Second Toonik Tyme snowmobile race attracts repeat competitors

The competition is heating up for Toonik Tyme’s second snowmobile race from Iqaluit to Kimmirut and back, Sunday — this time without qamutiks.

Start time is 10 a.m. on the ice near the causeway across Frobisher Bay from Iqaluit city centre.

Registration remains open until race time. So far, 16 racers have signed up.

“My only advice is that they drive safe and get hydrated the day before the race,” said Jamie Anilniliak, who took first place in the Toonik Tyme race from Iqaluit to Kimmirut with qamutik, last Sunday.

Instead of racing this weekend, Anilniliak plans to serve as “gas man” for racer Joshua Kilabuk, positioning himself at Mount Joy.
Because this weekend’s racers are not pulling qamutiks, the traditional wooden sled used by Inuit hunters, they will each have a person stationed along the route to gas up their machines one time during the 240-kilometre race.

Eleven of the 17 racers from last weekend’s contest have re-registered to compete again this weekend, including second-place finisher Alex Kilabuk and fourth-place finisher Davidee Nowyook.

Gary Eeseemaile shares stories from the trail after experiencing mechanical issues during the first Toonik Tyme race last Sunday. He plans to race again this weekend. (Photo by Daron Letts)

Racers Lodie Ipeelie Jr., Kyle Oolayou, Gary Eeseemaile, and Robert Padluq did not manage to finish last weekend’s race, but they plan to participate again on Sunday.

The prize pool depends on the number of participants, with the intention being to put all of the entry fees into the pot, said Stephen Johnson, administrator of 123Go!, the organization that oversees Toonik Tyme, Iqaluit’s annual spring festival.

The organization will add an additional $10,000 on top of the registration amounts collected. The entry fee per racer is $500.

Without the qamutik, race times will be quicker than last week, said Pitseolak Alainga, president of the 123Go! board, during a pre-race meeting Thursday at the Arctic Winter Games Arena.

During the meeting, Alainga stressed the importance of sportsmanship among the competitors, as well as the need for multi-organization support to keep Toonik Tyme sustainable as a festival.

He encouraged the racers at the meeting to approach their employers and other local associations to consider contributing to the financial and volunteer needs of Toonik Tyme.

The rest of the 60th annual Toonik Tyme spring festival begins with a civic holiday on April 11 and runs until April 20.