Tuktoyaktuk (Apr 21/03) - Despite a sudden blinding snowstorm last Monday night, the Beluga Jamboree was a big hit with the crowd and will be remembered as one of the best ever.

At least 150 local and visiting spectators lined up along the impressive 5.6-kilometre ice track on the Beaufort Sea April 14 to watch the men's 100-mile open class snowmobile race.

Ten participants entered the race, hoping to nab the $5,000 first prize, but only five crossed the finish line.

"There were different problems. Somebody lost a belt and there were some other mechanical problems," said event organizer Merven Gruben.

One participant crashed his snowmobile on the first turn after speeding off from the starting line.

The snow machine slid into the bank and he went flying through the air.

But he quickly brushed himself off, jumped on his machine and proceeded to complete the race.

"I know he didn't get hurt. That's the main thing," said Merven Gruben.

After 28 laps, Shaun Demarcke of Hay River crossed the finish line on his MXZX 800 Ski-Doo and nabbed the top prize. Jimmy Kalinek came in second, winning $3,500, and Erwin Elias took the $2,000 third place prize.

Surrounded by admiring children and fellow racers, Demarcke was all smiles as he received countless congratulatory handshakes and pats on the back.

"It was a good track," said Demarcke.

"I had no problems. But I got behind one guy and I couldn't see so I passed him and it was pretty clear after that."

Gruben agreed the weather wasn't the greatest, "but it was typical. That's our weather, but it made it more interesting."

One of the biggest yet

Tuktoyaktuk residents had never before seen a crowd of such magnitude at their snowmobile races.

"I had never seen such a large crowd at the big race, or even over the weekend. It was unbelievable. I was really impressed.

"I don't know what brought that on, but it turned out for the better for us," said Gruben.

In fact, he added, it was "one of the best carnival's we've had to date."

Resident Steve Cockney Sr. said the weekend was off to a slow start, but things picked up in no time.

"Everybody was just enjoying the games and having a great time," he said. The most popular games over the weekend were the piggy back and dizzy stick, he said.

"People really enjoy them, especially when there is a big crowd watching."

In the dizzy stick contest, participants hold a broomball stick between their forehead and the ground, and spin around 10 times.

Then when cued by their spotter they drop the stick and race to the finish line, but it's not a simple as it seems.

"It's pretty funny to see. Some of them run around all over the place and don't know where they are going because they are so dizzy.

"Some people even fall over," laughed Cockney.

He explained the dizzy stick is a strategy game that hasn't really been mastered yet. People tend to spin fast, he said, when they probably should spin at a slower speed to minimize the dizziness.

"No one really picked up on how to win it yet, but someday they will," he said.

If you missed all the action this year, the 2004 Beluga Jamboree has already been scheduled for next April 9 to 12.