Alberta's ice-racing community is in shock this week in the wake of the death of one of their own during Alberta's longest, coldest ice race.
Organizers cancelled the 26th annual Numb Bum 24 Hour Ice Race Saturday night after veteran ice racer Troy Ritchie crashed his motorcycle on the course, causing him serious injuries.
The annual event is known as the world's longest and coldest race on ice.
Ritchie died Sunday night after being airlifted to the University of Alberta Hospital.
This is the first time a rider has ever died during an ice-racing event in Alberta, says Jim Burrows, board member with the Alberta Endurance Ice Racing Association (AEIRA).
"It's an absolute shock to the motorsport community."
About 100 teams, including riders from St. Albert, came out for this year's Numb Bum on Sandy Lake (near Alexander First Nation about 50 km northwest of St. Albert), says Burrows. He is not the former St. Albert city councillor of the same name. Each aimed to complete the most laps within 24 hours on the frozen surface using bikes and quads equipped with screw-studded tires.
Ritchie's crash happened at about 6:36 p.m. Saturday, Burrows says.
According to racer Sheamus Power and others, the collision happened in a portion of the course known as "the Big Snail," which is where the course spirals in on itself into a tight turn before looping back out about one kilometre from the pit area.
"Right on the inside of the snail there was a pretty gnarly corner," says Power, a 29-year-old resident of Dawson City, Yukon.
"As far as I know, (the rider) washed out, caught his back tire (on the snow bank) and high-sided before the bike cart-wheeled over top of him."
Although no one saw the crash happen, veteran riders suspect that Ritchie's bike may have slipped on loose slush or snow and bucked him off, Burrows says. One of his legs was then caught in the rear tire, slashing his femoral artery and causing excessive bleeding.
Pit-crew member Elisabeth Owen, wife of Numb Bum racer Frank Barry, says one of their close friends, a man named Wendell, came upon the crash site moments later.
"Wendell saw the (headlights) flip in front of him," she says – a lucky coincidence, considering that there were maybe just 20 riders on the 18-km long course at the time.
Wendell flagged down a second rider named Rob for assistance, Owen continued. Ritchie was conscious at the time, and told them, "I'm hurt bad, I need an ambulance."
The two riders summoned the on-site EMTs, who arrived within minutes, Burrows says. Race officials put up the red flag to halt all racers on the course. Ritchie was loaded into an ambulance that took him to the highway for pickup by STARS Air Ambulance, which transported him to the U of A Hospital.
Race officials met and cancelled the rest of the Numb Bum soon after Ritchie left the scene. It's the first time that the race has been cancelled due to an accident, Burrows says.
Morinville RCMP also arrived to take statements from witnesses.
Ritchie later died of his injuries at about 6 p.m. Sunday, Burrows says.
"They just couldn't get him back."
Tributes pour in
The Pembina Dirt Riders Association (PDRA) posted an announcement on their Facebook page at about 10:42 p.m. Sunday on Ritchie's death.
"We are deeply saddened to inform everyone that Troy Ritchie passed away this evening due to his accident yesterday at the Numb Bum ice race. Troy left us doing what he loved, was leading the race and will always remain first place in our hearts."
Ritchie, 51, was a transmission mechanic in Red Deer well known in the motocross and drag-racing communities, Burrows says. He had a wife, Carolyn, and two daughters, Alisha (21) and Sarah (19).
Owen describes Ritchie as a fit, skinny, light-haired man who had been doing motocross racing since the 1980s and ice racing for at least a decade. He was a conservative rider not known to take risks or intentionally hurt anyone.
Ritchie was one of the three riders that make up Team Shrinkage, she continues. Along with fellow riders Robin Dohlman and Sandy Loutitt, the team regularly placed in the top three at the Numb Bum and was actually in first place at the time of the accident.
Burrows recalls Ritchie as an expert rider and mechanic who always had a smile on his face and a passion for racing.
"It was a second career to him."
Owen says Ritchie was always willing to help out fellow riders in the pit area.
"You didn't even have to ask for help. Troy would realize there was something that needed help and jump in."
What now?
AEIRA officials will meet this week to decide what to do for the rest of the ice-racing season, Burrows says. He suspects the remaining races will be cancelled.
Hundreds of people have posted messages of support to Ritchie's family on Facebook, says Jeremy Caissie, media spokesperson for the Numb Bum. Race officials are working on a donation fund for the Ritchie family that should be operational later this week.
Numb Bum racers collected about $1,650 for that donation fund on Saturday night, Burrows says.
While racers do wear helmets, goggles and motocross gear, there's little you can do to protect yourself in a crash like this, Owen says.
Veteran racer and St. Albert resident Ryan Dixon agrees.
"You've got over 300 razor-blade screws turning at about 150 miles per hour," he says, noting that he has had his foot struck by one such tire previously.
"There's no way if your leg gets stuck, of getting it out."
Dixon says ice racing is actually much safer than other forms of competitive motorcycling, as it's on flat ground and involves excellent traction. He's broken about 15 bones doing races on dirt and had just two injuries while ice-racing.
While the Numb Bum's future will be up to its organizers, Burrows says he suspects Ritchie would want the race to continue.
"There's a level of risk associated with racing … and that's a risk most people are willing to take."
Questions and messages of support should be directed to the PDRA and AEIRA Facebook pages, Burrows says.
