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HOO DOO MOUNTAINS -- Trent Benoit spent Friday afternoon sitting in a recliner in the middle of a snowfield, soaking up the sun and bragging about how he converted his Argo all-terrain vehicle into the world’s most powerful margarita blender.

Under most circumstances, such behavior would make the Wasilla man a solid candidate for a psychiatric evaluation. At the Arctic Man Ski & Sno-Go Classic, it elicited a round of cheers.

While the event near Summit Lake is known for being Alaska’s biggest snowmachine playground -- about 10,000 people attend during most years -- it’s also a magnet for the state’s most enthusiastic tailgaters.

They come from everywhere, filling the roads around the Hoo Doo Mountains with motorhomes, barbecue pits and snowmachine exhaust.

“It’s adult recess,” Hunter said. “If it’s the end of winter, I’m here.”

There are still plenty of hot dogs being roasted at Arctic Man, but the event has become legendary for bringing out the creativity in campfire cuisine.

Hal Cronquist, who owns a Ski Doo dealership in Eagle River, made a name for himself in previous years by mixing up gigantic batches of pancake batter in a cement mixer.

This year, sadly, Cronquist had to leave his rumbling mixing bowl at home.

“The motor got water in it,” he said, with a look of disappointment. “It’s not runnable.”

For Dave Bradford from Sterling, the voyage north included the use of a Polaris Ranger track vehicle, which he used to lug a sled filled with hot dogs, firewood and beer up to the Arctic Man finish line.

He’s been coming to Arctic Man since 2001, with a simple goal: “We improve on it every year.”

This time that meant king crab and rib-eye steak for dinner. Bradford is already planning the 2009 menu highlight. “If we only had crawfish. We will next year.”

The festivities surrounding Arctic Man basically turn a two-day race schedule into a six-day event, attracting thousands of people to a place that is, literally, in the middle of nowhere. The area famously grows to become one of Alaska’s largest cities during the week, then dips back to a population of zero a few days later.

The focus on good times attracts the attention of Alaska State Troopers, who are maintaining a presence of between 18 and 21 personnel this year. They’ll be paying close attention to an event that features both snowmachines and alcohol in very large quantities.

As of Friday evening, the problems had been limited to a drunken driving arrest and a handful of minor injuries. Wall said issues tend to intensify during the weekend, when recreational snowmachiners are joined by serious partiers.

Snowmachiners have a good excuse for making a big effort. With summer rapidly approaching, this is the last chance for many to fire up a sled and get a sunburned face.

“This is it,” said Lorri Martin, a North Pole snowmachiner who has been coming to Arctic Man sinced the early 1990s. “After this, you park your sleds for a year. This is the last ride.”

To commemorate the last day of Arctic Man, Michael Droege is planning a special menu tonight for the folks in the Global Fuel tent -- herb-roasted pork loin with a berry sauce, grilled asparagus and artisan bread.

Meanwhile, Droege was busy cooking burgers on a grill mounted on the back of a snowmachine freight trailer. His boss, Trent Carbaugh, built the contraption with a pivoting television stand and a few bolts.

“It’s part of the event,” said Shayla Cardwell, who lounged downwind from the wafting smell of meat. “You can’t come to Arctic Man and not tailgate.”

Rob Chaffin has a simple explanation for the attraction of the event.

“Give Alaskans a chance to party, and everyone will show up,” the Valdez resident said with a smile.