Fort Simpson (July 18/03) - Have you ever ran as fast as you could only to be snapped back to the point from which you started? It happened in Fort Simpson on Saturday. Many times, really.

It wasn't a case of the paranormal.

No, it was the bungee run. The event challenged competitors to stretch the bungee cord -- attached to their waist -- for maximum distance.

There were many other activities, too.

The Swinging Teens, a group of adolescents, organized everything (with some assistance from other summer students), found several local sponsors and dubbed the weekend Beaver Dayz.

Everything kicked off with a MuchMusic video dance on Friday evening. Christine Wrigley, a 16 year-old who attended the soiree, said it was superior to most others because of the hip music and prizes, which included t-shirts, CDs and DVDs.

On Saturday, about a dozen kids gathered to watch as the inflatable boxing ring and Gladiator Duel were set up at the Thomas Simpson school field.

As the afternoon wore on, more and more people were drawn to the unusual sight.

Youngsters lined up for their chance to climb onto the jousting pedestals and into the boxing ring.

The oversized gloves, weighing close to 10 lbs apiece, made it nearly impossible for some of the smallest would-be pugilists to even raise their hands.

Sam Carstairs, 11, emerged from his one-minute bout with a smile on his face.

"That was fun, man," he said.

Jessy Leahy, 14, said his sweet science strategy was simply to "get as many hits in as possible."

A scavenger hunt, tug of war, beach volleyball and a video game competition were also held as part of the festival.

Gordon Thompson, 11, gave Beaver Dayz a ringing endorsement.

"I can't wait until next year, I'm going to do this again," he said.