Fairbanks: The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics

The London Games are only a week away, and even though we won’t be there to watch them we got into the spirit of things by attending the annual World Eskimo-Indian Olympics in Fairbanks.  You won’t find any shotputters, parallel bars, or sand volleyball courts at these games, but you will see some more unusual events like the blanket toss and the muktuk-eating competition.

Teams of traditional dancers compete in the WEIO games

The mission of the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics is to “promote the culture, social games, skills, dances, and traditions of Alaska, Greenland, Siberian, and Canadian Eskimos”. People come from all over Alaska to participate, and this year there were even a few folks all the way from Greenland.  And we weren’t the only spectators from Arizona – Jaymee Li Moore, Miss Indian Arizona, was also there and said a few words.

The WEIO games showcase some of the skills and abilities that are necessary for survival in the unforgiving Arctic climate.  The Alaskan High Kick originated as a game to teach balance while hunting.  Picture a very active game of Twister.  The participant starts out with his right foot and left hand on the floor.  He holds his left foot off the floor with his right hand.  Then he has to quickly kick a suspended target with his right foot and land on that same foot without letting go of his other foot or letting any other part of his body touch the floor.  It’s not easy.  Go ahead and try this at home:

One of the more popular contests at tonight’s games wasn’t actually a sport – it was the Native Baby Contest, a parade of chubby toddlers dressed in traditional clothing.  Prizes are awarded for the best outfits in three categories: cloth, skins, and fur.  The “Awww” factor was through the roof.

Some of the kids enjoyed the competition more than others.

We most enjoyed the Blanket Toss, which is traditionally a part of the whaling feast (Nalukataq).  Thirty or so men hold the edges of a walrus-skin blanket.  The contestant stands in the middle of the blanket and gets tossed in the air – sometimes as high as 30 feet – by the blanket pullers.  Contestants must land on their feet.  The prize is given to the contestant who jumps highest with the best form and balance.  Maybe don’t try this at home:

Some of the contestants had never participated in the blanket toss before, which made for some laughs.  Others clearly had lots of experience, like the guy who did a backflip in the air before perfectly sticking the landing.

The final event was the muktuk-eating contest.  Muktuk is a chunk of whale skin and blubber, a nutritious staple of the traditional Eskimo diet.  Each contestant was given a knife to cut it with and the first one to finish their 4 ounces of muktuk was declared the winner.  Although I’m not sure anyone’s a winner when it comes to eating raw blubber…