Snowshoe competitors from Team Alaska approach the finish line in the 2006 Arctic Winter Games.

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge hosted a snowshoe competition for the Arctic Winter Games - events that saw participation by youth from eight of the nine international contingents participating in 2006.  Every two years nearly 2,000 young people and coaches from Alaska, Alberta, Greenland, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Nunavik-Quebec, Sami (Northern Scandinavia), Yamal (Russia), and Yukon Territory come together to compete.  This is the first time the circumpolar competition has been held on the Kenai Peninsula.  Competition includes 14 individual events like biathalon and speed skating, and six team events like hockey and curling.  The snowshoe events at the Refuge required competitors to use homemade snowshoes and mukluks.  The events included forested trail routes within the Refuge ranging from 2.5 km to 10 km.  First, second, and third place winners in each competition were awarded gold, silver, or bronze ulus (an engraved miniature Inuit knife suspended on a ribbon).  Refuge staff joined 3,000 other Kenai Peninsula volunteers in hosting the 2006 Arctic Winter Games.