Kuskokwim Ice Classic has it’s winners

The 2019 Kuskokwim Ice Classic winner is Nuka Leslie Westdahl of St. Mary’s. Her winning time guess was 4:01pm on April 12th, 2019. The tripod clock tripped and stopped at 4:02pm, making Westdahl the winner. For her prize, she took home $12,500 as the single awardee. Westdahl is originally from Bethel.

This year spring came early. Last year the tripod stopped the clock on May 2nd at 7:51pm. And in 2017, the clock stopped on May 6th at 2:51am.

The Kuskokwim Ice Classic Tripod fell through the deteriorating river ice in front of Bethel on April 11, but that did not stop the clock and folks had to wait in anticipation. A line attached to the tripod has to go 150 feet to trip the clock and stop the time.

The tripod was put onto the ice on February 26th, 2019.

The Minute Madness winners this year are: Shaun Codman of Bethel who wins the $10,000 jackpot and Cezary Maczynski, also of Bethel, who won $8,333.34 in Minute Madness Round Two.

Folks gathered near the river on Front Street to celebrate breakup with the annual BreakUp Bash. Groups danced and sang for the crowd while they enjoyed a hotdog roast and watched the river. Senator Lisa Murkowski also was also in attendance.

This is the 15th year that live entertainment has been provided during the BreakUp Bash. The Kuskokwim Ice Classic is sponsored by the Bethel Community Services Foundation.