Buzz
While most people are familiar with the excitement of the summer and winter Olympics, fewer are aware of an event hosted by the Aleut and Inuit people of Canada and Alaska. For generations, various groups from these northern tribes have organized competitions, such as the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO), where participants engage in unique athletic events, many of which might seem unusual to outsiders.
10. The Ear Pull
Imagine a tug-of-war, but instead of a rope, the contest involves a string tied between the contestants' ears.
In this particular challenge, both athletes must sit facing each other with their legs intertwined. A thick loop of string is placed around each pair of ears, and they wait for the signal to start. They then lean back, trying to force the opponent to experience such unbearable pain that they surrender. With every pull, the string tightens around their ears, causing discomfort, bruising, hospital visits for stitches, and in some extreme cases, the ears being torn off.
While this game is undeniably captivating (and at times agonizing to watch), its origins lie in the skills essential for survival in harsh environments. The game demands a delicate balance of strength, control, and stamina to prevail. When questioned about its purpose, the chairman of the WEIO explained, 'To endure pain. Some of the things we do when you're out in the wild or on the ice, far from civilization and injured, you must learn to tolerate the pain until help arrives.'
9. The Two-Footed High Kick
Combining both athletic ability and finesse, participants in this event must leap from a stationary or running stance (depending on the event's specific rules), with their feet held parallel, to kick a sealskin ball suspended by a string, often up to 2.5 meters (8 ft) above the ground. As if this weren't difficult enough, they must also land on their feet, ensuring both feet touch simultaneously. This variation of the one-foot high kick is notably more challenging.
This game has roots in Alaskan tradition and traces back to a time when hunters, returning to the coastal whaling village after an expedition, would jump into the air to signal their arrival. According to the WEIO's chief official, the nature of the jump would indicate the success of the hunting party and, if fruitful, signal the villagers to assist with the catch.
In 1965, Nicole Johnston set an unmatched record of 198 centimeters (6 ft, 6 in) in the women's competition. Meanwhile, the men's competition holds a staggering record of 264 centimeters (8 ft, 8 in).
8. The Blanket Toss
To play this unique game, gather your team, acquire a blanket crafted from walrus hides, and have your teammates launch you into the air repeatedly from the blanket. While airborne, showcase your athleticism by executing acrobatic moves.
The blanket toss may seem risky, with the potential of missing the blanket and crashing to the ground. However, many Inuits and Aleuts have honed their skills, with Reggie Joule standing out as the most skilled practitioner. A 10-time gold medalist at the WEIO, Joule perfected the toss, even performing backflips while airborne. His efforts brought the game into the spotlight, as he demonstrated it on major shows like The Tonight Show, The Today Show, and at the Smithsonian Institute.
Some believe the origins of this aerial acrobatic game lie in hunting techniques, where individuals with exceptional vision would be thrown into the air—sometimes as high as 10 meters (33 feet)—to spot animals across the flat landscape.
7. The Knuckle (Seal) Hop
In this game that challenges both strength and endurance, the contestant assumes a push-up position, keeping their back straight and elbows bent, supported only by their toes and knuckles. The task is to lunge forward while maintaining this posture, ensuring both hands and feet lift off the ground simultaneously while wrists and ankles remain locked in place.
The objective of this hop is to spring forward repeatedly, only a few inches above the floor, with strict rules prohibiting any body part from touching the ground except the toes and knuckles. Additionally, the back must not drop below the level of the elbows. The athlete who manages to hop the furthest distance wins this challenging event.
While this event is already tough on the arena floor, it was traditionally performed in a simple hut or community center, and at times, even outside in various conditions.
6. The Four-Man Carry
Participants in this event tend to get swept up in the challenge—quite literally. Four men must drape their bodies over the fifth participant, who then attempts to walk as far as possible while carrying a combined weight of approximately 270 kilograms (600 lb), with each man weighing around 70 kilograms (150 lb) during the event.
In an event that challenges your muscles, joints, back, and spine like no other, the previous world record of 57 meters (187 ft) set in 1997 was shattered during the WEIO at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks in July 2014. Matthew Sido Evans reached an astounding 73.6 meters (241 ft, 8 in) before finally succumbing to the overwhelming strain.
This practical contest finds its roots in the everyday Alaskan task of transporting meat, ice, or wood over long distances back to the village.
5. The Indian Stick Pull
For an Inuit or Aleut fisherman, possessing the strength, balance, and grip necessary to catch a fish was an invaluable skill.
Building on this ancient practice, the Indian stick pull was born. However, in this event, the object isn't a fish, but a stick measuring 30.5 centimeters (1 ft) long and 3.8 centimeters (1.5 in) wide, tapered at both ends. To increase the difficulty, the stick is greased, and another competitor grips the other end, using all their strength to pull it away from you. The challenge lies in the need to avoid jerking or twisting, with the winner determined by the first person to win two out of three rounds.
In a comparable contest, the Eskimo stick pull requires two athletes to vie for control of a stick, but this time, the competitors sit with their feet pressed together and knees bent.
4. The Arm Pull
In this full-contact wrestling match, two contestants face off and cross their legs over their opponent’s opposite leg. With their arms locked at the elbows, they then use their arms, legs, and core strength to pull and destabilize each other in an attempt to overpower the opponent.
One of the tactics in this intense battle of strength involves pressing down on the opposing contestant’s foot. Former men’s title holder Chris Jerue explains, “You’re trying to get it done as quick as you can; it’s very stressful. The longer it takes, the more chance you have of pulling your arm muscle. You try to keep it locked, lean back, and use a lot of back if you can.” The winner is determined by the athlete who wins two out of three matches.
With origins in Alaskan fishing practices, this game mirrors the effort, strength, and stamina needed to haul a seal or another prey out of a hole cut in the ice.
3. The Ear Weight
If you think the ear pull is challenging, consider this: Attach a weight or sack of flour, ranging from 7–11 kilograms (16–25 lb), to a piece of twine, then tie the twine around your ear. One important rule is that your cheek cannot be used. Now, stand up straight and walk as far as possible. You walk until the strain on your neck becomes unbearable, the pain in your face is so intense that breathing becomes difficult, or until your ear is ripped off. Amazingly, many competitors have managed to cover over 600 meters (2,000 ft) while competing in the ear weight.
Although the ear weight is one of the most painful events, many other games require agility, coordination, strength, and athleticism, making them worthy of honorable mention. Events like the back push (wrestling using only your back), the caribou fight (caribou-style wrestling), the seal-skinning contest (as the name suggests), the finger pull (tug-of-war using only fingers), and numerous others are also part of the challenging and captivating athletic games of the North.
2. The One-Hand Reach
Athletes who participate in this rigorous event, requiring complete focus, balance, coordination, and muscular power, truly deserve admiration for their skills and determination.
Balancing solely on your hands, with one elbow tucked beneath your abdomen, your task is to keep your body elevated while reaching up with one hand to touch a suspended object. After touching it, you must carefully return it to the ground without losing your balance. The higher you can reach and touch the target, all while maintaining your balance on your palms or fingertips, the better your chances of winning the competition.
However, be cautious—once the target height is set in the first round, it will be raised by 2.5 centimeters (1 in) each subsequent round until you can no longer reach it. Also, you only have three attempts to hit the target; after three failed attempts, you are eliminated from the competition, even if you've maintained perfect balance and stayed parallel to the floor.
1. Drop The Bomb
In the context of a WEIO event, when someone drops the bomb, the meaning is a bit different than you might expect in other situations.
In this event, the 'bomb' is the contestant, who must lie flat on the floor with their arms stretched out. Three spotters lift the athlete by the wrists and ankles, raising them 30 centimeters (1 ft) off the ground, and then walk at a pace determined by an official. The objective is for the contestant to keep their body as stiff as possible. The moment their body sags, it’s said that they’ve dropped the bomb, and their run is over.
In this event designed to test strength, participants are rewarded based on how long and how far they can avoid sagging. Many athletes are able to endure being carried for over 30 meters (100 ft) before dropping the bomb, including 2013 men’s champion Mikkel Andersen from Greenland, who managed an impressive 33.2 meters (109 ft).
