Minnesota ice bars, ice fishing & polar plunges

Grand Superior Lodge's BLU ice bar takes inspiration from the Split Rock Lighthouse. Lake Superior helps keep it cool.

Minnesota dreams up icy frolics & February fun
By Lisa McClintick

Costumes add to the fun of the Pout Plunge that's part of Walker's Eelpout Festival.

Take warm welcome of Minnesota Nice, nip it with winter temps, and you get Minnesota Ice in all its quirky glory.

I used to think cabin fever inspired the more creative antics and winter traditions here in the north, but it's not just Minnesota. Case in point: Red Bull brought its international Crashed Ice championship to St. Paul two weeks ago. Picture plunging down an icy luge on skates with roller-derby demons.

It's always good to have a fresh, heart-pounding or light-hearted twists on traditional winter fun. Here's a rundown on other Minnesota winter festivals and events to celebrate throughout February, from glitzy ice bars to ice fishing fun:

Guzzling icy shots at Chase on the Lake's Eelpout ice bar.

Are you cool enough for ice bars?

According to Grand Superior Lodge's ice sculpting expert Chris Sworbrick, its BLU Ice Bar and Lounge is the longest running outdoor ice bar in the continental United States. It has the added advantage of a Lake Superior location, which offers the soundtrack of waves and a natural coolant to keep the 12-foot sculpture of Split Rock Lighthouse from melting early. 

This year's version of BLU is triple last year's size and features ice chandeliers, a wall lit like the northern lights, ice-carved shot glasses, a bonfire and specialty bar foods such as oyster shooters and North Shore sushi. The ice benches are fur-lined, but probably not the best place to wear a thong without a layer of long underwear. 

Head up the shore, and Caribou Highlands' Moguls restaurant and lounge has its own ice bar at Lutsen Mountains. It's ideally located for ski-in and ski-out options. If you're in the mood to party, there's a "Shot-ski," which is carved in ice and delivers a shot to four people at once.


If you're more of a city slicker, Rochester throws quite a happy hour with its downtown SocialICE. The event, anchored by a 200-foot ice bar plus eight new satellite bars, drew more than 11,000 participants last year. The 500 ice martini glasses sold out in 30 minutes. 


SocialICE runs from 4:30 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9, through Saturday, Feb. 11. Live music starts at 7 p.m. 

Head north for eelpout antics

Walker's Pout Plunge into Leech Lake.

There's also an ice bar at Chase on the Lake during the 33rd International Eelpout Festival in Walker Feb. 16-19, but that's only a sliver of the shenaningans during this raucous weekend. The town population swells about 10 times as people throw together Pout City with crazy, comical encampments on the ice. You can kiss a slimy, ugly pout for luck or bragging rights, compete in curling contest, watch a frozen wet T-shirt contest and ride a mechanical ice bull. The event even drew a crew from Jay Leno last year.


Our favorite event is the Pout Plunge. It's family-friendly and hilarious to see what costumes are worn by the brave--and dare I say crazy?--folks willing to jump into frigid Leech Lake for a good cause. Read more from last year's Eelpout Festival feature.

Brainerd's ice-fishing extravaganza on Gull Lake.

Reel in a big one
Finally, for a fun, holy-cow kind of experience, try your luck at the world's largest charitable ice-fishing contest: the legendary Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing extravaganza. Usually in January, it got bumped to Saturday, Feb. 11, when winter started with a whimper. You need seriously chilly temperatures to drill more than 10,000 holes into Gull Lake. It's a mind-boggling sight to see. Read more about Brainerd's ice-fishing extravaganza.





 

Walker's Eelpout festival: Spring break on ice

Let's see...We have the fake-baked Coors girls looking like Barbie in Siberia, a bikini contest, and a whole lot of people donning swim trunks to jump into Leech Lake where 4-foot chunks of ice have been removed. This is Walker, Minn., during one of the town's biggest events of the year. The annual Eelpout Festival runs Feb. 19-21 this year. Technically, it's an ice-fishing competition, but it's really just an excuse. This is Minnesota's version of spring break on ice, WE Fest in winter. The goal is fun--and the chance to laugh in Mother Nature's frigid face.

Bawdy and a bit naughty     

A few things to know about the festival. It can be bawdy--even in the daylight. It's pretty hilarious, though, to drive through the mass city of ice houses and watch ATVs pulling couches loaded up with people (jokingly called "red-neck ski couches"). Our kids were even invited to shoot arrows at the giant inflated gorilla. Just be sharp enough to drive around the R-rated encampments. There are places named "The No-Tel Ho-Tel" and signs suggesting visitors do things that would earn you beads at Mardi Gras.

Go jump in the lake. Really.

There are kids games in the City Park, but mine, especially our 9-year-old son, were most fascinated by watching just-this-side-of-crazy folks who raise money to jump in the lake. The plunge is set up just below the gorgeously renovated Chase on the Lake Hotel. One participant (I think he was the European) managed a graceful swan dive before getting chastised. You have to jump feet first. Either way, you risk screaming like a girl. Of course, the shock might muffle it. Hats off to the Hackensack group who dressed like the cast of "Paul Bunyan: The Musical" and made the most colorful, flannel-themed splash. You were our favorite.

Read more about the Walker, Minn., festival at www.startribune.com/travel.

Bundle up for Minnesota's biggest ice fishing festival

Last January, the windchills were 20 below at the  Brainerd Jaycees' $150,000 ice-fishing extravaganza. That didn't seem to bother anyone except posers like me with hand- and toe-warmers and pajama bottoms augmenting long underwear and too-thin snowpants. Truly hearty Minnesotans brought portable heaters to thaw their beer. Bud slushie, anyone?

The sheer spectacle of this ice-fishing contest--10,000 people and 21,000 holes--is worth the grins that freeze to your face. Grab your gear or your camera to witness Brainerd, Minnesota's 2010 contest next Saturday.

Read my full feature, which includes Walker, Minnesota's, annual Eelpout Festival:
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/travel/81712152.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUqyE5D7UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

Cold noses, warm humor
How can you not laugh when:

• Guys drive all the way from Wyoming for the event and joke it's for the good-looking women. (As if you could even tell women from the bundled-up men. This is no place for pretty pink parkas.)
• The music being cranked out across the ice includes takes the classic "Rawhide" music ("Rollin', rollin', Rawhide!") to "Giddy-up, Waaaaaalllleeeyyyee!"

• Locals use the home-court advantage and haul recliners to the ice--comfy and assuredly less frigid than a parade chair.
• Flashbacks to the State Fair are triggered by cheese curd stands and the fact the people-watching is just as good.
• You can shop for serious ice-fishing gear from Minnesota companies or opt for a more whimsical fur-lined horned helmet from Steinarr, "The Crazy Viking."

The Crazy Viking experience
You may have seen Steinarr at Minnesota Vikings games. He dresses like a Medieval marauder, but he also  reigns over the Nordic Inn Bed and Brew in Crosby, Minnesota, about 15 minutes away. It's one of the state's most unique places to stay in that it's part living history site, museum and dinner theater. Guests play interactive games, wear Viking attire, and have to be prepared for a bit of bawdy humor. Steinarr built the bed and breakfast in a renovated church with a Viking ship suspended from the ceiling. That's one of the places guests can sleep.

If you're looking for more unique escapes and ice-fishing contests, angle over to http://www.exploreminnesota.com/.