YUKON RIVER QUEST 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2008

10th annual Yukon River Quest to feature record 90 teams

The final race roster is set for the 10th annual Yukon River Quest, which will begin on Wednesday, June 25 in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. This year’s field will feature a record 90 teams with nearly 240 paddlers from all over the world.

The Yukon River Quest is the longest annual canoe and kayak race in the world. Except for two mandatory rest stops totaling 10 hours, paddlers race non-stop over the 742 kilometers (460 miles) to Dawson City. Held annually in the north during the last week of June (around the summer solstice), it is a true “Race to the Midnight Sun” and recognized as one of the toughest adventure marathon events in the world.

Teams will compete for a record $31,000 in prize money in various categories, but many do the race for the personal satisfaction of staking their claim to a coveted finisher pin.

The YRQ has grown in popularity since its gold rush centennial beginnings a decade ago, and race organizers are celebrating their accomplishments with some anniversary mementos this year.

“For this year’s 10th anniversary race, we are doing some special things for racers with boat decals, shirts and our finisher pins,” said Jeff Brady, president of the Yukon River Marathon Paddlers Association. “We also have a new merchandising agreement with Whitehorse General Store which has brought in a huge amount of race wear and memorabilia for race fans. It’s now available at the Main Street store, and a race store will be traveling to our checkpoints at Carmacks and Dawson. An online YRQ store will be up on our website soon.”

At one point in the spring, the YRQ field was “full” with 100 teams, but some teams withdrew before a June 1 deadline. Still, it’s a record field this year featuring paddlers from a dozen countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Latvia, South Africa, and the United States of America.

The 2008 YRQ will have competition in all categories:

Solo kayak - 18 men, 3 women
Solo canoe - 3 men (open class)
Tandem kayak - 14 men, 2 women, 5 mixed
Tandem canoe - 15 men, 5 women, 10 mixed
Voyageur canoe - 15 (open class)

A record number of the big voyageurs are back including the Texans who won last year, a Canadian team led by Tim Hodgson of Whitehorse and Martin Bernadin of Saskatoon (using Kissynew boat that came in 2nd last year), teams from New York and Prince Rupert, BC that were in the top 10 in 2007, as well as many other returning teams like Paddlers Abreast from Whitehorse, Canadians Abreast and Team Whoa from Toronto, and Maine’s “Yahoos to the Yukon.” New this year are a First Nations women's team from Teslin, a Juneau-Skagway team from Alaska, and teams from Quesnel, BC, Yukon-Ontario, Saskatchewan, and England.

There are plenty of fast teams in other categories that could challenge race records, including the course record of 40 hours, 37 minutes. The first teams should arrive at the finish line in Dawson on Friday afternoon, June 27. Teams will continue arriving until early Sunday morning.

Returning class champions include Steve Mooney and Ingrid Wilcox of Whitehorse in solo kayak, Norbert Wolverine and Lionel Campbell of Sask. and Pat McKenna and Elizabeth Bosely of Whitehorse in tandem canoe. Several new and returning teams should make the mixed canoe and all tandem kayak classes competitive this year.

Included among the canoe field are two men who have been in all 10 races, Tony Arcand of Whitehorse, and Larry Seethaler of Anchorage, Alaska. Complete team bios are online at www.yukonriverquest.com and will appear in a special Whitehorse Star race supplement on June 23.

In addition to the Star, major logo sponsors of the event are: Canadian Rangers, Yukon Emergency Measures Organization – Whitehorse, Faro and Carmacks SAR, the HMCS Whitehorse, Kanoe People – Clipper Canoes, Air North, yukoninfo.com, Northland Beverages, Norcan – Klondike Motors, Up North Adventures – Spirit of the North, and the Klondike Visitors Association – Diamond Tooth Gerties.

The backbone of the Yukon River Quest is its crew of more than 100 volunteers and support crews.
“Volunteers do everything from selling bib sponsorships to driving safety boats and staying up late hours to check boats and assist paddlers,” Brady said. “As the event has grown, so has the volunteer support. We are grateful to all our volunteers and sponsors. Without this kind of support from all the communities along the river, the Yukon River Quest would not be where it is today after just 10 years – one of the world’s great paddling races.”

RESULTS & MORE INFO: www.yukonriverquest.com

CONTACT: Jeff Brady, email: info@yukonriverquest.com