Stay tuned and think ice

It doesn’t matter how many summer hours an iceboater spends on his craft, the sailing season is a fickle beast. But as long as you have a gas credit card and enjoy drive-through restaurants, the continent is your oyster.

We love enthusiasm, and iceboaters have it… or need it to fulfill their competitive fantasies. For the 2020 DN North Americans on January 20-24, here’s an update from Event Chairman Daniel Hearn:

If it were easy, everyone would be an ice sailor! Mother Nature is doing her best to throw us curve balls, but we’re hangin’ tough in the box ticking off foul balls. Strike one has been the warm weather in most of the places it’s supposed to be cold. Strike two has been the snow in the few places it’s been cold enough for ice.

Later this week, the ornery wench is threatening to throw some chin music, brushing us back from all the usual places we look for ice, with a major league dumping of snow. So, right now we’re looking to the west into the Dakotas and Montana to identify the places she’s overlooked.

Our DN cowboy ice checking network is already out on the range looking for black gold. Sharpen’m up, pull out your cowboy boots, and be ready to travel, partner… we may be headed west. Or maybe she’s just playing with us. We’ll see as the week progresses. Stay tuned and Think Ice!