This sporting life

Regular readers may well remember that the Ivakkak sled race started in Inukjuak this time last year, and at the time it was announced that the race would now be a biennial event, with the next running in 2011. Well, in what may be an attempt to get in as many races before the world expires in 2012, the Ivakkak is actually up and running again this year, and there is good local representation in the race with four of the sixteen teams hailing from Kangiqsujuaq.

The race actually started last week in Quaqtaq, the community south east of us, and heading into what should be the last couple of days the team of Noah Annahatak and his son, Sandy, from Kangiqsujuaq holds the lead. Noah is actually the father of one of my students so there will be plenty of cause for celebration if he can hold onto his lead, especially as no-one from Kangiqsujuaq has won the event before, and with a 26 minute advantage at the time of writing he must be in with a great chance. You can keep up to date with the Ivakkak here.

And whilst we are on a sporting theme, one of my students, Joe, introduced me to the Inuit game of finger pull today. There are a whole range of traditional Inuit games, most of which are tests of strength, agility and endurance with their cultural roots in the hunting practices of the past. Basically, finger pull consists of the two combatants sitting opposite each other and interlocking middle fingers. One pulls whilst the other tries to resist, and then the roles are reversed, first with one hand and then the other. There is a little more to the correct posture than merely 'sitting', and once Joe manipulated me into the correct position he proceeded to prove that his finger pulling power was far superior to mine (insert joke of your choice about him giving me the middle finger).

Good job we didn't have to use our pinkies.