Ten records were set at the 2022 Yukon River Quest, with an overall record that race director Mia Lee said will be a tough one to beat going forward.
Something Else Entirely, a four-man canoe team with paddlers from the Yukon and Ontario, crossed the finish line in Dawson City in 39:08:12. That bests the previous record of 39:32:43, set by Team Kisseynew in 2008.
Additional new records were set in womens tandem canoe, mixed four-person canoe and stand-up paddleboard (SUP). Australian SUP racer Lincoln Dews smashed the previous SUP record by more than four hours. Dews, a three-time Australian SUP champion, landed in Dawson on Friday afternoon after paddling for 47 hours, 46 minutes and 32 seconds. The previous record, set by Bart de Zwart in 2017, was 52:16:06.
High, fast water played a part in quicker times this year, but it also made for challenging conditions. A number of boats tipped on Lake Laberge due to headwind. One in seven boats dumped in Five Finger Rapids, where seasoned racers said the waves were higher than ever. More wind and rainstorms on Thursday night and Friday afternoon soaked some teams and made for slow going for others, but overall sixty-two boats finished the 715-kilometre race from Whitehorse to Dawson. Race Marshall Stephen Mooney said the number of racers who dropped this year was comparable to previous years.
A full list of top finishers:
2 – Halfway to Cina (Davide Cina) 49:28:11
3 – Standing Room Only (Jason Bennett) 50:23:54
1 – Half a Perfect Storm (Gaetan Plourde) 47:59:34
2 – Rough Cut Diamond (Patricia Jones) 55:46:34
1 – www.tyreorder.com Elite Team 40:05:43
3 – World of Kayaks Team Estonia M&M 50:20:16
1 – Something Else Entirely 39:08:12 (new overall race record)
3 – Crisis and the Commando (mixed tandem kayak) 26:07:11
Editors note: Jeff Brady was named to the Great River Club with 5,005 km paddled in the Yukon River Quest.