Young snowmobilers get chance to race for Toonik Tyme glory

After two false starts, seven boys and girls tore around an ice oval on Frobisher Bay Friday afternoon during the Toonik Tyme Mini 200 snowmobile race.

“It was lots of fun for the children,” said Pitseolak Alainga, president of 123Go!, the non-profit organization behind Toonik Tyme. “They were really happy. They looked like they didn’t want to stop.”

Racers prepare for the start of the Toonik Tyme children’s snowmobile race on the sea ice by Iqaluit on Friday. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Hynes)

It took three tries to start the race, as some racers lurched across the start line early a couple of times.

Then they were off. The racers circled the track three times, a route of close to five kilometres, as a crowd of several dozen spectators cheered them on.

It took about seven minutes for the racers to complete their three loops.

Chase Tugak arrived first, riding what his dad Rock Kakuktinniq nicknamed the “Green Machine.”

Hudson Hynes finished second, and Theo Bartholdson came in third.

The three winners received cash prizes, with Tugak receiving $500 for his first-place win, $300 for Hynes and $200 for Bartholdson.

“It was good competition and I had fun,” said Bartholdson in an email. “The corners were the trickiest part.”

Hynes agreed.

“It was very fun,” he said in an email, adding that he enjoyed participating alongside his friends.

Bartholdson’s dad Robert Bartholdson said he wished there were more children’s races organized throughout the winter.

“I am so thankful for 123Go! and their commitment to serving the community,” he said, in an email. “My family loves to take part in these fun events.”

The 61st Toonik Tyme continues through April 19.