2012 Polar Bear Run

Check out our photo album of this event by clicking here! - ed.

The Canadian Rockies Miata Club has a tradition dating back more than a decade of starting the New Year by driving our cars with the top down regardless of the weather. Well, we haven’t as yet driven in a blizzard but have driven in all kinds of weather.

We have had glorious kinda warm sunny days in the past, when top down seemed not such a crazy idea. We have also had the exact opposite, and 2011 was about -30C. with a brisk wind, making it even colder. A hardy group, nothing will stop us, other than the aforementioned blizzard.

For 2012, we even ramped up the challenge to ourselves (others might say stupidity) and started by trying to challenge the Wild Rose Miata Club in Edmonton into a bet for the mostcars topless, that would see the losing club donate $100 to the food bank in the winning city.

Unfortunately the Edmonton club had already done a charity event and were notexpecting too many members at their Polar Bear Run, so graciously declined our challenge.

So long term member and former president Gordon Choate offered to up the challenge to our club members. Not only drive top down, BUT wear shorts and a Hawaiian shirt for the drive. Gordon offered to donate $10 for every short wearing Rockie member and $5 for the shirt wearers. All to be donated to the Calgary food bank. The challenge was quickly picked up and also a matching donation from the club. Game on!

Sunday January 1 was a balmy -13C when we met at our usual meeting spot, a coffee shop, at 9:30 am to mingle, and wait to head out to our gracious hosts, Wendy and Fraser Cutten.

In total we had 19 members (okay, not all driving top down but members none the less). Ten Miatas with top down, parkas on, touques, mitts, and cold, cold legs headed out for our first destination. Well, I better correct something here, one member couldn’t get his NC soft top to go down in the cold, so really 9 cars top down, 1 top up and 1 SUV made this journey.

Once at the Cutten Chalet, we put the non responding NC in a nice warm garage and went in to enjoy hot coffee, bagels, smoked salmon, warm sweet buns and other stuff that was there but for some reason, I didn’t get time to taste.

After a short while, the offending un-cooperative top went down, and 10 cars headed out for a tour. Ironically, we passed 2 road signs that stated “HORSE WITH RIDER AHEAD”. Anyone who has read the Mazda literature, speak of a concept of ‘HORSE AND RIDER” when referring to the Miata experience.

After our tour, back to the Cutten’s and were treated to a fireplace, champagne and more coffee and a nice warm house.

The party ended shortly after noon and most went in different directions, some still top down, others top up.

Personally, I did about 60 km, all top down, and loved the stares you got at stoplights or from passing cars. Heated seats are a big help, but being very fair skinned, and always lacking the tanned look, I was delighted to finally have some colour on my legs, albeit a rosy shade of pink from the cold.

Great day, great fun, great hosts and a wonderful group of people to help start 2012 off with a smile and laugh. You would never believe the looks I get when I show pictures to friends and co-workers who are not true Polar Bear believers.

By the way, we are donating $200 to the Calgary Food Bank.