Skagway sends local paddlers to 2026 Yukon River Quest

Voyageur canoe teams Skagway Stoke Boat, left (Nicole Kovacs, Jesse Guilliams, Jen Larsen, Alexandra Luque, Stephanie Hawney, Sam Best), and Skagway Swinging Sixties, right (Michael Yee, Dennis Bousson, Mike Korsmo, Tim Bouncy, Eric Nelson, Jeff Brady) stop racing to ‘raft up’ for a few minutes near Coffee Creek about 300 miles into the 2026 Yukon River Quest. The Stoke boat finally made it to Dawson City after three attempts and finished 23rd overall and second in the mixed VC division, while the Swingers placed 27th overall and first in the open VC division. They were the oldest team in the race with an average age of 66! Photo by Nicole Kovacs

Christian Nunez (foreground) and Jonathan Hillis work the current in a tandem canoe dubbed “Bourcy’s Behind Us” during the first night of the race. They scratched at the halfway checkpoint at Carmacks but vow to be back on a Skagway team in 2027. See complete results at yukonriverquest.com. Another photo is on page 10. Photo by Christian Nunez

The Skagway Swinging Sixties finish under the midnight sun in Dawson City. See results at yukonriverquest.com. Photo by Brian Larson