Whitehorse Daily Star

Yukon 1000 teams crossing border

When Peter Coates organized the Yukon 1000 for the first time in 2009,

By Whitehorse Star on July 22, 2016

When Peter Coates organized the Yukon 1000 for the first time in 2009, he told the Star at the time that he expected canoes to have an advantage over kayaks.

“It’s felt that the kayaks are faster in the River Quest, but I thought that over a longer distance, the kayaks would become too uncomfortable and the canoes would come back into their own,” he told reporter Elizabeth Hames.

Over five editions of the race, a kayak has won every time.

But that might all be about to change.

As teams cross the border into Alaska, the tandem canoe team “Mainely Nuts” of 63-year-old Brad Krog and his partner, Terry Wescott, 67, are in the lead.

The next boat is the U.K team “Foot Guards.” Behind them is “The Trail Events Team.” They have been trading third place with the Kenyan K-2 team “Kayaking for Conservation.”

Teams likely won’t be breaking any records in this low water year. The course record, 6 days, 2:11:07 was set at the inaugural race in 2009 by twins Richard and Henry Hendron.

All seven teams that started in Whitehorse are still on the river.

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