If you like your winter sports indoors or out, there will be plenty to see or to do next weekend.
Indoors, the 36th annual Dick Hotch Memorial Basketball Tournament starts Thursday, March 2, featuring its first-ever women’s bracket and cash purses for men’s and women’s champions.
Out of doors, the first Haines Winter Fest combines several local traditions featuring three days of events ranging from an art walk to films to an alpine race over Mount Ripinsky, March 3-5.
Hotch tournament organizer Stuart DeWitt said he’s expecting 11 teams for the hoops classic, including ones from Hoonah, Juneau and Whitehorse, Y.T.
A $2,500 men’s prize initiated last year is joined this year by a $1,000 prize for the top women’s squad.Women’s tournament organizer Krista Kielsmeier said two Haines teams will be joined by one each from Juneau and Whitehorse.
“It looks to be the largest men’s tournament in recent years. Combined with the women’s tournament, it’s going to be a jam-packed weekend,” Kielsmeier said.
The prize money donated by local businesses is helping draw more interest, said DeWitt. He’s hoping squads from Tok and Fairbanks make the trip next year. “The tournament has been dwindling. I hope to liven it up a little bit.”
The winter festival will be made up of five main events: First Friday, Telluride Mountain Film Festival, Miles Klehini Ski Classic, Koot to Kat Alpine Adventure Race and the Haines Winter Games.
Jessica Edwards, executive director of the Southeast Alaska State Fair, said she and borough tourism director Leslie Ross had talked about a way to combine late winter and early spring events into one weekend.
“We got a little bit of a late start planning, but we just wanted to get it started,” Edwards said.
First Friday happens once a month and the Telluride film festival, winter games and ski classic happen every year. But the Koot to Kat alpine race is novel.Organizer Lindsay Johnson said teams of at least two athletes will race up and over Mount Ripinsky, starting at 6 Mile Lutak Road and ending at the Southeast Alaska State Fair grounds. Using anything motorized is off limits, but Johnson said all other modes of transportation are fair game, including skis, snowboards, even paragliders.
Johnson said she and other backcountry ski enthusiasts are excited to get the event started this year. “We’re going to try to pull it off and we’ll be psyched to have any amount of participation.”
She said a few people may come up from Juneau for the race. Posters were put up there and in Whitehorse, Y.T.
“I see the ski race as the lynchpin event that people would travel for, potentially,” Edwards said. “I think having a weekend when there’s a lot going on potentially is a draw and will get people travelling to Haines to play.”
Edwards said she hopes Winter Fest events will increase in popularity this year. Weather dependent, the family-friendly Winter Games could include a BB gun bike or ski biathlon, dog sled races, dog-calling contests, ice hockey or a “frying pan toss.”
The Winter Games’ chili cookoff and potluck this year will include both an amateur and professional category. The contest will serve a post-Koot to Kat feast.
“It’s always fun. Despite the weather we all come out,” Edwards said.
The fair, Haines tourism department, Haines Ski and Hike Club, Haines Huts and Takshanuk Watershed Council are sponsors.
Edwards said she’s also been in contact with the Chilkat Snowburners who might participate next year.
For more information on the inaugural Winter Fest, see https://www.visithaines.com/winterfest.
Organizer DeWitt said the Hotch tournament will eliminate some trophies in the men’s division in order to award others in the women’s bracket. Thirty-five trophies will be awarded, with many serving as memorials to legacy players.
“People pay for them in memory of their loved ones. It’s kind of a cool thing,” DeWitt said.
The tournament begins 6 p.m. Thursday, March 2 with games starting on the hour until 9 p.m. Games continue through Friday, noon to 10:30 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The tournament culminates Sunday, March 5 with a women’s championship match starting 11:30 a.m. and the men’s championship following at 1 p.m.
Free throw and three-point contests for youths and adults start 9 a.m. Sunday. For youths, cash prizes will be offered in three divisions: 9 and under, 10-11 and 12-13.
Men’s and women’s games will be held at Karl Ward gym, which will make for non-stop basketball, DeWitt said. “It will be some long days of basketball.”