SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After the third season of the highly rated Ice Road Truckers program aired on the History Channel in the U.S. this summer, Alex Debogorski received the key to the city. It was the key to Manitowac, a town with a population of almost 35,000 in Wisconsin.

Justin Nickels, mayor of Manitowac, Wisconsin, presents Alex Debogorski with the key to the city last month. - photo courtesy of Alex Debogorski

"They give you the key but they don't tell you where the lock is," said Debogorski.

Manitowac mayor Justin Nickels said the giant key he gave the trucker doesn't actually unlock anything in his town.

"The key to the city is a symbolic key," he said. "We give it to dignitaries. It's nice to have a celebrity like Alex in Manitowac."

The TV star is using Manitowac as home base as he tours truck shows and fairs throughout the U.S. With his son Curtis Debogorski working as his manager back in Yellowknife, Alex has been signing autographs and shaking hands at truck pulls and county fairs for most of the summer, visiting centres big and small across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, California and Texas.

"We thought we'd like to turn this notoriety from the reality show into some sort of income," Alex said. "So, Curtis and I decided that after three years we'd go and do some self promotion."

The father and son attended the first trade show together in Las Vegas in late June. That's where Alex met Carl Carson, owner of Rockwood Products, a company that sells custom interiors for big rigs. Alex returned to the U.S. in early August to tour the truck show circuit with Colson and his marketing machine -- a deluxe 2003 Peterbilt show truck and trailer lined with 200 brilliant LED lights named Running Late.

"We got a real monkey with a crank organ routine that we have down pat," Alex said.

The Yellowknifer's star seems to be shining as brightly as the rig he's riding.

"I knew that Alex would be a huge hit in the Midwest," Colson said. "Alex is the true deal. He's a character. I look up to him. All people that I know do and I think being associated with Alex is good for my business."

Alex is also promoting the North, handing out tourist brochures at every stop along the road. He has done lots of interviews with radio, television, newspapers and magazines.

Bruce Smith, editor of Custom Rigs Magazine, lauded the truck-driver celebrity in a recent column, describing how truck enthusiasts are reacting to his presence during his promotional tour.

"Alex spent a lot of long hours standing at Rockwood Product’s booth at the Great American Trucking Show signing autographs and posing for God-only-knows how many snapshots taken by admirers," Smith wrote. "Every time I saw Alex he was being swarmed by fans of the Ice Road Truckers show."

At a few stops along the way, Alex was joined by stars of Wrecked, a reality show about American tow truck drivers. He has presided over memorial golf tournaments, Special Olympics events and awarded trophies at truck competitions.

In Dallas, however, the trophy presentation didn't go so well.

"The trophy was a heavy Waterford Crystal vase," Alex said. "Nobody told me the vase and the base weren't attached. The vase bounced on the cement floor four times before it exploded."

Despite the odd minor mishap, Debogorski is booked at events through October.

In Yellowknife, Curtis is preparing a new line of products under Alex's Original Ice Road Trucker label. T-shirts, bumper stickers and 18-month 2010 calendars are available in Yellowknife at the Ragged Ass Road Shop in the Yk Centre. He said there will be baseball caps and hoodies produced before the holidays. Curtis said Alex is always willing to sign his memorabilia for fans.

Season four of Ice Road Truckers has not been planned, yet, Alex said, but he anticipates a call from the producers soon.

"They usually don't talk with me this early in the season, but I expect to hear from History Channel by October or November to discuss where they plan on going and what they plan to be doing," he said.

Despite his hard-won fame, it is unlikely Alex will receive the key to Yellowknife this year. Mayor Gord Van Tighem has only given the key away once, to former Yellowknife resident and RCMP Constable Monique England in 2003 when she visited as part of the Musical Ride.

Van Tighem said he's pleased Manitowac saw fit to honour Alex with the key to that city.

"I think that's great. Alex needs the notoriety," he joked, quickly adding that the trucker deserves to be recognized for his work as an ambassador for the city. "Alex is doing a lot to promote Yellowknife." Van Tighem has one of Alex Debogorski's 18-month calendars hanging in his office, but it hasn't been signed by the celebrity, yet.

"If I had his autograph on it, I would have sold it on Ebay," he said.

Season two of Ice Road Truckers is airing in Canada this month on the History Television network.