2016 Yukon River Quest Awards

Jul 25, 2016 | News

[Teams that finished under 55 hours receive prize money]

Solo Classes

[Recipients of hand-made canoe pendant from Gold Trail Jewellers of Dawson City, as well as prize money]

Open Solo Canoe C1:

  1. Team # 84 Gold Oariented – Brian Allemang, Merrickville Ontario Canada, [54:16:44] defended his title and improved his 2015 time by 8 hours! $882.
  2. Team #89 Rock Solid Exploration – Bradley Magnuson, Whitehorse Yukon Canada [61:57:26]
  3. Team #8 Mr. Bill – William Siersdorfer, Houston Texas USA, [63:54:23]

Women’s Solo Kayak K1:

  1. Team # 44 Wenoily – Aliye Tuzlak, Terrace BC Canada, [52:27:00] $882.
  2. Team #46 Muk Muk – Rozanne Pilbeam, Vancouver BC Canada [62:59:11]

Men Solo Kayak K1:

  1. Team # 1 Time to Go! – Dave Hutchison, Gallatin Gateway Montana USA [47:17:30] $882.
  2. Team # 95 El Nino – Brad Pennington, Houston Texas USA [48:55:50] $392.
  3. Team # 23 Veni Vidi Vici – Thomas de Jager, Whitehorse Yukon Canada [51:19:36] $196.

Open SUP (experimental Stand Up Paddleboard class, no prize money)

  1. Team # 21 Team Starboard – Bart de Zwart, Haiku Hawaii USA, [54:41:14]
  2. Team # 16 Norm Hann – Norm Hann, Squamish BC Canada, [54:56:47]
  3. Team #25 Jason Bennett – Jason Bennett, N. Vancouver BC Canada, [54:56:58]

Overall Solo Winners:

  1. Team # 1 Time to Go! – Dave Hutchison, Gallatin Gateway Montana USA [47:17:30] $892.
  2. Team # 95 El Nino – Brad Pennington, Houston Texas USA [48:55:50] $392.
  3. Team # 23 Veni Vidi Vici – Thomas de Jager, Whitehorse Yukon Canada [51:19:36] $196.

 

Tandem Classes

Tandem Canoe classes (C2)

Women C2:

  1. Team # 26 Wouppalaye – Laurielie Harvey and Joanie Pelletier, Quebec Canada [50:42:22] $1078.
  2. Team # 62 Mappingtheway.ca – Pauline Frost and Nichole McDonald, Yukon/NWT Canada, [52:27:31] $514.
  3. Team # 94 Frisky Beavers – Rena Dehne and Steph Leson, Ontario/Yukon Canada, [65:04:05].

Men C2:

  1. Team # 29 Perfect Storm – Gaeton Plourde and Jeff Brainard, Ontario Canada [46:14:56] $1078. Defending champ in this class, about 45 minutes slower than last year but good enough to capture overall title!
  2. Team # 68 EDI Stroke Gods – Lee Hawkings and Ian Weir, Yukon Canada [48:28:02]. $514.50. Impressive first race by this Whitehorse team!
  3. Team # 48 Cache Flash – Tim Turner and Pat Turner, Cote d’IIvoire/Prince George BC Canada [48:36:51]. $318.50. This team led at Carmacks in a great race between these three top canoes.

Mixed C2:

  1. Team # 61 Dawson Before Dark – Alex Jessup and Robert Spinks, Yukon Canada [49:25:42]. $1078. This team shaved about 4 hours off last year’s time to move up from 3rd to 1st in the mixed class.
  2. Team # 9 That’s a Paddlin’ – Chip McKay and Joanna deMontreuil, N. Vanouver BC Canada [52:01:06], $514.50.
  3. Team # 4 Looking4Jamaica – Paul Adams and Sue Adams, Ontario Canada [54:08:19] $318.50.

Overall Tandem Canoe:

  1. Team # 29 Perfect Storm – Gaetan Plourde and Jeff Brainard, Ontario Canada [46:14:56] $1078.
  2. Team # 68 EDI Stroke Gods – Lee Hawkings and Ian Weir, Yukon Canada [48:28:02]. $514.50.
  3. Team # 48 Cache Flash – Tim Turner and Pat Turner, Cote d’IIvoire/Prince George BC Canada [48:36:51]. $318.50.

 

Tandem Kayak classes (K2)

Women K2:

No finishers in this class.

Men K2:

  1. Team # 44 Team Jester – Geeb Smith and Derek Chart, Australia [48:09:09], $1078.
  2. Team # 28 Sea Breeze Ninjas – Robert Finlay and Druce Finlay, Arizona USA [51:31:09], $514.50.
  3. Team # 58 Cambridge Old Boys – Rob Smith and Richard Stagg, United Kingdom [51:50:40], $318.50.

Mixed K2:

  1. Team # 13 Spirit of America – Josh Friedman and Julie Kirk, Idaho USA, [57:16:34]. Defending champ in this class, shaved about 15 minutes off last year’s time.
  2. Team # 90 Kayak Patrol – It’s Snowing Somewhere – Lisa Brougham and Mark Seiling, Bowen Island and Vancouver BC Canada, [68:01:01].

Overall Tandem Kayak:

  1. Team # 44 Team Jester – Geeb Smith and Derek Chart, Australia [48:09:09], $1078.
  2. Team # 28 Sea Breeze Ninjas – Robert Finlay and Druce Finlay, Arizona USA [51:31:09], $514.50.
  3. Team # 58 Cambridge Old Boys – Rob Smith and Richard Stagg, United Kingdom [51:50:40], $318.50.

 

Voyageur Canoes (6 or more persons)

Women’s Voyageur:

  1. Team # 77 Aurora Collective – Mass./Minn. USA [53:12:55]. $2058.
  2. Team # 73 Stix Together – Yukon Canada [54:22:43], $784.
  3. Team # 54 Team Whoa – Yukon/Ontario Canada [55:47:42].

Open Voyageur (all or mostly men):

  1. Team # 85 Team CAP – Yukon [53:43:43]. $2058. This largely First Nations team improved its 2015 time and won its class this year!
  2. Team # 59 Canoedlers – BC/AB/NT Canada [53:49:59], $784.
  3. Team # 14 Yukon Beat ‘Em – United Kingdom, [60:52:48]. This team beat its brother Team # 13 Yukon Do It by one minute and both raised more than $175,000 CDN for Cancer Research UK: 
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/

Mixed Voyageur (1/3 of team must be women):

  1. Team # 76 Boona’s Quest ­ ­– Alberta/Nova Scotia Canada [48:36:05], $1078.
  2. Team # 64 Ts’alvit – Yukon Canada [49:12:32], $784.
  3. Team # 88 7th chakra –Yukon Canada [54:56:21], $441.

Overall Voyageur Canoe

  1. Team # 76 Boona’s Quest ­ ­– Alberta/Nova Scotia Canada [48:36:05], $1078.
  2. Team # 64 Ts’alvit – Yukon Canada [49:12:32], $784.
  3. Team # 77 Aurora Collective – Mass./Minn. USA [53:12:55]. $441.

 

Special Awards [Cash]

Top All Yukon Canoe: Team # 68 EDI Stroke Gods – Lee Hawkings and Ian Weir, Yukon Canada [48:28:02]. $490

Top All Yukon Kayak: Team # 23 Veni Vidi Vici – Thomas de Jager, Whitehorse Yukon Canada [51:19:36] $490

Top First Nation Team: No award this year.

 

Special Awards [Sponsors]

Fastest SUP (winner of experimental class) – Team #21 Team Starboard – Bart de Zwart, Haiku, Hawaii, USA [Special T-shirt from The Dancing Moose in Dawson]

Top Yukoners: Team #68 EDI Stroke Gods – Lee Hawkings and Ian Weir, Whitehorse [Yukon Brewing beer packs]

Fastest Senior Team (55+): Team #1 Time To Go – Dave Hutchiso, Galatin Gateway, Montana, USA, [set of Best of the Skagway, Alaska Police Blotter books from Skagway Book Company]

Spirit of the Yukon: Team # 28 Sea Breeze Ninjas – father/son Dave and Robert Finlay of White Hills, Arizona, USA for providing clothes to a solo paddler to help him get through the night [Beautiful wooden paddle from Klondike Visitors Association]

Red Stove: Team # 17 GPSUP – Glen Pearson, Victoria, BC [69:29:06] for winning the race to not be in last place. He finished about 45 minutes before the last racer to cross the finish, Team #7 Paddlingboy. [Half of a Yukon stove donated Haywire Industries and Harry Kern Photography].

Top Overall Team: Team #57 Perfect Storm, Jeff Brainard and Gaetan Plourde [free entry for captain and same team members in 2017 YRQ and name on permanent trophy] first to finish at 20:14:56 on Friday, July 1, a strong Canada Day finish for these veteran YRQ racers and first-time overall winners from Ontario. [YRMPA]

 

RACE NOTES:

  • 93 teams started the race [95 were registered: 2 teams withdrew prior to race], making it the largest field in YRQ history (previous record was 89 teams in 2008).
  • 77 finished: there were 16 scratches, marking the best attrition rate in the race’s history.
  • Overall the weather was good, not great. Lake Laberge was a mix of variable winds from all directions, but manageable for all teams. There was some rain on Thursday morning as teams made their way to Carmacks, but then it got nice and sunny later in the day and Friday, but not too hot (middle 20sC). Further down the river on Friday afternoon/evening and Saturday morning, racers experienced some scattered showers past the new Coffee Creek Kaminak checkpoint, which worked well, and some head winds as they approached Dawson. The low water level in the river this year accounted for slower overall times.

2017 Race Dates: The 19th annual Yukon River Quest will be held on June 28-July 2, 2017