Nederland – The grandson of a man cryogenically frozen in this small mountain town wants to put an end to the annual Frozen Dead Guy Days festival.
Trygve Bauge said festival organizers have not paid his family enough, have treated his mother badly and have painted his grandfather in a bad light.
But Ron Mitchell, with the Nederland Chamber of Commerce, says the thousands who flock here each spring to take part in Grandpa’s Blue Ball and the Ice Queen Look-alike Contest or race coffins through town need not worry.
“He can’t stop the festival,” Mitchell said. “He’ll stop the festival over my frozen dead body. … I mean, the guy was deported, what can he do?”
Mitchell and other festival organizers recently received an e-mail from Bauge, who lives in Norway, instructing them to shut down the festival. Bauge’s grandfather is Bredo Morstoel, or “Grandpa” – the “Frozen Dead Guy” who serves as inspiration for the annual rite.
Bauge cited recent disputes with town officials, demanded money for his family’s role and announced that he was taking the frozen dead guy out of Frozen Dead Guy Days.
“I no longer trust the judgment of, or support, the people organizing the Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland, Colo.,” he wrote. “And in particular, I call upon all ice bathers, all cryonic- interested people, all libertarians and all media outlets to stay away from the festival.”
Bauge said organizers show his grandfather as a “monster” on merchandise.
“Since we don’t get any of the proceeds, we have no reason to continue to tolerate such indecent, disrespectful and inappropriate behavior,” he wrote.
But Mitchell said the chamber owns the rights to the festival. Morstoel’s name is not used on any of the merchandising.
“He can keep us off his property, so that we couldn’t do the tours,” Mitchell said. “But that is about it.”
When Bauge was deported for immigration violations, a Nederland resident agreed to monitor “Grandpa,” and the town has held its irreverent festival for the past four years.
Mitchell and chamber president B.J. Ball said Bauge’s move stems from a dispute sparked by his mother’s visit. Aud Morstoel came to town for this year’s festival, and she and a chamber official got into an argument.
Mitchell said he recently evicted Aud Morstoel after housing her – rent free – for five weeks. A number for Morstoel had been temporarily disconnected at the customer’s request Monday.
Ball said he hopes cooler heads will prevail.
“I don’t want to want to see Trygve (Bauge) and his family in an adversarial role to the town and the festival,” Ball said.
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 303-247-9948 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
