Two brothers from Legal are preparing to freeze their butts off this weekend as they challenge the world's coldest ice race.
About 150 motorheads from across the continent are set to roar onto Sandy Lake this Saturday for the Numb Bum 24, says race marshal Daniel Cheron. Racers will ride quads and mini-bikes on glare ice for up to 24 hours in an attempt to best the world's longest and coldest motorized ice race.
"This is Canada's toughest race," Cheron says. "It doesn't matter if it's a blizzard or minus 48 C … we do not cancel the race for any reason."
Riders will face a twisted 15-to-20-kilometre course on the lake surface and competition from across the continent. "We're expecting 16 guys on four motorcycles from Seattle," he says. "The only time they see ice is when they come here."
Team Nightmare's Douglas and Brandon Phillips will also challenge the course. At 18 and 16, the two Legal boys will be among the youngest racers on the lake.
It's a great adrenaline rush, says Brandon, who has suffered severe frostbite on his face during the event. "Usually [our friends] think we're a little nuts."
Challengers of the cold
Brandon and Douglas have been race fans ever since they were kids, says their mother, Denise Phillips. "Our children have been pretty much raised on dirt-bikes and quads," she says, with one of them starting at age two.
Brandon and Douglas say they signed up for the race as soon as they met the minimum age requirement of 14. (Brandon actually turned 14 the day of the race.) "The first year was really cold and tiring," Brandon says, but they still managed to place third in their class. This will be their third crack at the event.
They've already tricked out their Sierra F450R bike with all the necessary parts: chain guard, tweaked gearbox, oversized gas tank and spiked tires. This wasn't cheap: just one of the tires costs about $500.
They're hoping to finish in the top three, Brandon says, but, like most racers, they'll be happy if they finish at all — the race is notorious for breaking bikes and riders alike. "Finishing the race is the most important thing."
The extreme cold and length of the race is very tough on machines, says Tony Viveiros, general manager of St. Albert's Riverside Honda & Ski-Doo and sponsor of the Phillips brothers. "The machines are usually going wide-open for the better part of 24 hours, so the engine really takes a beating." Snapped spokes or frozen valves are also common.
Water is another big hazard, Brandon says. The spiked tires chew foot-deep grooves in the ice that often fill with lake-water. Unwary riders will hydroplane over the liquid and have it flash-freeze to their engines, which can cause them to seize up altogether.
Riders also have to resist the temptation to burn rubber — bikes can easily top 100 kilometres an hour on the straightaways. It's tempting to blast by someone when they're right next to you, Brandon says, but you risk your bike if you do. "You have to make it through all the hours. You can't wreck it."
The Numb Bum is ultimately a race against Mother Nature, Cheron says, "and she's really strong." Winners get little more than bragging rights, as all proceeds go towards playground equipment in Sandy Beach. Riders have been known to limp away with frozen eyeballs, rock-hard fingers and bleeding butts.
Brandon and Douglas haven't had any serious injuries, fortunately, Denise says. She and her husband Garrett will both be in the pits this weekend cheering them on. "It's crazy, but they love it."
The race begins at noon this Feb. 13. Registration closes at 10 a.m. Admission is $10. For details, call 780-886-0547.
