Arctic Winter Games headed back to Alaska

May 4th 3:27 pm | Van Williams

The Arctic Winter Games are coming back to Alaska.

Fairbanks will play host in the spring of 2014.

It's just the third time since 1996 that the international biennial celebration of circumpolar sports and culture will be held in The Last Frontier.

"This is very important," Fairbanks Northstar Borough Major Luke Hopkins told reporters at a press conference. "Not just for Fairbanks but for Alaska. This is a great opportunity for us all."

This year's games were held in March in Whitehorse, Canada.

The Arctic Winter Games match teenage athletes from all circumpolar regions, such as Greenland, Canada, Russia and Alaska, for a week of competition in various sports ranging from table tennis to dog mushing and wrestling to snowshoeing.

The event typically draws more than 2,000 athletes, coaches and cultural delegates.

The Arctic Winter Games were founded in 1969 under a leadership group that included former Alaska Governor Walter Hickel.

The first Games were held in 1970 in Yellowknife, Canada.

The last time they came to Alaska was in 2006 on the Kenai Peninsula. Before that it was Anchorage in 1996.

Reach Van Williams at sports@reportalaska.com.

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