A Family Legacy on Ice: UW Student Eden Milan and the MARY B

by Deb Whitehorse | Feb 9, 2025 | 2024-2025, Home Page, WSSA

For UW-Madison student Eden Milan, a simple connection to Madison’s frozen lakes turned into an unexpected discovery of their family’s deep ice boating history. Milan’s great-grandfather, Carl Bernard, was one of Madison’s most accomplished iceboat skippers, winning numerous championships—including nine titles aboard the legendary Mary B. Though originally from Seattle, Milan had no idea they were connected to such a significant piece of Madison’s ice boating legacy until they arrived at UW.

This past weekend at the Frozen Assets Festival, Milan had the rare opportunity to ride aboard the Mary B, experiencing firsthand the ice yacht that helped define their great-grandfather’s legacy. If you haven’t seen this historic iceboat in action yet, there’s still time to visit the Mary B set up in front of The Edgewater.

On a chilly weekday morning in February, Eden Milan pulled a pair of ice creepers over their shoes (rubber grips with small spikes at the bottom) and walked out onto the frozen Lake Mendota.

On the lake, a group of enthusiastic ice boat sailors worked to reassemble the boat Milan’s great-grandfather collected so many of his trophies with, a boat that continues to represent Madison’s history as an ice boating haven. Continue reading.

Full circle on the ice—Eden Milan rides aboard the Mary B, the same legendary iceboat her great-grandfather, Carl Bernard, once raced to victory.