For 34 years, Iceman has been a midwinter Prince George tradition.
Every February since 1988 the city’s most unique annual sporting event has attracted hundreds of participants who race the clock and themselves in a test of endurance which combines cross-country skiing, running, skating and swimming.
But there will be no Prince George Iceman in 2021. The pandemic and crowd-size limitations to reduce the threat of the virus have forced the organizing committee to cancel it.
“It didn’t look like the event was going to be able to go ahead with the restrictions currently in place and it doesn’t look like those restrictions are going to be lifted anytime soon, especially with the pool and the Civic Centre for the banquet,” said Jim Van Bakel, the Iceman registrar.
“We wanted to make that decision before we started registration and the whole organizing process. It is quite early to make the decision but we have had to make the decision early, mainly to save the hassle of going through the registration process and then trying to figure out how to refund the people. We also didn’t want to pay the deposits on the facilities we use and spend money this year we possibly we weren’t going to get back.”
Only twice in its 34-year history has the Iceman been canceled, both times due to cold weather. In 1996 and 2014 the morning race temperatures failed to reach the -20 C cutoff. The start temperature of the inaugural race in 1988 was a bone-chilling -33 C, but the race still went ahead.
“It’ll be missed for sure,” said Van Bakel. “We are disappointed it can’t go on but we know people will understand it and we appreciate their understanding. It’s a 100 per cent volunteer-run event and we do our best to put it on and sometimes it doesn’t work, usually because of weather but this year because of a pandemic.”
Iceman starts with an eight-kilometre ski at Otway Nordic Centre and from there runners hoof it 10 km to the Exhibition Park ice oval for a five km skate, then run another five km to the Aquatic Centre for the final leg, an 800 metre swim. The post-race awards banquet then follows at the Prince George Convention and Civic Centre.
Last year’s Iceman drew 512 competitors who took up the challenge to race as individuals or on teams and the numbers have hovered close to that the past decade. The high-water mark was in 2002 when the race drew 778 participants.
Van Bakel, the Iceman registrar for six years, served a dual role on the Iceman committee as its unofficial chairman for the past three years. Melissa Martinson took over the duties as chair this year.
