Iqaluit’s annual Toonik Tyme spring festival closed out this weekend with the long-awaited snowmobile race from Iqaluit to Kimmirut and back on Sunday.
Perry Akavak, who grew up in Kimmirut but lives in Pangnirtung, was this year’s race winner, taking home $10,000.
Akavak has competed in the 240-kilometre round trip race every year since 2015. He’s come second and third a few years in row, but has never taken the championship title before.
“I had two rough years, so I said maybe third time is the charm,” Akavak said.
“This year, I said I’m going to take it easy and go hard going back.”
Race organizer Pitseolak Alainga said the race usually takes about three to three and a half hours for the fastest racers to complete.
“You’re racing against time and daylight,” Alainga said.
This year’s race saw 19 competitors and lots of spectators come out on the sea ice to watch the high-speed competition.
“It’s very important to everybody that’s being doing Toonik Tyme every year,” Alainga said.
Akavak said the sea ice was “pretty rough” this year. Each racer also pulls a qamutik, or traditional sled, behind them.
The route requires racers to navigate a combination of sea ice, mainland and rocky hills — often making things treacherous when travelling at high speeds.
Akavak remembers hitting a a rock two years ago just as he was arriving back to Iqaluit. Then, last year, the hitch on his qamutik gave out when he was leading the race.
“I’m still in the learning stage now,” Akavak said. “Racing is tough.”
“I’m glad to say, maybe I’m in my prime still,” he laughed.
This year also saw the race’s youngest competitor yet — 16-year-old Alec Judea. The oldest racer, according to Alainga, was 59.
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