Only in Alaska can you find a race as unique as the Artic Man. It combines skiers and snowmobilers, a rare group to find anywhere together. This race takes place every April, and a town of RV’s, snowmobiles and event tents, pop up virtually overnight in the middle of nowhere off of Richardson Highway, between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

Each team consists of one snowmobiler and one skier. The race begins with the skier alone at the top of a mountain with an elevation of 5,800 feet. When the start gun goes off, the skier tucks down the mountain without ski poles 1700 vertical feet (in less than two miles). At the bottom, the ski racer enters a narrow canyon and meets up with the snowmobile (teammate) who is merging from another side canyon.

The snowmobiler then attempts to control his speed in such a way, as to allow the skier to grab hold of his towrope without stopping. This critical transition area often determines the winner of the entire race. Here you can see a variety of tactics in place to assist the skier in grabbing the towrope. One example of this would be a PVC type covering over the rope, allowing the driver to hold the rope up off the ground, making it easier for the skier to grab while both are in motion. This also helps prevent the skier from skiing over the rope, or being tangled in it (if the snowmobile snows down too much).

Once the hookup has been made, the snowmobiler can then concentrate on towing the skier 2 ¼ miles up the next hill. The skier holds on tightly with both hands as snowmobilers can get up to 86 mph while towing uphill.

As the team reaches the top of the final hill, the snowmobiler and skier separate. The skier then continues down the second mountain (1200 feet), navigating race gates to the finish line.

Over 13,000 spectators line the course, all on snowmobiles. It is quite a sight to see so many snowmobilers zipping up and down, and all the over the place.

The night before the race starts, a Calcutta takes place and this is one of the highlights for spectators. Everyone gets the chance to bet on his or her favorite team to win. This means that both the winners of the race, and the winners of the Calcutta, can win thousands of dollars!

Watch for the 24th annual Artic Man race on NBC on April 26th, 2009. The race will also air on the BBC show in Europe, but the time and date had yet to be announced at the time of this posting.