Arctic Man 2006 started off fast and steep with plenty of fresh powder at the top of the "Tit," the event's traditional Ski and SnoGo race starting point.

Every year, as many as 14,000 snowmobile enthusiasts from Alaska and around the U.S. gather in Summit Pass near Paxon for one of the World's toughest downhill ski races, as well as the challenge of the Snocross course. Summit offers some of the best snowmobiling in the country with its wide variety of snow terrain.

The race starts with a skier or snowboarder at an elevation of 5,800 feet and drops 1,700 feet in less than two miles of a fivemile race. The skier or snowboarder meets up with the snowmobilier, who then pulls them the last two miles of the race. The average speed of race participants can be up to 85 mph, some of which is uphill.

This year's Ski and SnoGo winner was race rookie, Scott Macartney, a U.S. Olympic skier from Washington who ran the race with snowmobiler Tyson Johnson of Anchorage. The record time for the course, 4:04, is nine seconds faster than the 2006 team's winning time of 4:13. Macartney's speed at the cross of the finish line was clocked at 79 mph. There were a few crashes out of the 17 teams that competed in Saturday's race, but nothing fatal. "I would never want to do that on a pair of skis, but it's not too bad on a snowmachine," observed UAF student and race spectator Brendon Bruns of the Ski and SnoGo racecourse.

"From high-marking to boondocking, to waterskipping, there's no better place on the planet for snowmachiners," remarked UAF student Mike Kelly, who took the weekend off campus to enjoy one of last powder opportunities of the year.

With the aesthetic beauty and unchallenged riding territory of Arctic Man comes the inherent danger of misjudged jumps and snowmobiling on avalanche prone slopes. Past years have seen casualties. A snowmachiner was killed last year when a slope gave way in an avalanche, but this year's event claimed no fatalities.

Arctic Man draws a wide audience, mostly from around the state, which included a number of University of Alaska Fairbanks snowmobiling enthusiasts. The event has a reputation of a wild nightlife. "I'd like to see more live music around the camping area, the social scene was crazy, they need to be more strict on the wild shit people do," said junior Billy Connor, who came specifically for the nighttime festivities. "It's a way of life for the weekend, people come expecting it to be wild…it's one of the most amazing parties on the planet," mused Bruns. As of Saturday afternoon, nine people had been arrested for driving under the influence, not to mention countless minor consuming citations and public disturbance stops.

Saturday night's festivities included a wild colorful array of purple and green northern lights, unmatched by hundreds of fireworks, and brought cheers from campers throughout the parking area. Outhouse tipping also ensued to loud yells and cries of mirth from inebriated bystanders.

"It's hard to sum up an experience like Artic Man in words," said a sunburned but smiling Kelly.