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Wanted: Rankin's best ice Surfer plans to use the frozen water to make environmentally-friendly surfboards
Miranda Scotland
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, July 31, 2013
KANGIQLINIQ/RANKIN INLET
After more than a decade of searching for the best materials to make the best surfboard, Pete Brennan has finally found what he's been looking for.
Pete Brennan, owner of Iceboarg, balances on a slab of ice in Rankin Inlet Harbour to test if it's good enough to be turned into a surfboard. - photo courtesy of Shafiq Diwan
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With the help of a Rankin resident, the 35-year-old surfer turned businessman has been harvesting ice from around Rankin Inlet to carve and make into boards using what he calls Freezetech.
"It’s a polymer resin that encapsulates the ice, preventing it from melting," he said.
Brennan passionately explained his vision while sipping a coffee at Tim Hortons, wearing a black wetsuit.
"The beauty of ice is that it's a renewable material, there is plenty of it up here, it's strong, it's light and it's repairable," he said.
Plus, once the surfer is done with the board, a reversal agent can be added to make the ice melt and return to the earth.
Brennan and a few buddies imagined the idea a few years ago after a day of surfing in their home city of San Francisco.
While floating in the water, they shared their frustrations over how easily their boards were getting dinged up and breaking.
They wanted a material that could last a long time and Brennan jokingly suggested ice.
He figured if it got a dent the surfer could just hose some water on it, put it in the freezer overnight and in the morning it would be good as new.
His friends saw the potential and together they decided to turn the crazy idea into a reality.
They started a company called Iceboarg and after fives years of many sleepless nights Freezetech was born.
From there, Brennan figured they would need the best ice and he thought who better to help than the people in Northern Canada.
In May, Brennan came to Rankin Inlet and started working with Anthony Mercredi-Tootoo, who is showing him where to find the top ice in the area.
He is also helping him carve the boards and test the prototypes.
Mercredi-Tootoo says he remembers the first time Brennan told him about the project.
"To be honest I thought he was crazy,” he says, causing Brennan to throw his curly haired head back and give a low chuckle.
Brennan had to pull out a prototype and take it for a ride before he would even believe him, Mercredi-Tootoo continued.
The two men have setup a testing facility out at Marble Island.
Brennan is in high spirits after a recent run.
"One of the boards performed really well in a recent test," he said. "I think we're almost there."
Brennan is hoping to wrap up his operation in Rankin by the end of the summer.
He wants to float about ten boards back to San Francisco and try them at Mavericks.
He's hoping a few residents will volunteer to help him.
"Any assistance would be greatly appreciated," he said.
Kivalliq News caught up with Mercerdi-Tootoo later on to get his unfettered opinion on the project.
"I think he's going to get frostbite before he figures it out," he said with a laugh before running off to meet Brennan.
Which of course he will, because everyone knows you can't build a lasting surfboard out of ice... yet.
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