Arctic winter games opening ceremony 2008

What makes the Arctic Winter Games different from other multi-sport games are the many sporting events that are unique to northern cultures, such as dog mushing, arctic sports and Dene games. At the Arctic Winter Games, arctic sports include different events, such as:.

Like any major sporting competition, the Arctic Winter Games start with an opening ceremony where the host city has the chance to showcase itself to the participating athletes and the world. At the end of the games, award ceremonies are held to present athletes with their winning medals. The games have a unique medal called the "Ulu". It is modeled on the all-purpose knife traditionally used by Inuit women. Athletes are awarded gold, silver and bronze Ulu medals for winning first, second and third place in their sporting events.

At the end of the games, a trophy is also awarded to the team that best displays the spirit and values of the games. The games are closed with an official ceremony that celebrates the achievements of athletes, volunteers, sponsors and the host community.

Here are the rules for 2 sports played in the Arctic Winter Games. Try them with friends and see how well you do! Yellowknife hosted the last games in , and Whitehorse will host the next event in Organizers in Grande Prairie have spent three years preparing for the games, but most recently they have been dealing with unseasonably warm weather. Daytime temperatures are forecast to rise to 6 C this week in the city, where it would normally be —1 C.

Outdoor competition organizers are trying to restore the snowshoeing and dog-mushing venue, where some of the trails are under water. Officials have brought in snow from a supply they had stockpiled over the winter. More than 2, young athletes and their coaches, from nine teams across the circumpolar world, have converged upon the northern Alberta city to compete in 21 indoor and outdoor sporting events as part of the week-long games.

The games officially began Sunday evening with a spectacular opening ceremony that some athletes say was long and tiring for them. It was exhausting. Athletes say they had to wait in a large gymnasium, with no chairs or food, for two hours before the athletes' parade began.