A tripod set by the Soldotna and Kenai Rotary Clubs stands over the ice of the Kenai River in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

A tripod set by the Soldotna and Kenai Rotary Clubs stands over the ice of the Kenai River in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai River Ice Classic to move forward

The classic, inspired by the annual Nenana Ice Classic, would involve guessing when the ice would move on the Kenai River

A test for a new wintertime contest hosted by the Kenai and Soldotna Rotary Clubs was successful, the clubs announced in a press release Friday.

They are now moving forward to get permits and start the Kenai River Ice Classic next year, they said in the release.

The classic, inspired by the annual Nenana Ice Classic, would involve guessing when the ice would move on the Kenai River. The test, launched last week, involved a tripod with a GPS device attached being deployed on the ice in Soldotna. A release from the clubs said that the device successfully notified them of its movement around 8 a.m. on Thursday.

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The release notes that the Kenai River is different from the Tanana River, in that it doesn’t always freeze. The clubs will launch another game in August, called the Kenai River Freeze-Up Classic, in which contestants will bet on whether or not the river will freeze. If it’s frozen by Frozen RiverFest in February, the Kenai River Ice Classic will start.

For more information about the Soldotna and Kenai Rotary Clubs, visit facebook.com/SoldotnaRotaryClub or facebook.com/Kenairotary.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

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