Alaska’s Arctic Man Ski and Sno-Go Classic is widely known as the world’s
toughest downhill ski race.

A new documentary showcasing the 26-year history of this extreme
competition will be premiered at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 10 at the Ratskeller Bar in
Government Camp.

“What started on a bet 26 years ago has emerged into an amazing experience
featuring the top professional skiers, snowboarders and snow machine drivers
from around the world, said Howard Thies, Arctic Man founder and race

director. “When you see this film you’ll understand the amazing athleticism
and courage it takes to compete in the Arctic Man race and the effort involved
in staging it.”

The movie features historical footage of this unique event that combines the
downhill skiing and snowmobiling over an extreme 5-3/4 mile course. The film
includes all aspects of creating the course in the snowy Alaska wilderness plus
clips from ESPN, ABC, and Warren Miller productions of the actual grueling
competition.

Among those featured in the film is Petr Kakes, 54, owner of Hurricane Racing
at Mt. Hood Skibowl, who has competed at the Arctic Man for 18 consecutive
years, won it three times, placed second six times and still holds multiple
course records.

Keree Smith, 19, a Government Camp native, also appears in the film. Last
spring Smith was the youngest woman to ever win the race.

Thies and Kakes will be at the premiere at the Ratskeller, along with many
other Mount Hood skiers who have participated in the heart-stopping,
adrenalin-filled ski race.

Arctic Man is held each April in the remote Hoodoo mountains 150 miles
southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska.

The race is for teams comprised of one skier and one snowmobiler, pairs that
according to Thies “typically don’t coexist.” Skiers begin the first of two
downhill races at a summit elevation of 5,800 feet, dropping to 1,700 feet
over a distance of 1.75 miles.

At the bottom of a narrow canyon the skier picks up a tow rope and is pulled
through the canyon and uphill for 2.25 miles at speeds exceeding 90 mph. At
that point the snow machine and skier part and the skier races another 1.75
miles downhill to the finish line.

Each year approximately 13,000 people gather in the wilderness for the event
– turning remote Summit Lake into Alaska’s third largest community, just for
that week.

Other Mount Hood skiers who share in the history of Arctic Man include:
Katherine Morrell, a local ski instructor, who won the woman’s division in
2010; and past competitors Hans Wipper, Skibowl manager, and Andy
Tagliafico, Government Camp resident and business owner.

Others who have supported the event include John Creel of the Hoodland Fire
Department, who has created innovative equipment for Arctic Man skiers; and
Mike Hays, of Hood River, a former Olympic ski technician who has served as
Kakes’ equipment manager.

This is the first viewing of the movie in the lower 48 and was produced by
Unified Productions, of Bend.

In addition to the showing, Arctic Man items will be given away and copies of
the movie DVD will be available to purchase.