Anchorage, Alaska – April 6, 2011 –Sheer power, unreal flexibility and explosive jumping ability – all tied to the rich cultures of Alaska’s Native peoples – will be on display April 29-30 and May 1, 2011, as hundreds of youth from throughout Alaska converge on Anchorage for the NYO Games.

Almost 500 high school-age youth from 50 Alaska communities will compete in such events as the wrist carry, Eskimo stick pull, and one- and two-foot high kick in the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in the 41stannual event that began as the Native Youth Olympics but are now referred to as the NYO Games.

Open to Natives and non-Natives from 7ththrough 12thgrades, the NYO Games provide insight into Alaska's rich cultural heritage while promoting a healthy lifestyle for kids and good sportsmanship through friendly competition. Often during the Games, competitors will be seen helping each other with technique. 

Events are based on games past generations of Alaska Natives played as a way to test their hunting and survival skills, increase strength, endurance, agility and the balance of mind and body. The Eskimo stick pull, for instance, is based on a strengthening exercise that Native hunters would do to prepare themselves for pulling seals out of the water. Many schools teach Native games as part of their physical education curriculum or as an after-school culture club.

Events include:

The Wrist Carry

A test of survival, this event has origins based on hunting. Hunters had to develop endurance and strength in order to carry game for long distances. A competitor, with one wrist draped over a stick, is carried by two teammates as far as possible around an oval track until the person being carried can no longer hang on. The 2010 winner went 540 feet, 3 inches.

The One-Hand Reach

A game to test a person's control over their body. If a hunter became lost on water, for example, they had to possess the body control necessary to avoid panicking and tipping their kayak.

The Eskimo Stick Pull

A game of strength. Successful hunters must be able to pull a seal out of the water. This is no easy task while maintaining balance on snow and ice. Hand, back and leg strength are critical. Two athletes sit facing each other and pull on a stick, each trying to pull their opponent toward him without jerking.

The Indian Stick Pull

Competitors face away from each other, grabbing opposite ends of a stick and attempting to pull it from each other’s grasp. It may sounds easy, but the stick also is smeared with shortening.

The Kneel Jump

A trial of agility and muscle strength. Hunters had to develop each in order to successfully jump from one ice floe to another, not to mention lift heavy game and carry it back to the village.

The Alaskan High Kick

Perhaps one of the most acrobatic events,the athlete tries to kick a ball suspended overhead while balancing on a single hand in an event that demands the mind and body work in harmony to maintain control. The athlete who kicks the target at the highest height is the winner.

The Seal Hop

A game of sheer endurance.  Each athlete hops across the floor in a push up position, using only hands and toes.  The winner is the athlete who travels the farthest distance without stopping. This game originated with hunters imitating the movement of a seal.

The One-Foot High Kick

Considered the headline event of the games, competitors jump off both feet and attempt to kick a ball suspended high in the air with one foot, landing back on that same foot. Anchorage’s Andrew Walker kicked 104 inches (8 feet, 8 inches) to win the event last year; on the girls’ side, Wasilla’s Alice Strick set a world record at 91 inches.

The full schedule of events can be found at http://www.citci.com/content/2011-nyo-games-alaska-schedule-events. In addition to athletic events, the games include Native dance performances twice a day. The games website can be found at www.citci.com/content/nyo-back.


The NYO Games are hosted by Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc., the nonprofit social service agency for Cook Inlet Region, Inc., with a mission to provide culturally appropriate services for Native people to achieve self-determination through individual, family and community development.

The NYO Games are but a small slice of Anchorage’s Native cultural heritage.


The Alaska Native Heritage Center displays tools, watercraft, clothing and art from Alaska's 11 major Native cultures. Their traditions come alive at the center through stories, authentic song and dance and artist demonstrations.  The Alaska Native Heritage Center is also home to five traditional village settings set alongside a two-acre lake and walking trails. More information can be found at www.alaskanative.net.


A year ago, the Anchorage Museum opened a new space with hundreds of rare Native artifacts from the Smithsonian Institution's collections. The Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center showcases these indigenous Alaska artifacts, many of which have never been on display. They include an 1893 Tlingit war helmet and an 1866 Gwich'in Athabascan tunic with dyed quill designs, one of the Smithsonian's oldest objects. The Anchorage Museum permanent displays feature Alaska’s cultural heritage, including information on early contact with Russians and New England whalers, the Gold Rush era and for a present-day reflection of Alaska’s indigenous people. For more information about the Anchorage Museum, visit www.anchoragemuseum.org.


To explore the cultural and wilderness wonders of Alaska, explore www.Anchorage.net.


The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage. With more than 120 miles of paved trails, the nation’s third largest state park, first-class amenities and a blend of cultures found only in Alaska, Anchorage lives a Big Wild Life™. For more information on Anchorage’s wild adventures and urban delights, explore www.Anchorage.net.