What Comes From Alaska For Cars – ‘Fourth of July blew up’: Glaciers, Alaska, roll cars under water
Since 2005, spectators have flocked to this small town to see dozens of cars painted red, white and blue.
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Most cars are sent into the sky by tying a simple piece of wood to the gas pedal. | Photo: Claudia Blydenburg
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On the Fourth of July, a 16-passenger van, painted red, white and blue, makes its final drive — down the side of a 300-foot cliff.
Like most cities in the United States, Glacier View, Alaska celebrates Independence Day with a bang. But the explosions are not from fireworks (the sun doesn’t set until midnight this time of year, so it’s hard to see explosives), but from vehicles rolling down a rocky mountain.
The festively painted van isn’t the only vehicle flying triumphantly over the holiday weekend. There’s also a Polaris snowmobile (non-Alaska or lower 48ers call it a snowmobile), a PT Cruiser, a Chevy truck, and a host of other vehicles waiting to be sent to the skies in a town of 220 people.
Flying Cars from the Matanuska Glacier has been a tradition since 2005. Past festivals have included everything from small cars to boats to even stretch limousines. Each grunt performs an aerial feat as it rips off the debris and then plunges into the valley in front of a crowd of cheering and flag-waving onlookers.
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Until 2005, the summer holidays were celebrated with a small parade and gathering of the locals. But when the Matanuska River swelled and swallowed the parade route, longtime festival organizer Arnie Hrnsir decided to do something different. His wife’s Volvo had recently been hit by a chicken and was no longer safe on the road – so he was chosen as the first airborne guinea pig. Hrncir wanted to see if it was worth organizing an event around a car in this rural area of the 49th state.
“It was so much fun that we decided to do it again and again,” says Hrncir. Over the next few years, the event grew from a small gathering to one of the largest 4th of July events in Alaska.
Most years they drive six cars, but in 2020 they have 11. Hrncir says they expect to have about a dozen cars this year. Some are donated by friends or sponsors, while others are picked up cheap at auction (most cars also get a patriotic paint job before their brief stint in the spotlight). Hrncir said it is likely that more cars will appear in the days leading up to the event, and the final number is always a bit of a surprise. This isn’t an event with printed agendas or any kind of real arrangement – it’s a very fly-by-your-pants experience and that’s all part of the fun.
“The sun just takes care of itself,” says Hrncir. “We just focus on the ‘F’ words: freedom, family, food and fun.”
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Some of the cars are donated by friends or sponsors, and others are auctioned off for bargain prices. | Photo: Claudia Blydenburg
Cars take off from one of two runways. One has a monorail to keep the car on track, while the other is freestanding. Hrncir estimates that a few years ago, the event saw its first on-air car crash, possibly the first and only time such a spectacle has occurred in the state. He says they’ve tried to do this in the past, but it’s difficult to determine exactly where and when the machines will be launched when they come out – especially because the operation is so simple.
Most cars are sent into the sky by tying a simple piece of wood to the gas pedal and using a ratchet strap to keep the wheel straight. The racers are very good at steering the cars towards the ramp, but sometimes the cars mess up and roll to the side or hit a tree before reaching the edge.
One of Hrncir’s favorites is a stretch limousine that they sent on a cruise with passengers (like this) a few years ago. A few minutes before the “Cadillac” limousine left the mountain, a woman approached Khrntsi. He asked if he would honor the dying wishes of the man he called “Brother Fred” and placed a vial of his ashes on the dashboard.
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“It was absolutely crazy,” says Hrncir. “He said one of his last wishes was to fly into the sky on the Fourth of July. Hrncir did not know the deceased, but he was willing to oblige; Brother Fred’s ashes took a front row seat to the high-flying entertainment.
Many cars get a long-term settlement. A few years ago, a snowmobile that rolled four times before landing on its skis, hit a rock, and continued to roll upside down was hit by two cars: one when it started and one when a crew member minutes later went to Turn the ignition off, put the car in rest forever.
The event also features a number of food vendors (serving summer classics like pies, pulled pork sandwiches, and frozen lemonade) and speakers blasting country songs with patriotic lyrics. The spectator area is located at the base of the summit and is separated from the car landing area by a pond that serves as a pedestrian defense station. The crowd goes wild as each car appears overhead and then hits the ground hard – for that matter, there’s no better way to celebrate. So far, there have been no injuries in the 16 years the event has been running.
Over the next few days, the community will come out to collect scrap metal. And then the search for next year’s cars begins.
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“It’s always crazy,” says Hrncir. “But it’s a fun day and I always look forward to it.”
Bailey Berg is a freelance writer based in Anchorage, Alaska. He usually covers travel, culture, health, sustainability and beer (and often where they intersect). His work has appeared in Lonely Planet, Atlas Obscura, GQ, Culture Trip, US News & World Report and more.
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