Dog Song Rising
The Yukon Quest was previously 1,000 miles and is now split into two lengths, one on the American side and the other on the Canadian side.
Races and Competitions
Dog Song Rising
Over the holidays I had the opportunity to interview Jess Sears, a dog musher based in the Whitehorse area.
The Yukon 1000: One Canoe, Two Women, One-Thousand Miles
Known as the longest paddling race in the world, as well as the most-remote and self-reliant, the Yukon 1000 is an extreme undertaking that requires strength, endurance, bush smarts and thorough planning.
Steiner aces the rut fluff to win
March 15, 1986 at the men’s downhill in Whistler, B.C. – The Inside Edge Memoirs #1 By the time the 1986 Molson’s World Cup men’s downhill and Super G, aka The White Circus, rolled into town on March 15, 1986 to close out the 85/86 racing season, I was well-established as the first-ever sports editor …
My road to redemption
I would not consider myself a runner, and yet, here I am at the start line of the Chena River to Ridge 25-mile race. For the second time. How on Earth did this happen? There must be something magical about living in the North. It has a way of tricking mere mortals into thinking they can …
Olympic dreams
Do you think you have what it takes to be an Olympian? So does Training Ground. That’s why the program is coming to the Yukon on May 11, to test athletes between the ages of 14 and 25. “We developed Training Ground from Podium Search in B.C.,” said Kurt Innes, director of talent development for …
The last great road race
The 50th running of the Alcan 200 International Snow Machine Road Rally takes place on the third weekend in January, attracting snow-machine enthusiasts from Alaska, the Yukon and northern B.C.
This league is about community
The Filipino Canadian Basketball League Yukon (FCBLY) held their annual kickoff weekend on Saturday, November 17 and the highly anticipated event filled F.H. Collins gym for the weekend. The FCBLY president, Joselito Tobias, has been involved in the league for seven years and has seen the evolution of the league into the sport of choice …
Revolutionizing endurance training
“We’re just at the cusp of changing an entire sport, and it’s coming out of a town of 23-thousand people. It’s incredible where we’ve got to,” said Alastair Smith, co founder of Proskida. Current performance-monitoring technology that’s widely available in the sport doesn’t tell you how much you’re producing; it just tells you how much …
Get your lips ready!
What is one to expect when one decides to go to a 2018 Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous event in November?The Ultimate Lip Sync Battle!
It’s ‘snowing’ at Sima!
Every October, Mount Sima starts snow production and welcomes hundreds of athletes from all over Canada for pre-season training in November. Whitehorse, Yukon, is the perfect location and climate to have early snow production to build the national-level freestyle park terrain and have runs open for athletes to practice ahead of the winter competition season. …
SOVA grad wins regional prize in national competition
Chris Dufour’s decision to enrol in the Yukon School of Visual Arts (SOVA) in 2017 turned out to be a good one. Based on an art piece he created in one of the classes offered by SOVA, he was chosen as regional winner representing the Yukon in the 16th BMO 1st Art! competition, an annual …
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Hail to the night runners
Only in the Yukon would we conceptualize a relay race where hundreds of people (when it first started) run along a highway through the night. Not to mention, we’ll decide to make all the race legs about a half marathon, so while you are battling the demands of your circadian rhythm to curl up into …
Yukon gold at the Games of Fundy
At the time of our print deadline for this edition, the 2018 Canada 55+ Games team was shaping up as 143 athletes competing from five Yukon communities.
Catch ‘the Kraken’!
Catch the Kraken offers Alaskan saltwater charter fishing (targeting halibut), but other species include rockfish, cod, flounder, wolf fish, pollock and shark.
Let’s get some mud on them trucks!
The annual mud bog competition is back on July 21 on Robert Service Way
Authors on Eighth celebrates Klondike literature
Each summer the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA), honours the memory of four writers who have meant a great deal to Dawson City and the Klondike: Jack London, Robert W. Service, Pierre Berton and Dick North.
Fortnite drops at Titan Gaming and Collectibles
Titan Gaming and Collectibles is adding Fortnite to its menu of gaming options, and they’re marking the occasion with a kickoff tournament on July 14.
George Arcand has been hitting home runs for over 30 years
For decades, George Arcand has been an institution for softball in the Yukon, getting his start as a volunteer in the mid-1970s.
Bicycle fun under the midnight sun
The Contagious Mountain Biking Club (CMBC) is hosting their annual 24 Hour of Light bike race. This is one of the last remaining 24-hour mountain-bike races in Canada, and it is the only 24-hour race in North America where no lights are allowed,
Seniors on speed
What 69-year-old chooses an activity that routinely results in numb hands, painful wrists and soreness in an area that makes it difficult to perform certain necessary bodily functions? Well, it turns out that there are quite a number of these folks in the Yukon.
Danny Mac’s wonderful World Cup primer
With all due respect to the Olympics, there is no competition on Earth that captures the passion of spectators like the FIFA World Cup.
Going from Whitehorse to Dawson on the Yukon River? You better believe that’s a paddlin’
The world’s longest annual paddling race is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with the largest slate of international teams and racers ever.
Rangin’ off to Ontario
Members of the Haines Junction Junior Canadian Rangers (JCR) attended the annual JCR National Marksmanship Championship in St. Catharines, Ontario, in early May.
Ten days in Germany
Sherri Green won our 2018 Condor competition with her ‘pretzel itinerary’ If I were to go to Germany, where would I go? There are so many possibilities. I usually have trouble deciding what to order off of a restaurant menu! I asked some friends and they helped me narrow down the possibilities. Their suggestion? Tour …
Full metal and padded jacket
Many Yukoners will have seen members of the Company of the White Wolf at events around the territory. It’s hard to miss grown men and women dressed in full medieval combat armour, striking each other with swords and axes.
It’s all about the shared suffering…
Alaskans seem to embrace their long winters more than anywhere else I’ve seen in the north. Their affinity for crazy adventure races is a testament to their celebration of northern living.
In search of the perfect poutine
Poutine. This simple, but tasty dish, was officially put in the dictionary in 2014 and listed in the top 10 Canadian inventions of all time.
Kick up your fitness
The Elite Martial Arts Academy (EMAA) first opened its doors back in May of last year and has been gaining momentum ever since.
Creative learning heads outside of Whitehorse
More than 200 Yukon students gathered at F.H. Collins Secondary School to participate in the territory’s Destination Imagination Yukon Tournament.
Hoooo is that?
The Arctic Winter Games are fast approaching and Kechi (pronounced Kee-Chee), the snowy owl, is helping to spread the spirit of the games.
Keeping the weekend weird
Thaw-di-Gras, Dawson’s spring-or-late-winter carnival, is adding a day this year, with events beginning on Friday, March 16 and running through Sunday, March 18.
Mixing it up at the Mad(am) Trapper Contest
The multi-event Mad(am) Trapper competition, slated for Feb. 23 through 25, usually attracts dozens of women and men vying for the title of Mad Trapper or Madam Trapper.
A Dog Day Rendezvous
Brooke Rudolph with her howling buddy Timber, 2nd place finisher in 2016 The Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous and the unique relationship between a Yukoner and their beloved canine companion are two of the most enduring images of life in the North. So, it should come as no surprise that man and woman’s best friend features prominently …
Yukon’s got strength and a whole lot of style
The Strength and Style competition is a popular event and whether you’re new or old to the Yukon, it brings people together.
The sounds of the next generation
The annual BYTE Battle of the Bands, which will feature up to 10 groups, has been taking place for over a decade and has teamed up for the second year with Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous as an affiliated event at Shipyards Park.
A royally good time
The Rendezvous event called Her Majesty’s Royal Feast is an elegant evening with a 5-course meal on Feb. 13 at the KDCC In its second year, Her Majesty’s Royal Feast was created to give the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Queen candidates a high class venue to deliver one of the most important components of the competition: …
Ready, set, paint your windows!
Brenda Buren (left) and Lindsay Agar (right) present staff from BMO ribbons for Best Bank and Best Overall in the 2017 Business Decor Competition Yukon businesses have been celebrating Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous with window painting and decorating for decades. The festive atmosphere builds anticipation for the event and helps cultivate the Klondike Gold Rush-era feel …
Christmas Insomnia? We have an event for that
The annual Christmas Insomnia Soccer Tournament is a little known tradition that dozens of Yukon families have been participating in for more than a decade, held over three days each holiday season. What began as a fundraiser for a Canada Summer Games team in 2004 has gradually become an end-of-year mainstay for university students returning …
Shooting the lights out in the dark
The Lights Out Invitational Basketball Tournament has helped turn the lights on for the adult basketball community in Whitehorse. The tournament, cleverly named due to the lack of light in January and how a player can shoot the lights out on the way to the championship, has grown over the years from its humble, four …
Happy 20th anniversary to everyone’s favourite river race
Sixteen teams competed in the inaugural Yukon River Quest (YRQ) 20 years ago – that’s a fraction of the numbers anticipated by race organizers in 2018.
Strategic Race
I don’t know the word “slow” I only know the word “go” The runners were top notch An’ we raced against the watch. I just pretend that I’m a rabbit Cause running is my habit. It was a blistering pace But I like to give chase. I run like an Arctic hare And I train …
Big Air at Sima
The Yukon Freestyle Ski Association hosts the Canadian Cup November 23 to 26 at Mount Sima.
It’s all about the performance
Prep your pipes: Klondike Karaoke is back. And even if you’re not onstage at the finals, you could be cheering from the crowd. For the second time this year, the Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) and the Canadian Filipino Association of Yukon (CFAY) are co-hosting a sing-off that will see one Yukoner crowned karaoke king or …
This beauty even has adjustable suspension
I was sitting comfortably amongst blankets and a beaver pelt on Sid’s living room couch, visiting with Jill. She pours us a warm cup of tea and we chat about their winter plans in Arizona. I take a moment to ask Sid what we should write about next for What’s Up Yukon. He jumps up …
My Fresh Meat Trial
It’s been 20 years since I put on a pair of skates, so as I arrived at Elijah Smith Elementary School I was a little bit timid about trying roller derby for the first time. Having only seen one game back in Australia, and the movie Whip It, I began to wonder if this was …
Race ’til You’re Pooped!
“We’re dedicated to keeping the Yukon weird,” Robitaille likens the Great Klondike International Outhouse Race to Jim Robb’s Colourful 5%
Ten glorious days of ‘PLAY BALL!’
Less than a week after Canada finally celebrates our 150th birthday, the top men’s softball (fastpitch) players in the country will be saddled with facing an angry New Zealand haka performed by disgruntled Black Sox players to begin the next 150 years. The occasion is the 15th issue of the Men’s Softball World Championships to …
Giving Everyone a Chance to Shine
Getting a medal isn’t the point. “We’re there to have fun,” says Gaetan, captain of Yukon’s Special Olympics soccer team. “doing your best.”
There’s Gold in Those Buckets of Dirt
Canada Day will be exceptionally busy in Dawson this year. Combining our nation’s birthday with a roster of events that normally occur on the first Saturday after that celebration will make for a packed schedule. The Klondike Visitors Association decided a few years ago that having the Yukon Gold Panning Championships in the afternoon, following …
A Year of Firsts for Yukon River Quest
At this year’s Yukon River Quest, stand up paddleboarders will be competing for prize money for the first time. The 2016 race introduced the stand up paddleboard category as an experiment. “Stand up paddleboards are hugely popular now and we had been pushed by both local groups and internationally to allow it maybe for a …
Mount Maichen Madness Hits Watson Lake
What do you do with a ski hill in the summer? You hold a relay race! If you’re looking for a fun, exciting and challenging event to start off the summer, the Mount Maichen Relay Race is it. Grab a few family members, friends, or co-workers and join us at the Mount Maichen Ski Hill …
Intense Com-paw-tition
Yukon is home to a class of athletes that are the first of their kind in Canada. You might not know it, but you’ve probably seen them around town – running, walking, slobbering on their owner’s shoes. That’s right, they’re dogs. And roughly 30 of them are part of the Yukon Predators Dog Puller Sport …
DIDEE & DIDOO: THEY’RE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE
I HAVE TO HAVE THE BEST ORGANIC DIET. I HAVE TO HAVE THE BEST AND LIGHTEST EQUIPMENT. I HAVE TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ON TRAINING METHODS. I HAVE TO HAVE A COACH. I HAVE TO HAVE A SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST. I HAVE TO HAVE TIME AND BE COMMITTED. I HAVE TO HAVE THE BEST TRAINING ENVIRONMENT. I …
The Super Bowl of Ethics
It might be called a “bowl,” but in this competition, you won’t see any kickoffs, quarterbacks, punted balls or wide receivers. You will, however, see contestants huddled in tactical contemplation, quietly discussing obligations, responsibilities and best strategies on how to advance the play, and if the judges have anything to say about it, getting a …
International Women’s Day Poster Contest Winners
Our identities are multifaceted and complex, in order to address gender-based inequality and violence we need to find ways to hear each other in order to effectively create social change that benefits everyone in the end. No one should be left behind. In keeping with this spirit Les EssentElles, the Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre, Yukon …
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Racing to Honour an Honourable Man
At 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 23, the spirit of Percy DeWolfe, Dawson’s Iron Man Mail Carrier, will head off from the starting line between the Old Post Office and the Palace Grand Theatre. Two minutes later the first of the corporeal contestants in the Memorial Mail Race named after him will let the dogs, …
The Last Ski Race of the Year
Volunteers are gearing up for the Buckwheat Ski Classic. The cross country ski race is on March 25, but starting in early March volunteers were driving up to Log Cabin, B.C. from Skagway, Alaska two times a week to set tracks for the course. The last two years the race was rough – the weather …
Curtains Up!
On April 4th Nakai Theatre invites theatre lovers, supportive friends or simply the merely curious to attend their 24 Hour Playmaking Cabaret, held at The Deck at the High Country Inn. The event, which has been held for nearly 25 years, revolves around Nakai’s 24 Hour Playmaking Challenge, which took place March 11 to 12. …
Coy Cup Comes to the Yukon
“Get ready for some high paced hockey,” says Whitehorse Huskies Coach Michael Tuton. “The top AA teams of B.C. and the Yukon are battling it out for the Coy. It’s gonna be great hockey. Very hard hitting games. “Bring some excitement. Let’s blow the roof off the Takhini arena.” Tuton says to expect a high calibre tournament …
Looking Back on 40 Years of Team Spirit
In the fall of 1975 when Joe Jack was around 24 years old he and a group of friends thought it would be a good idea to start a First Nations hockey team that would include people from all the communities in the Yukon. He and his friends were avid hockey players. “We called ourselves …
Thaw di Gras appeals to Locals and Visitors
Dawson’s impishly named Thaw di Gras carnival is still thought of as a spring carnival, even though a good March weekend will still be in the minus teens and a bad one may be in the minus 20s with wind chill. Whatever the weather may bring, much of this March 17th to 19th weekend will …
Something for Everyone
However, the Koot to Kat Alpine Adventure Race has a list of requirements: a partner, beacon, shovel, probe, communication device (phone or GPS) and the ability to get yourself up and over Mount Ripinski. The Winter Fest runs from Friday, March 3rd to Sunday, 5th. The Haines “First Friday” event also takes place on March …
Cedric Wants You
Whoooo the heck is Cedric, anyway? We’ll come back to that later. About a year after Beth Hawkes moved to Salt Spring Island with her husband, she saw a small ad in the Gulf Islands Driftwood about a literary competition for unpublished B.C. writers over the age of 50. “I just looked at the ad, …
Brave and Bold
Jessie Royer Kennel: The J Team Age: 40 Nationality: American (Fairbanks, AK) Experience: Rookie
On the Quest For A Good Story
Parents and teachers, do you have a budding Jack London in your midst? Kids in Grades 1-7 are invited to enter the Yukon Quest Short Story Competition. The contest is divided into two categories with children in Grades 1-3 and Grades 4-7 will be judged separately, and one winner chosen from each category. The winners …
Super Bowl LI
By every statistical quantifier known to man or beast, less one, the upstart Atlanta Falcons don’t have much of a chance against the New England Patriots in Sunday’s 51st issue of the NFL’s Super Bowl or “LI” to those who still count like Romans. The lone exception is Atlanta’s offense, which finished atop the league …
International Bonspiel Comes to Dawson City
Dawson City’s International curling bonspiel is the Yukon’s oldest continuously running event. With teams from the Yukon, Northern BC & NWT.
Mush Rush 2017
The Yukon Quest … is so much more than just a race. It’s an opportunity as a community event, for businesses and people to come together,”
Yukon 48 hour Film Challenge Back Again this Year
If you’ve always wanted the challenge of making a film in a short amount of time, here’s your chance. The Yukon 48 Hour Film Challenge, hosted by the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) and the Yukon Film Society, will once again be offering filmmakers of all ages a chance to test their mettle …
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Training Ground
Mount Sima is “the first mountain in North America to have a jump line in.” That’s what Graham Pollock says. He’s the head coach of the Yukon freestyle ski team. A jump line means a skier can take more than one jump in a row while going down a hill. Sima has three jumps in …
Didee & Didoo: First Time
FIRST TIME I HAD A COACH. FIRST TIME I RAN ON A TRACK. FIRST TIME I HAD A FIRST AID SATION. FIRST TIME I HAD OFFICIALS. FIRST TIME I HAD AN ELECTRONIC TIMER. FIRST TIME I USED STARTING BLOCKS. FIRST TIME I RAN WITH A BATON. FIRST TIME I RAN IN HOT WEATHER. FIRST TIME …
Never Again
In this two-part series Alexander Weber writes about competing in his first Ironman triathlon. In Part One he told us about his race preparation and his feelings before the competition. We left him three days before race day… Race day: My alarm goes off at 4 a.m. I eat a single slice of toast with …
Fear and Loathing
Dear Reader, having just read the title of this article, I assume you may believe the following about myself: I am insane, and I am a diehard superhuman athlete. While you may be right about the former, I would disagree with the latter. Before I delve deeper into that, let’s get some information out of …
Eating for Endurance
What you eat and drink before a long run impacts your performance and your ability to recover, post race. If you’re looking to beat a previous time, or just finish, it’s important to focus on the fuel you are giving your body. Your body’s energy source I sometimes hear runners talk about the different macronutrients …
Deadly Fascination, or, Better Living with du Pont
Panama Papers got you down? Still feeling the chill of tax season? A dose of the 2014 film Foxcatcher, based on a true story and available on DVD at the Whitehorse Public Library, might be just the thing to remind you to be thankful that you didn’t have the misfortune of being born rich and …
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Can We Beat Alaska This Year?
“Play ball!” These words will be ringing out in Dawson City this Labour Day weekend. From Sept. 2 to 5, teams from the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Alaska will converge on two ball diamonds to compete in the Labour Day Slo-Pitch Classic Tournament. This annual, mixed tournament has been a 30-year tradition in Dawson, says …
Sampling the ‘challenge’
This is the second year that Northern Vision Development has challenged Whitehorse restaurants to make the best burger. This year six restaurants took the bait — The Gold Pan Saloon, the High Country Inn, The Cut Off, Earls, the Steele Street Restaurant and Lounge (which is the Westmark) and the Klondike Rib and Salmon. Six …
Eat Your Art Out
‘Tis the season where giant vegetables are being harvested from gardens and potentially prize-winning jams are being churned out for display in the hopes of gaining a ribbon. This was the case at Dawson City’s horticultural exhibition as part of Discovery Days last week, but you won’t find large or entertaining vegetables adorning the tables …
Summer Lessons in Hippo Munching
What a happy day it was when my four-year-old daughter Emily opened a gift from my wife and I revealing a classic game from our youth. Hungry Hungry Hippos was one of our “go to” games in the mid-80s. I remember battling it out with friends and family, frantically trying to scarf down all the …
Off to the Races with Allan Benjamin
97 Yukoners aged 55 to 91 participated in the 2016 Canada 55+ Games in Brampton, Ontario from Aug.16 to 19.
Be Amazed at What We Can Grow Up Here
Whether you have a green thumb or not, you’re invited to the Horticultural Exhibition in Dawson City on Aug. 13. Tarie Castellarin and Helen Dewell have been involved in organizing the exhibition since 2013. The event itself dates back to the early 1900s. “In the past, the exhibition was huge and used to be four …
Power and Money
The ladies rule Dawson City this weekend. First up, the Dawson City League of Lady Wrestlers presents the North End Knockout on Saturday, August 6. On Sunday, August 7, the best female pokers players in the Yukon gather to play it out for prize money. Why are there these all-women events in what are thought …
Didee & Didoo: Dome Run
I’M OVER THE HILL TO RUN UP THE HILL. I NEVER RAN IT BEFORE BUT I KNOW IT’S SORT. I’LL GIVE IT A TRY BUT DON’T ASK WHY. I’M NOT A PRO ‘CAUSE I’M SLOW. I’M A MASTER AN’ I’M NOT FASTER. THE DOME RUN IT’S JUST FOR FUN. I’LL TRY NOT TO DROP ‘TIL …
The 2016 Kluane-Chilkat International Bike Relay: A Photo Retrospect
The relay creates memories worth cherishing. Piles of cyclist race through the Haines Pass, many in costumes. Many without training or practice or cycling experience. Teams camp in fields before and after the race, which takes place around the summer solstice. The light is almost the best part of the race, hence the photo retrospect.
Gold Fever is Alive and Well
Panning for gold the old-fashioned way is an art and a science, though you don’t have to be an expert in either to take part in the annual Yukon Gold Panning Championships, held on Saturday, July 1 in Dawson City. “We’re trying to attract gold panning enthusiasts, competitive types, visitors, and first time gold panners,” …
Camaraderie in a Canoe
Nine ladies in a voyageur canoe whose ages range from 23 to 62; 715 kilometres; paddling for Yukon Cancer Care Fund. Stix Together is a team of Whitehorse women participating in the 18th Annual Yukon River Quest. The race begins with a mass start at noon on Wednesday, June 29. Participants gather at the gazebo …
A 24-Hour Mountain Bike Relay … for Everyone
24 hour bike relays used to be en mode around North America, 15, 16 years ago. That’s when the first one was in Whitehorse, 16 years ago. The popularity of the relays waned most places. But not in Whitehorse. Here, the race is held close to the summer solstice. It has grown and evolved to …
A Canada Day Celebration Worth Driving To
Mayo Arts Festival offers a unique way to celebrate Canada’s birthday with artists, workshops and musicians from the Stewart River Valley
Didee & Didoo: After A Race
I CAN SLEEP. I’M NOT NERVOUS. I CAN BREATHE. I CAN TALK. I DON’T CHOKE. MY HEART BEATS NORMAL. I’M NOT STIFF. I CAN KEEP STILL. I CAN CONCENTRATE. I CAN HEAR. I DON’T PEE MY PANTS. I CAN SEE. I KNOW HOW TO PRAY. I STOP CRYING. I DON’T HAVE A HEADACHE. I AM …
Come On Out To the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre
On June 21st the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Society will be hosting National Aboriginal Day at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. The festivities are open to the public and will include games, music, food, kids activities and cultural displays. Krista Reid, the cultural programing coordinator for the society, says they are excited about this year’s event, …
Didee & Didoo: BEFORE A RACE
I CAN’T SLEEP. I SHAKE. I’M NERVOUS. I CAN’T BREATHE. I CAN’T TALK. I ALMOST CHOKE. MY HEART BEATS FAST. I GET STIFF. I CAN’T KEEP STILL. I CAN’T CONCENTRATE. I CAN’T HEAR. I PEE MY PANTS. I CAN’T SEE. I FORGET HOW TO PRAY. I START TO CRY. I GET A HEADACHE. I GET …
A Little or a Lot, Get Ready to Run
Dawson City runners have been pleased to participate in the Mayo Marathon. This year there is a Dempster to Dawson (or D2DC) Solstice Race.
On Top of the World at the Top of the World
Ever wanted to toss a log or throw a 20-pound rock? Top of the World Highland Games and Celtic Festival in Dawson City is for you.
Stepping out for the Games
Five Special Olympics Yukon athletes went to Corner Brook, Newfoundland for the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games. Special Olympics Yukon sent two skating athletes and three cross country skiers. The team qualified by competing at the 2015 Special Olympics British Columbia Winter Games that were held in Kamloops, B.C. this past winter. On February 24th, …
Celebrating 30 Years of Cult-Classic Skiing
The force is strong in our northern skiing communities. The Buckwheat Ski Classic has grown significantly to over 400 skiers.
Didee & Didoo: RED LANTERN
YOUR TEAM IS NEVER IN THE LEAD ‘CAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE THE SPEED. THEY’RE ALWAYS LAST ‘CAUSE THEY’RE NOT FAST. YOU’RE THE LAST TO THE FINISH LINE ‘CAUSE YOU’RE ALWAYS WAY BEHIND. YOU’RE NOT IN A HURRY AND YOU DON’T WORRY. YOU KNOW HOW TO MUSH BUT YOU DON’T LIKE TO RUSH. EVEN IF YOU …
‘Neff Said
Hugh Neff and his lead dog George Costanza have won the 2016 Yukon Quest. Photographer Josh O’brien was there to capture the action at the finish line in Whitehorse, YT. Here are some shots taken just moments after Neff’s win.
Never Too Young To Be An Old Timer
You don’t have to be a real old timer to play Oldtimers Hockey in Dawson City. Anyone from 35 years and up can play on one of the three teams in the league. “In professional hockey, 35 is pretty old,” says Brent MacDonald, president of the Oldtimers Association. “That’s where the name came from.” MacDonald, …
Literary Fisticuffs
Local Yukoners will face-off to defend their favourite books as part of the Northern Lights Writers Conference, running Jan 23-23. Author of Best Laid Plans and 2013 Canada Reads winner Terry Fallis will be “refereeing” the event. The winning book goes home with the glory, the winning contender goes home with money for a charity …
Ready… Set… Snow Race!
The fastest snow machine race on earth, the 47th Alcan 200 International Snow Machine Road Rally, will roar to a start on Jan. 16 near Haines, Alaska. Drivers sign up the night before, Jan. 15, at 5:30 p.m. at the Fogcutter Bar in Haines. Spectators buy their drivers by class in a Calcutta auction, and …
A farewell from the 2015 Rendezvous Queen
As the year 2015 is coming to an end, so does my reign as the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Queen 2015. This article will be my last article in the Queen’s Corner. Last February I was interviewed for the CBC about the reasons why I signed up for the Rendezvous Queen Competition. Honestly, I did not …
48 Hour Film Festival
Last week, I took place in the YFS 48 Hour Film Challenge. Along with five friends, we created a music video to a Michael Feuerstack song called “Out of Season.” Our team was myself, Bailey Staffen, Graham Lang, Tara McCarthy, Andrew Stratis and Brett Elliot. Our combined film experience is roughly equivalent to our combined …
My Story as a Special Olympics Athlete
Mallory Ellen Pigage has been a Special Olympics Yukon athlete for 16 years. “Is a time for me to socialize and do sports at the same time.”
Dressing Up
Yukoners have a hidden talent. Last August, over 800 people flocked to the territory’s first-ever comic convention, and many of them came in elaborate costumes they made themselves. Vickybunnangel, professional cosplayer and judge of YukomiCon 2014’s cosplay contests, remarked on the diversity and talent of our local cosplayers. So what exactly is cosplay? It stands …
A Star in LA
It’s the last Thursday evening in July, and Elyn Jones is sitting beside the parking lot of Universal Studios giving an interview on her cell phone. She and her husband, Jerome McIntyre and their daughter Breda, 12, have spent a scorching afternoon touring the worksite of numerous Hollywood stars, along with three of her nieces …
Hotdog Destiny
On July 4 my family headed to Skagway for the Independence Day celebration. Since I was about to write a piece for the WUY Hot Dog Issue, I thought, “What a great way to sample the Americana hot dog culture and stuff myself with delicious mystery meat.” We arrived just in time to catch the …
Soccer Squad heads to Sweden
On July 12, a group of young Yukoners will step on the pitch in Sweden to represent the Yukon at an international soccer tournament. The Strikers, an under-16 men’s squad, will get their first taste of international competition at the Gothia Cup — the World Youth Cup. “The boys are heading to the Western Canadian …
Fight Like a Knight
If you have a passion for history and fighting to the death — without the death — there’s a new activity in the Yukon that is just right for you. Medieval combat is a martial art based on historically accurate medieval equipment and rules. You can get a taste of it at Yukon’s first medieval …
Finishing off the Season with Three Medals
We just finished unloading all the skis, about 80 pairs, in front of the wax room in Newfoundland when a large rumbling sound caught everyone off guard. People dove for safety as an avalanche of snow slid off the roof of the wax room, burying our skis and poles under three feet. Luckily our equipment …
The Trek Will Be Coming Soon
The 21st running of the Trek Over the Top snowmobile run from Tok, Alaska, to Dawson City and back will take place from March 6 to 9. It’s a 200-mile (382 km) trip each way, over the spectacular scenery provided by the Top of the World Highway. Trekkers will ride out of Tok on Thursday, …
Aiming for Sochi, Hoping for Italy
For the majority of skiers, the trial races are the most important of the year. For a few, they’re second only to the event that the trials actually them for. This year we had four races in five days that would ultimately decide the Canadian Olympic team, as well as the World Junior and Under …
Shoes To Take You Anywhere
As a child, I learned the importance of spending time outside. My father taught me that fresh air was a mandatory part of everyday life, through a wide variety of outdoor activities. On weekends, he would drag me out of bed early in the morning, regardless of season, and take me into the vast wilderness …
She is the face at the finish: She’s a clock-watcher
Anyone who has taken part in competitive cycling or running in the Yukon, in these past 20 years or so, has most likely experienced the typical post-race symptoms of excessive sweating, agonizing pain, rewarding sense of accomplishment and that one burning question: “Who is that woman?” Described by many as “The Welcoming Face at the …
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Relay for Life celebrates, remembers and fights back
“It’s one day, one night; one community, one fight,” says Donna Hogan, co-chair of the Relay for Life steering committee. “It’s the largest cancer fundraiser event in the world,” adds Scott Kent, regional manager of the Canadian Cancer Society. There are 52 relays in the Yukon and B.C. and over 300 across Canada. Hogan has …
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A Broom With a View
March 28th marks the 30th anniversary of the Yukon Broomball Association. “We’ve come a long way from our humble beginnings playing on local community rinks,” says Scott Smith, the association’s travel team coach. “We outgrew the community rinks pretty quickly, causing us to build two outdoor rinks in the Takhini North neighbourhood. They were pretty …
Special Olympian Brings Back Hardware
It’s not every day that a Yukon figure skater is named to Team Canada for the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games. For that athlete to win a silver medal is a very proud moment and that is exactly what 15 year old Michael Sumner did in Pyeonchang, South Korea this month. Sumner joined 101 …
Hops Across the Pond
Back in March, we sent one of our brewers on a jaunt to jolly old England. Alan went there to participate in a beerfest put on by a group of pubs, J.D. Wetherspoon (JDW). At each beerfest, JDW features 50 different beers in their pubs, most of which come from around England, but some of …
Olympian is a Special Gift to Christmastime Basketball Camp
When a former Olympian is willing to travel from southern France to Yukon in the middle of December you know there has to be a really good reason. For basketball player Kim Smith that reason is to direct the Future Stars Girls Basketball Camp, something that she is very excited to do, although she does …
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Club Welcomes Beginner Dogs and People to Races
Whether you have a poodle, a retired sled dog, or a dog in race form, the Dog Powered Sports Association (DPSA) of the Yukon has an event for you. The association runs events year-round and provides dogs -— and their owners — lots of opportunities for exercise, skill-improvement and socializing. In the summer, the Hot …
Prepping for the Trail Run
It’s been called one of the hardest marathons in North America by iRun magazine and one of the top 10 trail races in Canada by Canadian Running magazine. And it’s in our backyard. The Yukon River Trail Marathon takes place annually in Whitehorse at the beginning of August, attracting runners from across the continent. This …
(Ex)changing Paddling Gear
Perhaps you believe, as Kenneth Grahame suggests in his classic novel, The Wind in the Willows, that “there is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” If so, you need to get yourself to this weekend’s first annual Paddle Swap in Whitehorse. “Members of the Yukon Canoe and Kayak Club …
Three Legs Inspire 4×2
This is just what hundreds of cyclists will be doing next week, as the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay celebrates its 19th birthday. Teams ranging from one to eight riders will attempt to traverse the 238 km between Haines Junction and Haines, Alaska. A competitor myself, the first time I rode this race I got …
Derby Girls on a Roll
It’s a lot of work being a Yukon Roller Girl. There are two practices a week that keep you on your skates for a few hours at a time. There are boot camps to organize and attend, funds to raise through skate-a-thons, bar nights and community sponsors. There are volunteers to wrangle and recruit, bouts …
Ultimately It’s About Fun
The Yukon Ultimate Frisbee Team will travel over 2,000 km next week to join with colleagues from the NWT, dress in costumes, and represent the North at one of Western Canada’s most notorious tournaments. The Pumpkin Pull is an annual ultimate frisbee tournament that takes place over the Hallowe’en weekend in Victoria, BC. Teams from …
Week of a Lifetime
You’ve just stepped off the plane in Whitehorse from your home in the Circumpolar North. You’re excited and proud to represent your region at the Arctic Winter Games (maybe a bit nervous as well), and you’re looking forward to everything the week has to offer. Once you’ve had a chance to strut your stuff at …
Try These at Home
Can’t afford to fly to London for the Olympics this summer? Not to worry, a world-class level of sporting competition is arriving on our doorstep this week. The Arctic Winter Games (AWG) will play host to several events that are not commonly seen in these parts – the Dene Games and Arctic Sports. Unlike most …
Eye on the Prize
Christina Macdonald is a woman on a mission. During her time in the Yukon she has seen the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous axe-throwing competition dominated by a small cohort of tough and strong Yukon women. This year she is aiming to join them and – if she has her way – come out with the top prize. …
Skipping Into History
We got our medals stuck in the ice” Thomas Scoffin. The 17-yr-old Whitehorse resident skipped the Junior Winter Olympic Team.
An Ultra Experience
All I can say is this race has really impacted my life,” says Shelley Gellatly, a race coordinator for the Yukon Arctic Ultra. The Yukon Arctic Ultra, which bills itself as “the world’s toughest and coldest ultra” is a self-propelled race along the Yukon Quest Trail in February of each year. There are various distances …
Climbing back
Over a decade ago, the climbing wall housed on the gymnasium stage at F.H. Collins Secondary School was awash with young climbers training to compete in climbing competitions in southern Canada. At the helm was their coach, Alain Dallaire. Then tragedy struck in the form of an ice-climbing fall that required Dallaire to step back. …
Remembrance of Relays Past
This year the iconic Klondike Trail of 98 International Road Relay from Skagway to Whitehorse turns 30! On September 7 and 8,, teams of runners will cross 176.5km of terrain broken into 10 legs (between nine and 25.6kkm in length), all while gaining 1,004m in elevation (only to lose 394m after the climb). To celebrate …
Calling All Awesome Warriors
Do you love to play outside? Are you always looking for the next challenge or surprise? Then Taelin Free believes he has something that is right up your alley: the Awesome Warrior Challenge. The Awesome Warrior Challenge is a 3-km trail run with over 30 obstacles. It incorporates core strength, balance, stamina, agility and cardio. …
It Will Be Fast
“We’ve got lots do to, but we’re on schedule and on target, and we’ll get it all done,” says George Arcand, executive director of Softball Yukon. Softball Yukon is gearing up for its biggest event to date—the 2012 Women’s World Fastpitch Championships—and the host organization has been making its lists and checking them twice for …
Defying Gravity
For anyone who likes to play on two wheels on the local bike trails, Mount Sima is the place to be the weekend of July 14 and 15. That’s when the local ski hill will play host to the AFD Gravity Cup, the second and final downhill mountain bike race in the 2012 AFD Downhill …
