The Ice, an ironic event

Among the imposing mountains of the Engadine region of Switzerland lies Saint Moritz, a welcoming town full of luxury and elegance. It is no surprise then that since 2019, the international concours of elegance The Ice has been taking place on its frozen lake, where dozens of classic supercars skid on a circuit made of ice.

Although only held four times, The Ice has already become a benchmark event. Its bold and ironic concept, the incredible participants and the enchanting venue create an extremely exclusive atmosphere, where luxury is at its finest. The owner of one of the award-winning cars, the fantastic and one off Alfa Romeo 6C GS, said that he had been to many places in the world, surrounded by extraordinary cars, but that he had never seen anything like this event. 

What’s in The Ice?

There are 51 classic cars taking part in this competition, in many different categories. To participate, you need more than an old or valuable car. In previous editions, some cars worth more than 30 million euros have been rejected for not being restored with parts approved by the manufacturer. Therefore, the cars in the competition, beyond their high economic value, have a rich history behind them. Many are winners or participants in important races from the 30s to the 70s, others, like the McLaren M1A, have very specific peculiarities, such as being the first McLaren sold to the public or appearing in a film by Elvis Presley, who was one of the former owners.

A prestigious jury

The jury, like the participants, is of a very high level, with great connoisseurs of the motor world and among them the architect and designer Norman Foster. He is known worldwide for his revolutionary architecture, and locally as the creator of the Collserola tower and the new Spotify Camp Nou. In addition, the trophies for this edition were made by him. The work they do to evaluate the participants is extensive, taking into account the current aesthetics, the originality, the sound of the engine, the impressive history it may have and, if there is a restoration, how accurate it is.

Comically, this event is much cheaper than its equivalents here in Spain and certainly its quality and experience is much higher, without wanting to disrespect the magnificent local initiatives. For the modest price of 180 euros you have access to the venue for the two days of the event and although it may seem impossible, you can get as close as you like to the cars. Considering that several of them are worth over 10 million euros, it is scary to see. Luckily, no disrespect towards any car was seen during the two days of the event. 

Why do we like it?

If it is already spectacular to see these machines standing still, seeing them glide gracefully over the ice is something out of this world. The experience goes far beyond the visual. What is special is hearing the mechanical and raw engines, smelling the gasoline and even feeling the vibrations through the ice on your feet. You don’t need to understand cars to be impressed by this spectacle. Even the likes of Horacio Pagani, the founder of the super prestigious Pagni car brand, was in awe of the show. He won the award of Icon in wheels and stated how important and special it was for him, even more than his own creations. This concours elevates the cars to something more than just pieces of metal put together. It makes them pieces of art equiparable to what you find in the Louvre or the Moma, but they smell better and make a hell of a noise than art in canvas, but that’s just a take.

The hardest part of this experience is leaving. It might sound very cliché but it differs a whole lot from your usual car event. Seeing the barchettas and cabrios gliding through the snow it’s quite something. Contemplating old machines, that build the grounds of what we know of car racing and luxury today has no price. This is an experience that will not be soon forgotten, and one that can appeal to everyone, as St. Moritz is a very nice place to be too. Hopefully The Ice will keep going and become, as his creator, Maco Markus said, the utopia that he dreamed in it’s beginnings, more than 6 years ago.