BREAKUP-- The tripod in Nenana fell at 10:47 a.m. Alaska Standard Time Monday on the Tanana River, then broke away and started its journey downriver in mid-afternoon as it floated past a docked boat in Nenana. Spring has sprung NENANA--Spring officially arrived here Monday morning at 10:47 Alaska Standard Time with a blare of the town siren and a rush of almost the town's entire population to the riverfront. The ice had gone out on the Tanana River. Eighteen ticket-holders won the 84th annual Nenana Ice Classic Monday, accurately guessing the exact minute the tripod on the river ice was washed away.will split this year's record jackpot of $335,000, each receiving about $18,000, manager Cherrie Forness said. A little over half of the year's total take is divided among ticket holders, with the rest used for operating expenses and charitable contributions. Contest officials were still notifying winners on Monday and expect to release the full list of those who will share the jackpot within the next couple of days. "It's all over but the crying for the ones that lost," Phones in the Ice Classic office rang constantly as people called to check the exact time the tripod had tripped and moved downriver 100 feet to stop the clock. The Nenana Ice Classic is Alaska's oldest lottery. Contestants try to guess the correct day and time when the ice on the Tanana River will go out, signaling spring breakup in Interior Alaska. The exact time of breakup is determined by a wooden tripod, wired to a clock, that's placed in the middle of the frozen river. When the ice breaks, the tripod travels downriver, tripping the clock to mark the official time. This year, 314,000 tickets were sold at $2 per ticket between Feb. 1 and April 5.

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