Earlier this month, more than 10,000 people gathered on Gull Lake in the northern part of Minnesota to compete in the world's largest ice-fishing contest – and to prove a little bad weather can't spoil a good time in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Photographer Robert Benson left the sunshine and warmth of his home in San Diego to stand out on a frozen lake in below-zero temperatures for six hours while contestants battled and boozed for more than $200,000 in prizes.
"It was just stupid cold," says Benson. "When it gets to be 40 below, it's no joke."
Incentivized by a long list of prizes, including cars, snowmobiles and shopping sprees, participants from around the world fished through one of 20,000 holes drilled in the ice, competing to see who could land the biggest fish.
Protected behind every manner of cold-weather gear — from hunting camo to stylish furs — competitors used fish finders to make sure their lines were at the right depth. Benson says he was standing next to the guy who landed the first fish, which had its own prize, and he literally sprinted off to the judging tent.
"He was shaking he was so excited," he says.
Shooting the event was tricky for Benson. The cold zapped his flash batteries and he had to wear gloves thin enough to fire the camera, which meant perpetually frozen hands. Having to stand out in the elements for twice as long as the participants so he could shoot the set-up and aftermath also took its toll.
"At points I was so cold I couldn't see straight," he says.
The overall winner of the day, Bror Linnerooth of Brainerd, MN, won a truck after hauling in a northern pike that weighed 4.41 lbs.
For some, the event was less about the fishing and more about the partying. Fueled by cheese curds and cases of Domestic beer—mainly Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller Light—hardy partiers rolled with the extreme weather (winds reached up to 50 mph at some points), and Benson reports that the entire event was pervaded by a sense of what is referred to as "Minnesota nice."
"Everyone is so nice it’s kind of a different world," he says. "When you drive down country roads, everyone waves."
Overall, however, Benson says he had a great time. Nobody throws a good cold party like the Midwest.
"It was just like being at a big tailgate party but without the game," he says. "The fish were the game."
