Frozen Grandfather Inspires Popular Colorado Festival

However, the weirdest part is that the inspiration for this over-20-year-old festival comes from an old man — a dead old man, to be honest. Let’s defrost this mystery.

Grandpa Bredo was a Norwegian who loved to live life to its fullest. Skiing, fishing, and painting were just some of the fun stuff he loved to do until he died in 1989 at the ripe age of 89. But Grandpa Bredo could have never guessed what the future had in store for him.

Trygve, who probably found it impossible to get over his grandpa’s passing, decided to arrange for something close to immortality. Trygve got his grandpa’s body packed in ice and transported it to Los Angeles a year after. 

Grandpa Bredo was frozen cryogenically at this institute, where he lay patiently in the cold for a potential return to life at his grandson’s instance. But Grandpa’s rest at this institute was interrupted by the next phase of Trygve’s plans. 

The private facility was a Tuff Shed, a simple shack or storage building. Trygve continued to preserve Grandpa Bredo’s body in this shack, surrounding it with regular supplies of dry ice. It still stands today, where Grandpa Bredo’s cryopreserved body continues to garner popularity. 

Not long after the disaster-proof house began to take shape, Trygve was arrested and deported. His visa had expired, and he had to leave the country. His mother stayed behind to complete the disaster-proof house and maintain the temperature to ensure Grandpa Bredo could keep enjoying his status of near-immortality.

For this reason, the Tuff Shed could only produce a mere -109 degrees as against the traditional -320 degrees for a cryogenic facility. Soon after Trygve’s departure, his mum began to feel the heat of the new responsibility. She had to do something and do it fast. 

Aud was facing eviction for violating local housing laws, precisely for leaving her house without electricity and plumbing. This new development drove her to spill the secrets of the Tuff Shed to a local reporter. An eviction would have affected not just her, but also Grandpa Bredo’s body. 

When the town’s clerk got wind of the private cryogenic facility, he set off an alarm in the county, which soon descended into pandemonium. The news broke out in the county and beyond, and the story of the century was born. 

The authorities invaded the shed and uncovered grandpa Bredo’s body. That’s how Grandpa Bredo became an international sensation even while dead and covered in ice. 

At this point, the hopes of Grandpa Bredo’s potential immortality seemed to have finally fizzled out. But never say never. Trygve was not one to give up; he had some tricks up his sleeves.

In addition to the international attention the case had attracted by this time, Trygve’s activist moves made Grandpa Bredo’s case too hard to ignore. Trygve sought to inspire sympathy and spark a reaction to keep Grandpa Bredo’s hopes of immortality alive. He finally had his way. 

The new changes made it an offense to keep any dead body or a part of it on any county property. However, the municipal authority made an exception for Grandpa Bredo as Trygve got the community of cryogenic practitioners and enthusiasts to pressure county authorities.

Trygve further retained the services of Delta Tech — the same company that shipped grandpa’s body from Norway. Delta Tech was responsible for keeping the Tuff Shed running, and Grandpa Bredo covered in dry ice. 

Later, more volunteers stepped in to handle the responsibility of keeping Grandpa Bredo’s body frozen. Some of them were ordinary Nederland citizens who wanted to be part of the story. 

Nederland residents and visitors gather every second weekend of March to reward Trygve’s bravery. Activities such as the Frozen Dead Guy Lookalike contest and the Polar Plunge are some of the highlights of this event. The “Frozen Dead Guy Days” crowd is at a fever pitch throughout the event. 

Each team sets to work wearing peculiar uniforms, but unlike traditional pallbearers, there is a lot for them to laugh about. The team needs helmets too. You can never tell what surprises the land of the dead may hold. 

Each contestant does whatever is humanly possible, using their body and the ground to break the ice and put on the shirts. Common methods include hitting the shirts on the ground and breaking the ice with their teeth. Each contestant aims to put on their shirt before the countdown is over. 

The turkeys are frozen but partially thawed and must knock out as many as six pins positioned 20 feet away on a snowy path. However, there are no free throws. Three throws cost $5. 

This event is perfect for those wanting to test their mettle and shows Grandpa Bredo’s solidarity. More amazingly, the event is free to watch. 

Here at the Tuff Shed, a monthly supply of dry ice – 1,600 pounds – covers Grandpa Bredo and keeps his quest for immortality alive. His body will remain here until it is (perhaps) possible to bring back the dead. 

Participants feel excited to dress the part and look like a dead and frozen grandpa. Some even go as far as frightening the kids with scary costumes. This event costs around $25 and upwards and allows online registration. 

There are several live music bands to keep your body moving and food vendors to keep your mouth busy. The fun is never-ending, providing one of the most lively celebrations for the dead amongst the living. 

Here, participants let icy drinks flow down their throats while the audience finds amusement in the comical facial expressions that follow—no slow drinking allowed! Participants must chug ice-cold drinks at the speed of light to produce maximum effect. 

They see vivid ice sculptures of numerous objects or wildlife like coffins, dogs, birds, and scorpions. Sounds difficult, doesn’t it? That’s what makes it a joy to watch. 

The owners of the Stanley Hotel and Visit Estes Park have volunteered to run the show from now on. Unfortunately, this means that Nederland will lose its hosting status to the new venue — Estes Park. But knowing Grandpa Bredo, who is pretty chill, we know he won’t mind.