The tripod for the Nenana Ice Classic tipped precariously early on Monday evening and watchers watched expectantly for the breakup to take the tripod 100 feet downstream to trip the clock to end this years ice breakup contest.

But, the tripod lasted through not only Monday night, but remained up and made it through Tuesday night as well.

Wednesday morning woke to find the tripod in the same position as the ice surrounding it continues to thin as spring progresses. Water has begun up-welling through the ice near the tripod but as yet there is no downriver movement perceivable. The situation is not expected to change until the water opens up directly downstream from the tripod.

Tickets go on sale every year and contest players can make a guess as to the time the clock will stop ticking when the tripod moves downstream for $2.50 a try.With just hours to go before this years break-up can no longer take the third earliest spot in the classic’s history, the break-up time is beginning to look like another average year.

It has been an average year for sales for the classic as well. Ticket sales are lower than last year’s record-breaking sales and jackpot of $363,627 in  2014.

In its 99th year, the classic was started first in 1906 by railroad worker,there were only six entries that year. But, after that year, the betting pool was discontinued for 10 years, before being taken up again by railroad workers with ticket sales at Jimmy Duke’s Roadhouse. That year, tickets could only be had if you were a Nenana resident. It was in 1917 that the betting was expanded to include both the Alaska and Yukon Territories. In 1917, the jackpot was a whopping $801.

  clock, ice classic, Nenana, river, tripod