Day 2 of World Eskimo-Indian Olympics opens with powerful pulls

FAIRBANKS — Action began at 10 a.m. on the second day of the 2017 World Eskimo-Indian Olympics, and it started with a medal round.

Finalists in the Eskimo stick pull went toe to toe, literally, in an event that tests pectoral strength and firmness of grip.

The rules seem fairly simple: Just grip it and rip it, right? Donovan Phillip of Kenai learned from his fellow competitors that there's a little more to it.

"They told me to look up and keep my head back," Phillip said. That would take a little pressure off his lower back, which he said was sore from the long drive to Fairbanks from his home in Kenai.

He took second place, losing in the final set of pulls to Matthew Sido Evans, who demonstrated his strength the previous evening when he won the four man carry.

[Day 1: Excitement builds as World Eskimo-Indian Olympics opens]

"He's probably at least got like 40 pounds on me, and he's like 4 or 5 inches taller than I am," Phillip said.

Given that, Phillip was pleased to finish second. He said he had been hoping to place in the top five.

Autumn Randazzo of Anchorage surprised herself in the women's stick pull. She won her first-ever WEIO gold medal, beating Michelle Wardlow. Randazzo took second place to Wardlow in the event last year.

"I wasn't expecting to get first place, but I'm happy," she said.

Randazzo talked about what it takes to win the event as she got a breath of fresh air outside the Carlson Center.

_________

A crowd packed a room to the side of the main arena at the Carlson Center for a competition of a different sort Thursday afternoon. Youngsters modeled fur and skin outfits during the Native baby regalia competition.

Mandy Sullivan, who was the event's emcee, said the designs are judged on the materials used, the craftsmanship of the garment and the crowd's reaction. She said the garments should be beautiful, but also functional. Regalia sewing is more difficult on smaller garments than larger ones, Sullivan said, and that's one reason the event attracts interest.

The tiny models, ages 6 to 36 months, are another draw. "Everybody loves babies," she said. Sullivan talks more about some of the materials used in the designs in the video above.

_________

Casey Ferguson of Eagle River easily beat his the competition, a field that included the WEIO record holder in the Alaskan high kick event Thursday night. He connected with the sealskin ball at 93 inches. Elijah Cabinboy, who set that record in 2009, took second place this year.

"That was a lot of pressure," Ferguson said of competing against Cabinboy. "At the same time, we were out there having fun."

After Ferguson won the medal, he decided to raise the bar 3 inches. If he had tapped it with his toe, he would've tied the record. Though he didn't, he said he had no regrets about his decision.

"I've always been known to do that, going up 2 or 3 inches at a time. That's just me trying to beat my goals," he said.

Cabinboy, of Anchorage, had no doubts that Ferguson has the reach to achieve the record. As he watched, he was hoping he'd see his record fall.

"It took me everything to kick that high back in 2009," he said. "I would've loved to have seen him exceed that heighth."

In the women's competition, Autumn Ridley of Anchorage, who holds the women's WEIO record in the Alaskan high kick, won gold again this year. But she said time off from training for the event cost her some additional inches.

In 2014, Ridley reached 83 inches for the record. This year she won with a kick of 74 inches.

"I just wasn't feeling it," she said. "I'll be back next year."

_________

Ariella Derrickson's fish-cutting muscles must've already been warm. The Tanana woman came to WEIO straight from her family's fish camp, arriving just in time for the opening ceremonies.

Late Thursday she set a new WEIO record, cutting a chum salmon in 27.61 seconds.

"My dad will be so proud," she said.

Watch some of the action and hear from Derrickson in this video.

_________

Donna Rexford said the muktuk was a little frozen for the eating contest this year. That made it quicker to cut, but harder to swallow. It was like ice cubes in her throat, she said.

"That's what slowed me down," she said.

Rexford took second place among a couple dozen competitors in the speed eating contest. Each had a paper plate, a knife and a block of bowhead whale skin and fat. Organizers said the food was donated by Jack and Ida Panik, of Wainwright.

It was Diane DuFour of Fairbanks who won the event, polishing it off in 1 minute, 33.98 seconds. Many others took their time and savored the midnight snack before the second day of WEIO came to a close.