Minnie Hanahatak, Kangirsuk one of the first member of the Arctic Wind Riders Team, and first female Paraski Instructor in the Arctic is featured on Sogo Active website.

 

 

 

In the tiny northern community of Kangirsuk, Quebec (population ~400) on the shores of Ungava Bay, Minnie Annahatak flies across the frozen bay and snow-covered mountains as often as she can. She loves the freedom of skimming across the snow with her Paraskis sails, whether it’s on the frozen Payne river, frozen tundra or nearby snow bowls.

From the moment Minnie heard about para-skiing, she was intrigued. She liked the idea of trying a new sport. Her busy life, with school and two jobs, made it hard to find time. The boys who were doing it told her it wasn’t for her. ‘Girls are too small and weak to para-ski,’ they said. Minnie thought otherwise. Growing up with three brothers, she knew how to keep up with the boys and was used to overcoming obstacles.

Seeing a sport she was really attracted to, Minnie worked with the club organizers to convince her teachers and bosses that she could participate and still keep up with her responsibilities. She spent eight days at a para-ski initiation camp, and was hooked.

That was three years ago, when Minnie was 14 years old. She took to the sport quickly. “It’s great to learn to work with the wind. Be gentle with it; don’t pull the sail too hard and soon you can control your speed and go anywhere you want.” Minnie became an instructor in that first year, got hired to give initiation clinics in her community, and participated at the Festi-Vent (an International Kite event near Montreal. Now she loves getting other people turned on to the sport. “Para-skiing is for everybody! It’s not as scary or hard as it looks. Even if you are tiny or big, you can still do it.”

Minnie is taking that enthusiasm to other villages. Working with Kunoki club organizer Guy Laflamme, Minnie has helped other towns establish para-ski clubs. She now dreams of taking the concept further North, helping to raise funds for equipment, and even opening her own extreme sports store some day. Para-skiing has done a lot more than free Minnie to glide across the snow; it’s freed her mind to the possibilities of becoming an entrepreneur and travelling the world with her ideas.

Do extreme sports appeal to you? Does learning how to control the elements sound like a challenge you’re up for? There may be obstacles to overcome, but don’t let that stop you. “It’s definitely worth the effort,” says Minnie Annahatak.