You’ll notice the ball is suspended at a height that is almost beyond the reach of a competitor, who then (almost effortlessly) kicks that ball with both feet together, landing without a stumble. Wow.

You can see more high kick video from WEIO 2009 here.

There has been a high level of activity on the Fairbanks Twitter account over the past week. An owl closeup has been clicked a record number of times, while photos from this year’s World Eskimo-Indian Olympics are not far behind. We also saw great traffic flowing to North Pole and Denali photography…as usual.

1. Terrific owl photo taken in Fairbanks: http://ow.ly/2hQbb
2. Mt. MicKinley from the air, shrouded in clouds: http://ow.ly/2hjmQ
3. Just published: our set of Two-Foot High Kick and Ear-Pull pictures from the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics: http://ow.ly/2hw4C
4. Stunning photography from the Brooks Range thanks to @alaskaphoto – http://ow.ly/2eFwC
5. Great Fairbanks/North Pole area sunset photo: http://ow.ly/2fKxn
6. Stunning photos taken in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by @alaskaphoto – http://ow.ly/2gIBD
7. Great post/photo from @alaskaphoto on ‘Denali and Wonder Lake’ – http://ow.ly/2hXbG

Top clicking tweets from the past can be found in our archives.

Here are descriptions of the events you see above from the WEIO website:

Ear Pull

In this event, there are two people sitting down facing each other with twine looped around each other’s ear – right ear to right ear, left to left. The two begin a “tug-of-war” to see who the winner is. Best two out of three wins the match. There are times when the loop will slip off one opponent’s ear – that person is the loser of that round. Each participant alternate each round using alternate ears. A game of stamina to pain, the victor demonstrates he/she can withstand pain, a trait sometimes needed to survive the harsh realities of the North.

Two-foot High Kick

This event is similar to the one-foot high kick with the difference being the athlete jumps off the floor using both feet, hits the suspended target with both feet together, and maintains balance upon reaching the floor. When landing both feet must touch the floor at the same time.

Years ago, in the coastal whaling villages, in order for the village to know that a whale has been taken, a runner would run back to the village and when within sight of the village, the messenger would jump and kick both feet into the air while running. In that manner, the people of the village would know a what was caught and prepare themselves to help in “beaching” the whale.

WEIO has a great website. Be sure to check it out for more. Also check the Inside Alaska archives for more photos and videos of WEIO from previous years.

WEIO 2009 Two Foot High Kick from insidealaska on Vimeo.

The WEIO homepage is a great place to find more video and lots of information on the games. Also check out  our previous posts on WEIO. Is this cool stuff or what?

There is a lot of excitement in Fairbanks during this part of the summer. Two of the most popular events are the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics and the Golden Days celebration. Many details included in today’s update. The photo above was taken during the WEIO events yesterday.

Download the 7/17 Midday Update

…sits on the floor below a target with one hand grasping the opposite foot. With his/her remaining free hand planted on the floor, the athlete springs up and attempts to kick the target with the free foot. After kicking the target, the athlete must show balance upon landing – he/she is at the original position before kicking. Height is the objective.

Here are a few of the images we captured during the event. Click on one of the images below and use the ‘next’ and ‘prev’ buttons (bottom left) to see them all. These tiny thumbnails just don’t do them justice.

Find out more about the 2009 World Eskimo-Indian Olympics in Fairbanks and see video at the WEIO website. Or take a look at a few of our other posts about the event from past years.

They have more great videos on weio.org. A spectator has has also put together an ear pull montage from the 2008 WEIO competition.

The two-foot high kick requires athletes to kick a ball suspended high in the air with both feet. Many of the finalists (demonstrated in images 3 and 4 above) end up successfully kicking above the length of their own outstretched arms!

The ear pull pits two competitors against one another, both having a single string placed behind their ear. The contest begins when both competitors begin pulling their heads straight back. The first person that either gives up, moves their head sideways, or has the string slip off their ear is the loser.

For time immemorial, Native peoples of the circumpolar areas of the world have gathered in small villages to participate in games of strength, endurance, balance, and agility. Along with these athletic games, dancing, story telling, and other audience participation games took place. This provided an opportunity for friendly competition, entertainment and laughter. The hosts provided food and lodging, and visitors brought news from surrounding villages and expanded opportunities for challenge building and renewing old and new friendships. This is the background of the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics and the atmosphere, which we seek to replicate. – WEIO.org

The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics are a must-see competition! Fairbanks is proud to welcome every visitor and participant one week from today (July 16)!

Enjoy video clips of the many wonderful events including: the arm pull, stick pull, one hand reach, two foot high kick and blanket toss, then plan to attend today!