If you're going to host a ski event, you need to make sure you have enough supplies to ensure a successful running.
That very nearly wasn't the case earlier this month.
The Yellowknife Gold Loppet sponsored by TerraX Minerals, which happened on April 8 at Vee Lake, saw a grand total of 345 skiers register for the annual event, the most ever, according to Damian Panayi, the event's coordinator. Because there were so many people that signed up, there was a fear that there wouldn't be enough race bibs or food to feed people.
“In years past, I had ordered 400 bibs in the hope that one day, we would get to that number,” said Panayi. “We usually average between 270 to 280 so I ordered 350 this time around to save money I didn't need to spend.”
When Panayi got the final start list, he began to panic.
“There wasn't a lot of bibs left over once we handed them all out,” he said. “Then we started thinking about whether we had enough food because we don't want anyone going hungry after they finish their skiing.”
Luckily, it all worked out thanks in large part to Kathi Woodward and her dozens of fresh-baked cookies.
“The skiing is good, the toques that the skiers get is good but it's all about the cookies,” said Panayi.
The course each year features a 4-km, 15-km and 25-km course for skiers to tackle with checkpoints along the way at Walsh Lake and Banting Lake. Skiers get to start their skiing between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on race day and can take as long as they want as it's not timed at all but the trails closed at 3 p.m. firm.
That didn't stop Jack Panayi, Damian Panayi's son, from doing a sort of Superman-type ski as he ended up completing a total of 108-km – four loops of the 25-km course and four loops of the 4-km course.
If you add that up, you'll know it's 116-km but Damian Panayi said there's a reason why he did that.
“The 25-km course changes each year and someone noticed on GPS that it was only 23-km,” he said. “To make sure he did 100-km, which was his goal, he did the 4-km loop four times so no one could say he didn't do it.”
Jack skied two loops of the 25-km course with his high performance teammates from the Yellowknife Ski Club, one lap with his sister, Rae Panayi, and one lap on his own.
“I managed to clear everything up, unload everything at home, have dinner and went to pick him up after he was done,” said Damian Panayi.
There were several volunteers that helped out with the day's activities and Damian Panayi said without them, it wouldn't have been as good as it was although the cookie situation could be worked on for next year.
“It is a tradition now in the city and it's become a great community event,” he said. “I know I'll be ordering more bibs for next year because I don't want to have a minor heart attack again and I'll talk to Kathi about the cookie production.”