's firewood," Basile said.