Paddlers from across the globe ran towards the banks of the Rotary Peace Park Boat Launch in Whitehorse to mount up and embark on an approximate 300-kilometre river quest to Carmacks on June 25, setting off at 9 a.m.
The 25th annual Yukon River Quest’s usual finish line in Dawson City was moved this year due to active wildfires straining resources in the area, dashing many racers’ hopes of navigating the Yukon River all the way to Dawson.
This year, more than 200 paddlers from 13 countries across five continents registered and were divided into 94 teams. The race saw teams travel along the Yukon River in canoes, voyageur canoes, paddleboards and kayaks.
Britain’s Green Machine team emerged as this year’s Yukon River Quest champions, completing the journey in 20 hours and 12 minutes at an average speed of 14.9 kilometres per hour. The English team of six crossed the finish line in a voyageur canoe just after 5 a.m on June 26.
American team Mike and Steve from New York and Michigan respectively followed behind the Green Machine team in second place with a time of 20 hours and 24 minutes. The duo travelled in a tandem canoe and hit the banks of Carmacks just before 5:30 a.m.
The Estonian Vikings two-person team navigated the Yukon River in 20 hours and 48 minutes, securing third place. The two Estonian paddlers completed the journey in a tandem kayak, aiming simply to enjoy the race.
Paddling for Est trailed fellow Estonian team the Estonian Vikings to finish fourth, with the two-person team completing the race in 21 hours and 22 minutes in a tandem kayak.
Yukoners Crispin Studer and Jake Paleczny, racing under the team name Rage Against the Current, battled soloist Belgium Bear to claim fifth place, edging out Bernard Moyersoen of Liège by just one minute.
Rage Against the Current arrived in Carmacks after paddling the Yukon River for 21 hours and 24 minutes.
With the finish line rerouted to Carmacks the evening before the race, paddlers navigated the vast expanse of Lake Laberge but missed the opportunity to paddle through Five Finger Rapids, past Carmacks, and along the wild protruding channels and gravel bars approaching Dawson City.
Despite the shorter route, racers still faced long hours of paddling through remote wilderness. Some chose to camp at the Lower Lake Laberge checkpoint, while others pressed on to Carmacks.
Despite low water levels making for a slow paddle through sluggish currents, conditions on the water remained calm for most of the day. Wildfire smoke loomed in the distance, blowing west as racers passed the Lower Lake Laberge checkpoint, leading to chatter about the air quality farther upstream.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
