“The Slayers,” a team of teenagers, upended perennial champion Kevin Shove’s squad in the Mad Raft Race and Chandler Kemp cruised to victory in the Mount Ripinsky Run during sun-drenched Fourth of July festivities in Haines Saturday.
Hundreds of residents turned out at Tlingit park for games and refreshments. The line of youths waiting to serve as “ducks” at the Tlingit Park dunk tank was longer than the one of throwers aiming to dunk them, organizers said.
The holiday weekend included a mayoral proclamation naming July 3 “Al Badgley Day” for the local firefighter’s career of service, and a ceremony where Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill received the keys to the town’s new Zamboni-like ice rink conditioner from Haines Junction, Y.T. Mayor Mike Crawshay.
Carver Culbeck, 13, said he and fellow paddlers Ketch Jacobson and Jackson Velzy had kayaked the Chilkoot River ahead of Saturday’s race to check out currents and exposed rocks. Mori Hays also rafted on the team, which won by a large margin.
“We knew the rapids really well. Jackson was good about steering us and making sure we didn’t get hung up on rocks… We aimed to win,” Culbeck said.
The youths had fixed up an old raft, adding new floats and planks to edges to decrease the likelihood of snagging on rocks, Culbeck said.
Shove said his team was slowed by rocks before and after reaching the weir. They collided with Culbeck’s raft, hoping to turn it upstream, but the move only pushed the younger team’s vessel further downstream, Shove said.
In the Ripinsky Run, Kemp, 25, logged a time of 27:08, about three minutes off his course record but well ahead of second-place runner Lizi Wirak, 26, of Haines, who finished in 33:29. Wirak was followed closely by visitors Mike Kischchak, 15, (33:33) and Derek Deuling 13, (33:34), and resident Scott Doddridge, 50 (33:52).
Resident Ralph Borders, 63, finished in 35:31. The oldest male finisher was resident Dan Harrington, 65, who posted a time of 54:09 and finished in the middle of the pack. Organizer Paul Swift said the race was about the 50th running of the event. Of 32 runners starting the event, 18 were women.
Canadian Lizan Ward, 58, was the oldest female competitor, finishing in 1:49:29.
Other contest results included:
Mud volleyball tournament: 1) Team of Alisha Young, Devin Braaten, Libby Jacobson, Riley Erekson, Michael Dunning and Brandon Haxton; 2) Hudson Sage, Dane Klingaman, Lenny Greenfield, Elizabeth Chaffin, Bonnie Fenerty, 3) Michelle Oakley, Shane Oakley, Sierra Oakley, Ross Radcliffe, Dallas Childers and Bryan Wilson.
Nail and spike pounding competition: Adult spike pounding: Jason Verhamme (6.53 seconds); women’s division: Debra Schnabel, 20.25 seconds; youth nail pounding: Wesley Verhamme, 1.47 seconds; girls division: Olivia Hansen, 19.55 seconds.
Parade Awards: Music/Dancing Groups: Gei Sun Dancers, North Tide Canoe Kwaan (shared award); Most Humorous: Beth Bolander; Bikes: Scooter Brigade; Pets: Corgi Power; Children’s Group: Summer Youth Theatre Conservatory; Theme Interpretation: Haines Community Marching Band; Best Use of Recycled Products: Haines Chamber of Commerce.