Celebrating Cryogenics in Style: The Frozen Dead Guy Days

Bredo Morstel was a Norwegian citizen. Upon his death, his grandson Trygve brought his body to the United States, using dry ice to preserve the body until it arrived at cryonics facility in California, where it remained stored in liquid nitrogen from 1990 to 1993.

In 1993 Bredo was transported to the town of Nederland, Colorado, where he was kept frozen by Trygves mother, Aud, in a cryonics shack behind her house. When the Aud was evicted she feared that Bredos body would thaw and explained the situation to a reporter, and the news snowballed into a big sensation.

In response, the town outlawed the keeping of dead bodies on a property, but left open a grandfather clause for Grandfather Bredo, who was allowed to remain in his frozen state. After that, someone was needed to transport dry ice to his body each month, and so Bo Shaffer, who answered a want ad in 1995, took the job and became known as the Ice Man.

The Frozen Dead Guy Days are celebrated during the cold of winter, when snow, ice, and chilly air can be incorporated into the festivities. Some of the most popular events include coffin racing, costume polar plunging (jumping into icy water in full costume), snow sculpture contests, Ice Queen & Grandpa look alike costume contests, a frozen T-shirt contest (contestants race to thaw and wear a T-shirt that has been frozen in a block of ice), and a dance called the Blue Ball.

Many businesses come out to promote themselves at the event, selling beer and themed foods like frozen dead guy ice cream, and some contest winners may even get helicopter tours from one Colorado company.

Frozen Dead Guy Days is one of the oddest festivals that exists which is also why it is considered by many to be one of the most fun.
Visit the Frozen Dead Guy Days website