2016 Arctic Man Guide web2

8 • ARCTIC MAN • 2016 • www.ArcticMan.com The race is comprised of teams of skilled competi- tors who test the strength of their athleticism and the horsepower of their snowmachines. Training and trust are the key elements of this dynamic duo. “If you look at all the people that race Arctic Man, there is a loyalty between people – look at John Martin and Petr Kakes. Johhny was 75 years old and driving and Petr was committed to him because he trusted him. That’s a very-established pattern of loy- alty. Marco Sullivan and Tyler Aklestad are another example.” In Arctic Man, the skier or boarder begins at the summit elevation of 5,800 feet and drops 1,700 feet in less than two miles to the bottom of a narrow canyon where they meet up with their snowmachine partner. The snowmachiner meets the skier, on the fly, with a tow rope pulling the skier a little over two miles uphill at top speeds of nearly 90 mph, they then separate, the skier goes over the side of the second mountain and drops another 1,200 feet to the finish line. It’s an adrenaline rush – for spectators, but espe- cially for racers. “We’re battle worn, I’ll tell you that much,” Heil said of he and Story’s long history with the race. “We’ve both been broken, both been repaired and we are both determined and defiant against our age. People keep saying, ‘When are you going to quit,’ and if anything it makes us want to go harder.” SNOWRIDER FILE Spectators crowd the hookup zone, which is one of the more popular areas to watch the event.

2016 Arctic Man Guide web2

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