Despite the wet weather this weekend, a total of 42 tennis players were on-hand at the Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre tennis courts in a quest for the coveted Capital Cup. This year Juneau will take home the cup and the bragging rights that come with it.

The annual tennis tournament pits Whitehorse against its sister city and Alaskan capital, which ended the tournament with 325 points over 289 for Whitehorse in the more than 50 matches played throughout the weekend.

It broke a three-year winning streak held by Whitehorse.

The event is also an opportunity to see the mayor of the losing city don apparel - often a silly hat or something of the like – of the winning city’s choice.

So tonight, Mayor Dan Curtis says he’ll be decked out in an outfit designed by Abby O’Brien, a member of the Juneau delegation who was in Whitehorse this weekend. Displaying clear American pride, it shows a photoshopped picture of O’Brien taking on a bear, with the American flag in the background and a bald eagle flying overhead.

Curtis acknowledged with a laugh he may have played a part in the cup heading back across the border as he was soundly defeated in his match against O’Brien.

“I got totally crushed,” he said of his own match.

Still he’s pleased to have been part of the annual tournament which began in 1983.

The friendly competition between sister cities saw a hiatus beginning in 2000 until Tennis Yukon led the efforts to revive it in 2008. It has been held in either of the two cities every year since.

Juneau has come out the winner most often with 12 wins in total, while Whitehorse has seven. The inaugural event ended in a tie between the two cities.

Curtis credits the event as being a major contributer to the positive relationship between the two communities.

“It is a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s just such a family atmosphere.”

Though the mayor may not have come out on top in his match this year, he’s not giving up on the sport and is hoping to improve.

After playing this weekend, he said it’s a fun sport and he’s thinking he might purchase a Tennis Yukon pass to keep playing at the courts and may see if anyone else on council wants to join him.

If all goes well, perhaps the Capital Cup will be back in Whitehorse’s hands after the 2019 tournament.