Author Archives: Admin

Interested in raising money for your group?

The Kusko Ice Classic is accepting applications from groups wishing to benefit from Ice Classic ticket sales. This year both youth-serving and other groups may apply. The deadline is Wednesday, January 30 at 5 pm.

Click here to download the application!
(Adobe Acrobat Required)

Make sure to get them done and turned in the following ways:

1. Completed applications may be scanned and emailed to michelle@bcsfoundation.org
2. Faxed to the Ice Classic at 907-543-1826
3. Mailed to Kusko Ice Classic c/o BCSF at PO Box 2189; Bethel, AK  99559

This is a great way for Groups to earn money and participate in our annual event.

Join the fun! 

We’ve been watching the river with excitement for days! On May 2nd, 2018 the tripod movement stopped the clock at 7:51 pm. There are two winners who will split the 2018 jackpot: Ben Kuntz of Bethel and Lilly Carter of Kwigillingok. Ben and Lilly both guessed the exact time of 7:51 pm.

The Ice Classic also held the Minute Madness contest this year. Participants guessed only the minute of breakup for this second jackpot. Out of the 60 tickets sold, Team Savo of Dillingham, led by William Savo, won with the minute 0:51. Team Savo earns the $10,000 jackpot. Interesting fact: Minute 51 was ALSO the winning minute last year when the clock stopped at 2:51 am!

There were two days of intense suspense for many Ice Classic fans. On Monday evening, the tripod traveled about half the distance it needed to go before stalling out. The tripod remained in the same location until Wednesday afternoon, when it traveled all but the remaining 10-15 feet. Finally at 7:51 pm, it finished its journey.

The winner of the Ice Classic is determined by the person or persons who guess the exact minute of breakup. If no one has guessed the exact minute of breakup, the next closest minute on either side of the exact minute will be the winning time. The time of breakup is determined by the minute the tripod movement causes the clock to stop. You can watch breakup occurring on the webcam time lapse here at our website.

Youth groups in the Y-K Delta benefit from the Kuskokwim Ice Classic. This year’s beneficiary groups are Delta Illusions Dance Co., Teens Acting Against Violence, Kuskokwim Learning Academy Student Government and the YK Delta Lifesavers in Bethel; Aniak Mix Six Volleyball, the Napaskiak Senior Class, the Kwigillingok Senior Class and the Native Village of Hooper Bay Youth Program. All of these groups were ticket sellers for the event.

For those of you in Bethel, join us for the annual Breakup Bash celebration at the riverfront across from First National Bank of Alaska Friday, May 4th starting at 5 p.m. We will have live music, entertainment and free hot dogs sponsored by Alaska Commercial Co. to celebrate breakup. Donlin Gold will also pass out life jackets. For those of you not in Bethel, you will miss the hot dogs but can watch Bethelites celebrating this change in season via our webcam!

The clock has stopped! The official breakup time is Wednesday, May 2 at 7:51 pm.  We know who our Kusko Ice Classic and Minute Madness winners are BUT we are waiting to announce until we meet with KYUK around 9 pm. We’ll have an announcement posted immediately after we have had that meeting and contacted the winners.

By the way, if you think you have the winning guess- answer your phones!
Here’s a couple housekeeping items:
1) Yep, the Tripod didn’t move far. A sheet of ice started moving and the tripod advanced far enough to run out of line and stop the clock. So it’s still in view but the contests are finished.
2) Breakup Bash, with free hot dogs provided by Alaska Commercial Company, will be Friday at 5 pm at the river wall in front of FNBA! We’re waiting til Friday due to KuC graduation tomorrow, the chance to kick off the weekend with a free hot dog and to give our entertainers a chance to prepare.

Still waiting and watching!

Spring has officially arrived! The Kuskokwim Ice Classic Tripod has been raised and is ready to go!

This year, the Ice Classic had to do a bit extra work to prepare for the raising. In 2015, the Tripod committee was interested in changing up the Tripod. We asked the LKSD STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) students for ideas. The idea of a tripod consisting of storyknives and kayaks was so unique that we couldn’t pass it up. We took that idea and gave it to master builder, Eric Whitney, who transformed the idea into a massive work of art that stood on the River for all to gaze and guess that year.

As luck would have it, when the river went out the tripod was so well built and breakup was so mild, that Eric was able to kayak himself to the now floating tripod and bring it home! In 2016 the tripod was resurrected, repainted, and raised for the 2016 Ice Classic, but unfortunately it was crushed by the ice and went downriver never to be seen again.

Over the Christmas break, Eric stepped up to the task again and this year we have a new tripod with an amazing paint scheme that looks tremendous! You really have to see it!

This morning onlookers watched as Eric, Robert Hodges, Bob Wasierski and the Ice Classic crew raised the tripod for 2017. It went off without a hitch and now stands proud and tall marking this start of the Spring season.

Thank you so much to everyone, but especially, Whitney Home and Energy, AMW Construction, Rick Hanson, Robert Hodges, Yuut Elitnaurviat, Lucas Salzbrun (Rural Service Solutions), and everyone who participated. Get your guesses in! It won’t be long until it’s that time!!