Fairbanks is certainly getting colder; it's a very gradual but still noticeable change, and I'm finding that my three layers are keeping me warm. Having said that, whilst my efforts today were dedicated to making myself warmer, for some of the Fairbanks University community, it was a very different story. There was a 'Nearly Naked Fun Run' being held, where students could strip their unwanted clothing, give it to charity and run a mile around the university. I was very curious as to how many people would actually be brave enough to do this, and I have to admit, I was quite surprised as to how many students turned out. There must have been about 25 or so, and maybe slightly more men than women. Participants were left to decide how 'naked' they would become; some took it to extremes whilst the freezing temperatures got the better of others.
For the sporting community of Fairbanks, Ice Hockey was to become the 'Sport of the Day', and from 4:00pm, the Patty Centre showcased the best of what the university has to offer- which I thought was pretty good. The Fairbanks Ice Hockey team, the Alaska Nanooks, were to play at 7:00pm but their afternoon was spent in this gym; meeting the public and showing them some of their skills. The hockey sticks are made out of wood, and the round disc they play with is called a tuck. Young children were encouraged to shoot the tucks through holes, or play on the bouncy castle, whilst the parents (and I) were encouraged to buy a raffle ticket. The prize was $3000, but the tickets were $50, and I fought against any persuasion the gentleman on the desk gave me.
Outside the sports centre, was the most incredible sunset. What makes it so good though: the sun or the clouds? I stood thinking about it, for a while, before heading in to watch the ice hockey game.
I've never watched an ice hockey game before. I've been ice skating and that was quite an embarrassment. The Alaska Nannocks white team were playing against the blue team, and they certainly could ice skate. Very well, indeed. The game, like football, was split into two halves; each 20 minutes long, with a small interval for those wishing to get free food. Not wishing to lose my great viewing spot, I stood by. The game moves incredibly quickly; the tuck zooms around everywhere, and the final result was 2-1 to the blues. (The white team managed to get one in the last minute, which seems to happen in every great game, no matter which sport you're watching!)
The ice hockey finished just after 8:30pm, by which time I left the building to greet -2 degree temperatures. The last item on the itenary was the bonfire party, on the Taku Parking Lot. All day, seven teams had the task to build the biggest bonfire, and at 10:00pm the fires would be lit. Although I was now conditioned to these very low temperatures, I found it very hard to keep warm without walking around. The long queue to the free burgers didn't help though, and by the time I got to the serving area, my bread bun was pretty much frozen. As the 10:00pm hour approached, fire engines, ambulances and police cars were getting prepared, and the crowds of people -and there were several hundred by this point- were lining up behind the safety tape. Once the fires were lit, ironically I went from being too cold to too hot. Convection is a wonderful thing! One by one, each bonfire was covered in petrol and set alight, and it must have been one of the best bonfires I've ever seen in my life.
Eventually, I arrived back at the hostel, and greeted a group who had just returned from a road trip to and from Anchorage. They showed me a fish they found, in whole, on a roadside, and invited me to try it. With onions and potatoes, seasoned in garlic and oils, this fish- a salmon they saw on the edge of a highway- was very tasty, even if it was 1:00am in the morning!
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