Here are some fun options to help add some excitement to The Frostbite weekend. All options need to be self-organized!
Host a Post-ski Pie Party
Invite your friends and teammates, new and old, to a pie party after the race! Rules are simple - before The Frostbite, everyone bakes a pie - sweet or savoury - to share a dinner with friends once you've left the ski club. The pies are delicious, the company is lovely, and you get to share your best stories from the trail.
Carry-on a tradition that started due to a friend's birthday taking place on the same day as the 2014 Frostbite 50, which also took place March 14 (international Pi Day)!
Above, inspiration from the first pie party.
Catch a Snowking Show
Yellowknife's Snowking festival is a staple of March. Their schedule of events is a must for tourists and locals alike. Check out their website for more information on events taking place the weekend of the Frostbite.
Carry a baby
But not literally! Ski with an additional 5.5kg of weight in your backpack as an homage to the Birkebeiners of old. These incredible men carried two-year-old prince Haakon Haakonsson 55km across war torn medieval Norway from Lillehammer to Osterdalen to Trondheim to save his life and continue his dynasty. This incredible voyage is still recreated annually in Norway, the United States of America, and Canada!
Though The Frostbite is not associated with the Birkebeiner races, you're still skiing the right distance. Why not add an extra challenge to your race day by adding a sack of flour and a NWT Brewing beer to your backpack?
Though The Frostbite is not associated with the Birkebeiner races, you're still skiing the right distance. Why not add an extra challenge to your race day by adding a sack of flour and a NWT Brewing beer to your backpack?
Bonus cool credits will be given to anyone that undertakes this challenge!
So Nice, you Ski it Twice
The Frostbite stems from a proud tradition of challenging yourself mentally and physically to ski incredible distances. Originally, the Rock and Ice Ultra - the race that evolved into the Frostbite 45, now 55 - was 300km long and skiers slept overnight 5 days in their tents, which they pulled along with them. We've mellowed out a bit here in Yellowknife but you don't have to! Challenge yourself doubly by waking up Sunday morning, strapping on your skis, and skiing the course backwards as a personal challenge! There will be no supports day 2, except what you organize.
Even if you don't decide to ski the full 55km loop day 2, you can still challenge yourself by skiing a short loop somewhere around Yellowknife! Reconnect with an old favourite or discover a new trail, and keep one ski in front of the other.