Chris Stipdonk puts his fists down to break world record

Team NT’s Chris Stipdonk hopped on his knuckles for a world record 217 feet to win gold at the 2026 Arctic Winter Games on Wednesday.

It was a day that also saw Team NT’s Curling females adding gold with an extra-end steal on Wednesday evening, to cap a day of successes in Whitehorse in Dene Games and Wrestling.

On Thursday, Team NT faces semi-finals in U15 Male Hockey, U19 Female Basketball, U19 Male Volleyball, U18 Female and Male Futsal, U18 Male Hickey and others.

And the first of two sold out Cultural Galas happen Thursday night, with delegates from each participating region coming together to share a performance that reflects the richness of the circumpolar North.

Team NT reported that Stipdonk, after missing the 191-foot Arctic Winter Games Knuckle Hop record by three feet in 2023, then being brought to a halt after just 57 feet by the judges in 2024, his victory this week represents the achievement of a long-held goal.

Stipdonk already held the prior world record of 206 feet but had not been able to find enough form during any edition of the Arctic Winter Games to beat the 191-foot AWG record set in 1988 by Rodney Worl of Alaska, reported Team NT.

That changed on Wednesday. Stipdonk, 40, was first to compete at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Secondary School, adopting a push-up position and then hopping on his knuckles and toes around a 168-foot circuit taped to the school gymnasium floor.

The event is so punishing on the knuckles that volunteers stand by to mop up traces of blood in the aftermath, said Team NT.

Stipdonk was the only competitor on Wednesday to complete more than one lap, eventually collapsing to the ground a quarter of the way through his second circuit.

Meanwhile, Team NT reports that Reese Wainman’s rink of Brooke Smith, Hayden Smith and Emelia Maring defeated Alberta North 7-6 for the NWT’s second female curling title in the past three Arctic Winter Games.

The quartet scored three in a dramatic eighth end to tie the game before capitalizing on the extra end.

“It’s such an amazing feeling. I’m so proud of my team,” Wainman told Team NT.

“It was a super close game, and I’m just super happy that we pulled it together and got back for the last ends.”

In Wrestling, Team NT’s Emma Pedersen came through a best-of-three matchup against Alberta North’s Ava-Jade Showalter to win gold in a female under 65kg category that only featured the two athletes.

“It actually turned out really well,” said Pedersen, who had initially been daunted by the prospect of facing the same opponent back to back.

“I feel like every time you face someone, they learn a little bit more about you. They know more on how to beat you.

“But both times, I tried some new stuff and I really tried to think about what I was doing and look at it from a technical point of view. I listened to my coaches. I think it really helped me in the end.”

Wrestling team-mates Corbin Alonak and Tessa Nendsa picked up silver. Kyle Thibault took bronze.

The NWT’s U18 male and open female hand games teams were winners at the Dene Games on Wednesday,

Aven Ohokannoak, a gold ulu winner on Tuesday, won both free skate and combined silver on Wednesday in figure skating.

In table tennis, Kathleen Cai added silver in U15 female singles after Nunni Kleist Brønlund of Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) won their final.

Here’s what Chris Stipdonk told Team NT after his victory:

“My world record is 206 feet, but I’ve been chasing that Arctic Winter Games record for I don’t know how many years and, in some ways, that record is far more impressive than my world record, because that record has been around since the 1980s. For him (Rodney Worl of Alaska) to have that record and hang on to it for so long? It’s unimaginable, especially in a time when we know more about nutrition, more about training, more about the importance of sleep, all these sorts of things that those guys didn’t know so much.

“Those were tough guys back then, though, right? So I’ve been chasing that record. It’s really hard to get. You can get the world record at just about any sanctioned event, but the Arctic Winter Games has only come around every two years, soon to be every three years, if that happens in three years. So you’ve got to perform on your one try on that day and nail it. And there have been more days, more times that I’ve not gotten it than I have. I got it today.”

– with files from Team NT.

In other sports on Wednesday: