Hello everyone. I am one of the co-founders of the Ice Breaker Crush the Ice for Life.
Feel Free to call me 260-343-1953 my name is Zach and I would be happy to answer any questions!!!
Here is the history of this free ride event! I spoke with the local hotel and can get very good rates.
The Ice Breaker started in 2006 as a way to kick off the wakeboarding season in Indiana, and also provide a way for riders to meet new people who shared a love in the sport. The event took place on a arctic rainy day in late April, where it would be thought that no one would even look at the water, let alone get in it! However, after five boats were filled up with wakeboarders we realized that we were wrong! Even with the adverse conditions, more than fifty people of both riders and spectators took to the lake to make the best of the conditions. The event was a great success leading to the scheduling of the event the following year!
In 2007, the Ice Breaker would take on a whole new meaning. In March of that year, Jeigh Krupp’s mother, Della Krupp, passed away from cancer. Della was a school teacher for 25 years. She was a unique person who had a passion to touch the lives of every student in one way or another. Yet, this did not stop at her students; anybody who had the privilege to meet her could tell that she was a very special person. In the next few months to come Zach Lear’s grandmother, Lucille Viles, also passed away from cancer. Lucille was a very loving grandma, mother, and friend. Both of us believe in our hearts that the Ice Breaker is a way to keep their passion alive for years to come!
Though the passing of Jeigh’s mother was a great loss to his family and friends, we found an amazing positive that we could make of the situation. Together we contacted the American Cancer Society about possibly taking the Ice Breaker and making it into an event to raise money for cancer awareness. With our love of wakeboarding, and our drive to do something special in remembrance, we teamed up to turn the Ice Breaker into a cancer benefit to “Crush The Ice For Life!”
With our combined efforts to make this event something to remember, we were able to gather several sponsors and supporters to help us with our cause. When the event took place on May 12th, 2007, we could not have asked for a better turnout! We had over one hundred people attend with a mixture of riders, spectators, and cancer survivors. At the end of the day, we were able to raise over $1700 to donate to the American Cancer Society! In addition, $3500 of gear from t-shirts to wakeskates were given away because of the courtesy of our sponsors. However, even with all the excitement of donations to give away, the greatest aspect of the event was seeing groups of different people learn from each other and learn even more about cancer awareness! An opportunity that may not have presented itself in different circumstances. The Ice Breaker is our way of remembering Della Krupp, and others lost to cancer.
In 2008, we are holding high expectations of the potential for this years event! We were able to start planning much sooner, which has led to greater support and the creation of “The Dependable Thousand Dollars Club”. We will be featuring professional and semi-professional riders. Mark Weikel, Adam Wensik, John Klein, and local rider Andrew Shearer, just to name a few. Support has been so good this year that we have added the “Rider For Cancer Tour” presented by Centurion, Reliable Tool and Machine. Check out more on the tour at
www.riderforcancertour.com . This year well have wakeboards, wakeskates, wakesurf boards, and much, much more. Come out May 10 and help support this wonderful cause. ICE BREAKER, “CRUSH THE ICE FOR LIFE”