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Kangirsuk 2007 camp, an overview
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This was again a great initiation camp that received a warm welcome and a good participation from the
community of Kangirsuk. But this camp turned out to be a special one with the involvment ot 3 young men from the Makitautik
Center and 3 young residents from Kangirsuk who ended-up participating in almost everyday activities, from camp s
et up to sail & ski tune up clinics, and of course, daily riding under various wind conditions.
Up to 40 residents and visitors from 11 to 50 years old gave it a try.
We ended the camp on a beautiful windy day where participants got to show their competitive spirit and
riding skills in a friendly race with the encouragements of friends, parents and elders who gathered
in and around the tent for a feast at lunch time.
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Blizzard delay
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March 21, 2007 - Wednesday: Sunny, - 25, wind 30km/h going down
Once again, mother nature showed her temper with a 70km/h wind gusting at 100km/h in Kangirsuk and
most of the Ungava bay on Monday afternoon. After waiting two days in Kuujjuaq, flights up the coast
resumed Wednesday morning as wind died down overnight. Traveling at low altitude in a twin otter,
on this sunny and clear day, we were able to clearly see the landscape between Kuujjuaq ,
Tasiujaq, Aupaluk and Kangirsuk where we arrived in a calm afternoon.
With the help of Jose, a young promising recruit, and Alec Kudluk, a local club director, Mark and I went
directly to pick up the Paraski Club material and began to tune up sails and skis.
A clinic we repeated a few times during the week with the help of the Makitautik guys that brought the
material back in top shape for the coming race.
more pictures...
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A nice afternoon with students of the Sautjuit School.
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March 22, 2007 - Thursday: Sunny, - 23, wind 20km/h in PM
William and Jose are the first to join us on Post-Lake in the morning to help us set the base camp
tent of what is about to become the official snow park for the coming activities.
Early in the afternoon, after a quick video presentation, secondary students jumped in the bus to go paraski on Post Lake.
A second bus of elementary kids followed to watch the show. Minnie was proud to teach paraski to David Lane, her
gym teacher.more pictures...
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Testing new qamutit and good sailing time with promising riders
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March 23, 2007 - Friday: Sunny, - 20, wind 25km/h in PM
It's the first day of a long school break that will last until next Tuesday.
We proposed to extend our trip to next Wednesday so that kids can really take advantage of our presence.
Alec test drove the two qamutit built by the school students before our arrival.
It was quite a nice surprise. Fast and stable, they can carry up to 4 kids or roughly 250 pounds at 30 to 40 km/h.
Jose and William rode again in the morning and in the afternoon. Minnie now rides like a pro and Boby shows great
skills. He rode up and down in no time and followed Alec up wind on Post Lake all the way to Tommy's Cabin.
more pictures...
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Tune up and kamutik extreme downhill
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March 23, 2007- Saturday: Sunny, - 20, wind 10-15km/h south in PM
We set up the maintenance and repair portable station beside the tent on Post Lake.
There was barely no wind due to our position behind the snow wall. Post lake is located inside a long trench
between two small mountain chains. It was not very windy in the morning, Minnie and her cousin Paulusie
set to test the kamutik on the near by hill on Post Lake. In the afternoon, William gave it a try and ended
up demonstrating some extreme kamutik riding. Sheila and her friends along with Sandy also gave it a try with
a south-west wind playing tricks on them due to the now famous 100-foot hill just a thousand feet away.
more pictures...
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Race & feast on Post lake.
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March 25, 2007 - Saturday: Sunny, - 20, wind 10-15km/h south in PM
In the morning, our participants Jose, Harry, William, Minnie and Palusie were again the first to arrive at
the Post Lake base camp. Their riding has greatly improved. At lunch time, we were joined by many community
residents. Kids, parents and elders got together for a quick and improvised feast where nothing was missing,
from frozen Char with misserac and banic to the hotdogs, fish sandwich and desserts.
The crowd in this 11-foot-wide tent reminded a story to Alasie, the Kangirsuk's deputy mayor and a
respected elder, about their traditional way of life and the constant proximity of the familily members.
This nice feast was followed by a race with those that had mastered the paraski techniques.
The competitive aspect of this activity really unleashed the drive of some of the riders.
At the end of the day, we lent the GPS to some riders in order to test their speed. Minnie Anakatak
reached 48km/h while Sandy reached 55km/h.
more pictures...
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Race results
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Race results and prize winners for the two fastest combined races.
1. Felix Carrier
2. Minni Annahatak
3. Sandy
Special prizes;
to Paulusie, as recruite of the week
and Sheila, for her everyday participation, determination and improvement
more pictures...
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Special thanks to:
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- The community of Kangirsuk, for its warm welcome, assistance and participation.
- Alec Kudluk, for his dedication and belief in the program and his continuous presence.
- Minnie Annahatak, a local paraski instructor, for her everyday assistance and support.
- Tommy Kudluk, the teachers, and the Armanic School students for their proactive approach with
their two perfectly adapted kamutit.
- The Federation of Northern Cooperatives, for the service and comfort of its superb facilities.
- Air Inuit, for its continuous support and collaboration.
by Guy Laflamme 
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