Now I’m well aware that there are some crazy contests around the world. People seem to love doing obscure things to showcase their talents or personalities. Sometimes people just enjoy throwing themselves out there into the world to find new friends and things to enjoy. I’ve heard of weird contests like extreme ironing, where contestants try to iron clothes in the craziest places such as underwater or even while jumping out of a plane. I’ve seen funny contests where people even try their best to replicate a pig’s calls and snorts. Well I came across a contest in Canada that looks like a blast. I’ve never seen anything like it before and the conditions in Whitehorse, Yukon are just perfect for this unique contest. Because temperatures can reach – 20 to -30 degrees (yes, NEGATIVE 30) in the winter months, people tend to stay inside. Not these people though and they have a very good reason.
They are happy to go outside because they are competing in the annual Hair Freezing Contest of Whitehorse, Canada. This event is held every February when temperatures can reach below – 22 degrees. The well-below-freezing temps combined with a dip in the 104 degree hot springs makes for one unique contest. A hair freezing contest!
Because the outside air is so cold, when these contestants and winter vacationers alike emerge from the warm and cozy waters, their hair freezes almost instantly in whatever shape they choose.
The Takhini Hot Springs pays the winners $150 cash! The contestants are free to shape and mold their hair in any design they want to.
Here are this year’s champions! With these wild hair styles, it’s no wonder they won the cash prize. It looks like the more hair you have, the better your chances of winning. But how good are you at styling frozen hair is the real question.
There was a time in my life where frosted tips were all the rage. Every guy in school, including me, had them thanks to the boy band craze that spread like wildfire. Well it looks like frosted tips are back in style, in Whitehorse, Canada anyway.
The hot springs are a very popular tourist destination in the Yukon. The Takhini Hot Springs property is over 300 acres of hiking, biking, skiing, and snowshoeing trails. They are open year round for outdoor enthusiasts to come and enjoy the beautiful scenery and the relaxing hot springs.
The hot springs are a cozy 104 degrees and rich with minerals that are great for your skin. They have been used for soaking for over 100 years now but only recently for a hair freezing contest.
Located in the Yukon’s Boreal Forest about 25 miles from Whitehorse, Canada, the Takhini Hot Springs have a long history. They are also one of the most visited destinations in the entire Yukon.
In 1907, the hot springs were commercially marketed for having healing and therapeutic values due to the rich mineral content. In the 1940’s, the first hot tub was built using wood and canvas for the U.S. Army who was there constructing the long Alaskan Highway. It has been a popular tourist destination since then.
The location is very remote and scenic.
You can even view the Northern Lights while soaking and relaxing in the mineral rich 104 degree waters of the Takhini Hot Springs. I can only imagine that would be spectacular to see in the middle of a hot spring in the middle of the Boreal Forest.
More Info: Takhini Hot Pools
I never even knew this place existed and a funny little freezing hair contest has now completely gained my interest to visit the Takhini Hot Springs near Whitehorse, Canada. This little getaway looks absolutely beautiful in the winter and summer alike. I would love to see the freezing hair contest and the Northern Lights, as well as explore the vast acreage of nature surrounding the hot springs, and come back and relax after a long day of snowshoeing or hiking.