Numb Bum 24 Hour Ice Motorcycle Race: For Unlimited Magazine

This is what Canadian bikers do to fend off the boredom in the Great White North: Send a snowplow operator onto a frozen lake to plow a course, screw 70 pounds of hex head machine screws into motorcycle tires, then invite other maniacs to come and race on the ice for 24 hours.

I don't know why I'm so attracted to motorcycle envents that cover long distances in extreme cold, but when I heard about the "Numb Bum" I knew i had to do it. The great thing about being a photographer was that I was able to bribe my way onto one of the best teams by promising to cover the story. My contributions to the Edmonton Suzuki Team didn't cost them a win, but probably ruined their chances of placing well. I was really slow.

In truth riding a motorcylce on ice is easier than it sounds. Traction is comparable to a typical dirt road. The hard part is navigating the race track, which is about 11 miles long, has about 40 corners, and looks absolutely the same everywhere.