Rock and Ice Ultra

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Getting the Rock and Ice Going

Rob Howard / 13.02.2007

Next month the Rock and Ice Ultra will take racers from the frontier-mining town of Yellowknife across the frozen wastes of the Great Slave Lake, into a region that holds records for the coldest temperatures in Canada and is famous for the Northern Lights. The prize for the race is diamond and we asked Race Director Scott Smith how’d conceived this gem of a race.

What inspired you to start the Rock and Ice Ultra?
I have been working in the field of international mineral exploration for 15 years and this is very much like AR; just with more parasites. I have also made athletics a big part of my lifestyle and the Rock and Ice project has been a way for me to combine my two passions.

What makes Yellowknife such a special location for a winter endurance race?
The amazing amount of community support for starters; just look at the long list of sponsors and supporters we already have on board for a first year race! Our unbelievably pristine environment, our mind blowing northern lights, the flat and fast terrain, the climate, the culture; we Yellowknifer’s live in the best kept secret in Canada. We are at the very end of a long road and few venture this far north but those who do often choose not to venture back!

You\'ve received a fantastic amount of support locally. Why do you think the community of Yellowknife has taken the Rock and Ice to heart so.
Yellowknifers work long and hard and in conditions that quite often suck; if we’re not freezing our asses off we are being devoured by mosquitoes that equal the number oxygen molecules in the atmosphere. So when a reason to play comes along, like the Rock and Ice Ultra, we tend to give out just as hard. I think we will need to rotate the sponsors annually, or start more races soon.See All Event Posts