OUC 2010 Ice Floe Race
The Ontario Underwater Council’s
Annual Ice Floe Race Sunday March 7, 2010
If you have no clue as to what an “Ice Floe Race” is, it’s where teams of certified (wacko ☺, lol!) divers gear up in thermal protection suits, BCDs, and fins (no tanks, regs, or weight belts required), jump into a river, then push ice floes downstream in the fastest possible time. Why? To win the highly-coveted 1st place medals and trophy (and associated bragging rights).
The ice floes are roughly 20 feet square, about 1 foot thick, and can weigh several tons. Registered teams meet at 10:00 a.m on Race Day at the Registration Tent, located at the Starting Line (Douro Lock #24 of the Trent-Severn Waterway) in Peterborough. The Team Captains Meeting starts at 11:00 a.m. and The Race begins at 12:00 noon. Teams must consist of a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 16 racers, plus at least 2 dry volunteers. It's a fun event for all. And this year, due to the steady growth in popularity of the Ice Floe Race, OUC has made arrangements for portable washroom facilities to be located at the Starting Line (or you can make the short 10-minute drive to Tim Horton’s down the road).
A Cool Prize from a Hot Sponsor!!!
This year, Blackbeard’s Cruises will be sponsoring the Ice Floe Races! They’re offering a full week liveaboard adventure* for some lucky person (value $899 US) to be raffled off after the race is over.
YOU MUST BE IN ATTENDANCE TO WIN!
If the prize is not claimed within 60 seconds, another draw will be made until a winner is declared.
Raffle tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00 available at the Ice Floe Race Registration Desk.
To find out more about Blackbeard’s Cruises, click here.
* Some conditions apply.
How to enter the 2010 Ice Floe Race in four easy steps:
- Assemble a team of between 8 (minimum) and 16 (maximum) certified divers to race.
- Recruit two friends to be “dry” volunteers who will help run the event. A list of volunteer roles can be found in the documentation links below.
- Elect your Team Captain and decide on an outrageously silly, but cool name to call yourselves.
- Fill out the Registration Form from the link below, and drop it into the mail to OUC, along with payment before the FEBRUARY 15TH REGISTRATION DEADLINE.
Please e-mail a copy of your Team Registration Form to ALL of the following e-mail addresses:
- ouc.icefloerace<"@">underwatercouncil.com*
- ouc<"@">underwatercouncil.com*
- ouc.president<"@">underwatercouncil.com*
Race fees:
OUC Member Racers: $20 each
Not-Yet OUC Member Racers: $35 each (includes 1 year Individual OUC Membership)
Registered Volunteers: Free
But act now! REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 15, 2010
All the documentation you've ever wanted
Click on the links below to get all the forms, directions and other information you'll need.
OUC Ice Floe Race 2010 Blank Registration Form
OUC Ice Floe Race 2010 Participant Affirmation, Liability Release & Consent Form
OUC Ice Floe Race Map & Directions
OUC Ice Floe Race Official Safety Procedures & Rules
OUC Ice Floe Race Volunteer Station Roles & Responsibilities
If you still have questions after working your way through the above documentation, please don’t hesitate to contact me at ouc.icefloerace<"@">underwatercouncil.com. I can’t wait to see you there!
Yours in safe and enjoyable ice floe racing,
Karen Theriault
Chair, Ontario Underwater Council Ice Floe Race 2010
How all of us can help
Every year, we encourage OUC Ice Floe Racers to help support a local charity. This year’s charity is Kawartha Food Share (www.kawarthafoodshare.com). We ask everyone attending the Ice Floe Race to bring non-perishable food items and help out a great cause. Visit their website for more information.
ice n. 1. Water frozen solid. 2. A surface, layer, or mass of frozen water. floe n. 1. An ice floe. 2. A segment that has separated from such an ice mass. race n. pl. races 1. Sports. a. A competition of speed, as in running or riding. b. A series of such competitions held at a specified time on a regular course: a fan of the ice floe race. An extended competition in which participants struggle like runners to be the winner: the ice floe race.
*Please note: To help in the global fight against e-mail spamming, all e-mail addresses on OUC's website are displayed in a scrape-resistant format. Unfortunately this format creates extra effort for legitimate users. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you understand.