Racer bows out of Iqaluit-Kimmirut race to help competitor

The youngest competitor to take part in this year's Iqaluit-Kimmirut snowmobile race dropped out to take a fellow competitor to the hospital.

Sean Noble-Nowdluk, 18, had stopped to check on a fellow racer who had an accident.

“He noticed that the competitor was in some danger, so he picked him up and brought him to the hospital in Iqaluit,” says Travis Cooper, the chairperson of this year’s Toonik Tyme organizing committee.

"He's a fine gentleman and he did the right thing."

Cooper says the racer involved in the accident is doing well and is now home with his family.

He also says bringing back the Iqaluit to Kimmirut race after almost a decade was a highlight of this year’s Toonik Tyme festival.

Cooper says the race was a favourite event when he was growing up, and watching spectators hoist the winning racer and snowmobile over their heads was an amazing feeling.

That happened again this year when Albert Netser was first to cross the finish line. He managed to cross the Meta Incognita peninsula, a 120-kilometre route both ways, with a time of three hours and five minutes.

Davidee Nauyuk came in second place, at three hours and ten minutes, and Gerry Michael was two minutes behind.

“You just never know what's going to happen,” Cooper says. “It's very exciting but very dreadful at the same time. You just want all the racers to be as safe as possible."

Cooper says organizers are already looking forward to next year, when Toonik Tyme will turn 50.