Only in Alaska would people bet on ice melting, but that is what we do. For over 100 years, people in Alaska have watched the river ice break up and thought about winning big. This lottery is based on when the spring thaw will melt the ice enough to knock over a tripod poised in the middle of the Nenana River in Interior Alaska. Get your tickets now to guess when spring will come. It helps to pass the long winter nights, dreaming of spring break up.
Nenana is a village on the Nenana River and along the Parks Highway, the north-south artery of the road system in Alaska.
Travis| Flickr
The town has about 350 residents, many of whom work during the spring on the Nenana Ice Classic, the unique gambling event that has been a long-standing tradition in Alaska.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM | Flickr
The Nenana Ice Classic has been around since 1917, now a charitable gaming organization. People buy tickets with guesses as to when the ice will melt and tripod will fall. The closest tickets or group of tickets shares the pot of around $250,000!
James Brooks | Flickr
The tripod stands watch on the river, counting down the days until spring really arrives. Out there on the massive Tanana River, the tripod doesn’t look that big.
Travis | Flickr
As you pull into town next to the river, you start to see the scale of this device perfectly engineered for the job it is tasked to do.
diane cordell | Flickr
Tripods are replaced when they get lost. Each year when the river breaks free, it often carries the tripod down the river until it is found by someone with a boat.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM | Flickr
The tower is part of the system designed by a Nenana resident named Fred Mueller, long ago. The ingenious system causes a cleaver to cut a rope when the tripod gets about 100 feet down river of the tower.
J. Stephen Conn | Flickr
Tickets are on sale from February 1 to April 5 each year, as the ice has never gone out before that. Get yours today.
readlistendream | Flickr There are layers of precautions to prevent tampering with the results. A live web cam and constant human watch guards make sure the contest is fair.
Nenana is a gorgeous spot to visit any time of year. If you are headed near Nenana, stop by and check out the tripod. Maybe get a ticket for the classic while you’re at it, as this is a time-honored Alaskan tradition.
Travis | Flickr
If you’re hungry, Take A Journey To The Top Of The World For The Best Chinese Food in Alaska. Ot you might like to try Take This Dog Mushing Tour For A Winter Adventure In Alaska.
Travis| Flickr
Jimmy Emerson, DVM | Flickr
James Brooks | Flickr
Travis | Flickr
diane cordell | Flickr
J. Stephen Conn | Flickr
readlistendream | Flickr
There are layers of precautions to prevent tampering with the results. A live web cam and constant human watch guards make sure the contest is fair.
Have you seen the tripod or played the Nenana Ice Classic? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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