When I drove my Jeep to Alaska on the Alaska Highway, my first overnight stop after crossing the border from Canada was in Fairbanks, Alaska’s Second City. It was the farthest north I’d ever been; I’m not really sure what I expected, but what I found up there, just shy of the arctic circle, was a place that didn’t seem remotely exotic. It was a middling size, fairly ordinary town, with all the usual chain restaurants and hotels and fast food joints that you’d see in any other part of the American Heartland. There were traffic lights and street signs, sidewalks, even a little bit of a freeway, and since it was July, the middle of summer, there wasn’t a single dog sled, igloo, or caribou herd anywhere in sight.

I had breakfast the next morning at the World’s Most Northerly Denny’s, marveling to myself at how far I’d driven to get to that place, just so that I could eat bacon and eggs and hash browns that were identical to what I could have ordered down the street from my house in Phoenix. The waitress topped up my coffee, and while I waited for it to cool, I struck up a conversation with a couple at the next table. They were Alaskans from the small town of Tok, and they’d made the trek to Fairbanks to stock up on supplies. They gave me some great tips on things to see while I was touring the area, including an event that was happening right there in Fairbanks that very week: the WEIO, World Eskimo Indian Olympics.

The event was being held at the Carlson Center, a multi-purpose indoor venue near Pioneer Park, in the middle of town. I spent that night camping at the Chena Hot Springs (see my previous post, Chena Hot Springs: a Fairbanks Original), and the next afternoon, I drove over to the Carlson. My hat is off to that couple from Tok, because the WEIO turned out to be one of the coolest things I did on that whole ultra-cool road trip. 

The Eskimo Olympic Games are exhibitions of skill and endurance, unique competitions based on traditional Inuit contests, adaptations of the survival skills that are rapidly disappearing in remote villages. The contests draw participants from every corner of this huge state. They are a point of pride for all Alaskans–but especially so for the native people.

There are a number of events worthy of note, ranging from the joyful blanket toss to the incredibly painful “ear pull” to the muktuk (blubber) eating contest (more on all that below), but the premiere event, the biggest crowd-pleaser, the contest that requires the most outrageous level of pure athleticism, is a thing called the Two-Foot High Kick.

Once off the ground, they make this crazy jack knife move, and they attempt to touch the ball with both feet:

If all of that sounds difficult? You have no idea. The contest originated with traditional whale hunts. When the hunt was successful, a runner would be sent to the village, and as soon as he was close enough to be seen across the vast expanse of icy terrain, he would leap high in the air. A two-foot high kick was the unmistakable sign that “they got one,” and that the villagers should come quickly to join the hunters, to help butcher the whale.

Below you’ll find three short slide shows demonstrating the two-foot high kick in stop motion:

This gentleman misses the ball, but the sheer determination in his expression alone is deserving of a medal!

(Note: click on any of the photos in any of these slide shows to blow the images up to full screen.)

(Almost) perfect form!

This gal totally kills it, knocking that ball clear out of sight!

At the World Eskimo Indian Olympics, just as at the International Summer and Winter Olympics, a flame is lit when the games begin, and it is kept burning for the duration of the event, a symbol of peace and unity, and the continuity of the olympic traditions. At the WEIO, the flame is a seal oil lamp that requires constant tending and replenishment. A trio of elders is assigned to that task, and they take it very seriousy indeed.  

Tanana Dancers performing a traditional routine

All of the contests celebrate the skills that are important to survival in the harsh environment of the arctic. In the event known as the “Stick Pull,” two contestants grasp either end of a smooth wooden dowel that has been liberally coated with grease. The first to wrest control of the stick from their opponent is declared the winner. The contest demonstrates the skill required to grab a live fish and hold it by the tail, which is not remotely as easy as it sounds.

Another favorite is the blanket toss, which uses a huge round blanket made of walrus hides, with rope handles attached all around the edge. Two dozen volunteers each grab a handle, while the contestant stands precariously in the middle. On a signal, the volunteers all pull back in unison, hurling the contestant high in the air, and when they come down, the tossers all pull again, and throw the flyer ever higher. This was a real technique used for scouting game on the arctic ice. In the absence of any trees to climb or hills to stand atop, it was an effective way for the hunting party to gain a higher vantage point.  (It’s said that they also did it “just for fun!”)

Last but not least, there is a regalia contest, with lovely ladies showing off their fur and finery, along with a beauty contest, to elect Miss WEIO for the coming year. All in all, a colorful and highly entertaining series of events!

Note: Since I was only there on one of the four days, I missed many of the competitions, such as the knuckle and knee hop, the four man carry, and the muktuk eating contest (to name just a few). What I’ve presented in this post is merely a sampling of what you’ll see if you attend the WEIO in person.

(Unless otherwise noted, all of the images in these posts are my original work, and are protected by copyright. They may not be duplicated for commercial purposes.)

Some of the text and many of the photos in my Alaska Highway series first appeared on RoadTrip America’s website. A few years ago, I posted a detailed account of my entire 57 day, 13,000 mile “Mother of All Road Trips,” and RTA has kept that account available in their archive of Field Reports. If you’d like to read it, the link below will take you there:

MORE ABOUT THE ALASKA HIGHWAY:

This is an interactive Table of Contents. Click the pictures to open the pages.

Alaska Road Trip

A few years ago I wrote a book about road trips in Arizona and New Mexico that’s a lot like this website, packed with interesting information, and illustrated with beautiful photographs. Check it out! You can find it on Amazon, and at all other major booksellers.