Nicole Johnson, an Iñupiaq athlete, blasted into the history books in July 1989 when she set the women's world record in the two-foot high kick, striking a target at an unbelievable 6ft 6in. The crowd at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics erupted when she kicked that seal skin ball with both feet simultaneously! Fast forward to this year's event in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Johnson, now 57, is back on the field, set to compete in the dene stick pull, proving true dedication has no age limit.
These Aren't Your Grandma's Backyard Games
The World Eskimo Indian Olympics, or WEIO, isn't just an annual sporting event, it's a massive cultural showcase. Held this year from July 15 to 18, it pulls in hundreds of Indigenous athletes from across Alaska, Greenland, Siberia, and Canada. We're talking traditional games here, sports that were originally developed to build the kind of survival skills, endurance, and strength you needed for daily life in the tundra. Take that two-foot high kick Johnson crushed: it's rooted in long-distance communication methods. Historically, messengers would kick both feet in the air to signal successful whale hunts to villagers too far away to hear anything. That's not just a game, that's a lifeline! While people might not use these techniques for survival today, the tradition absolutely lives on, drawing athletes who range from 12 all the way into their 70s.A Fight for Legacy, A Celebration of Grit
What makes WEIO so special is its heart. This is a celebration of a traditional culture that was almost lost. Indigenous communities practiced Arctic games in secret during the colonization and missionary systems of the 19th and early 20th centuries. But guess what? These games are seeing a massive resurgence through annual events like WEIO and through coaching in schools and community centers. Kyle Worl, a 35-year-old Tlingit, Yup'ik, and Deg Hit'an Athabascan wellness administrator and coach, is on a mission to pass this stuff down. He said it himself, "I'm part of a long unbroken passage of knowledge. There have been many challenging points in our people's history where things were almost taken from us: our language, our culture. It really is this generation's responsibility to be intentional and put forth." And Nicole Johnson, who's also on the board of governors and serves as head official, gets it too: "I am going to be doing [Arctic sports] until I'm in my walker or wheelchair or until I can't do it any more. And when I can't do it, I'm still gonna be sitting on the sidelines cheering everybody on, offering my coaching advice." That's real passion, folks. Last year, nearly 3,000 tickets were sold for WEIO, and while the top three winners in each event snag medals, the athletes all say they're there for the camaraderie. Beyond the games themselves, the event includes regalia contests, traditional dancing, and arts and crafts. It's a full-on cultural explosion, and it's incredible to see these ancient sports thriving.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.