Head Pull
The head pull is a game of strength and endurance. These games were played by everyone to build endurance to handle long distance travel in the fall and winter.
To start, participants lie face down on the floor facing each other with elbow to hands flat on floor in front of their bodies. The participants heads are about two feet apart. A leather loop or belt is placed around the back of the head and above the ears. A centre line is drawn between the two participants equal distance from their start line.
When the belt is properly positioned around both participants heads, the official will tell the participants to lift themselves off the floor with only their hands and feet touching the floor.The official will signal the participant to slowly tighten up by pulling the belt without using a jerking motion. The participants will use their hands to brace the floor in front of their body. Once the belt is level, the official will then signal participants to pull. The objective of this game is to pull the opposing participant past the centre line. Best out of three pulls wins. If the belt slips off of the opponent's head, it counts as a win; when the opponent is pulled to the center line it is also a win. The belt must stay above the ears at all times.
Caribou Skipping
Caribou skippping was played as a way to keep warm while out on the edge of the ice on the Arctic Ocean.
The game consists of a jumper and two rope handlers. The rope handlers begin by swaying the caribou skin back and forth two times than doing one full rotation. The rope handlers will gain control, and then again sway the rope back and forth except this time doing two rotations at an increased speed.
The rope handlers will continue this rhythm adding a rotation to each round while increasing the speed to challenge the jumper. It is important that the two rope handlers are focused and communicating at all times in this game. It is the jumper's responsibility to follow the motion and jump over the caribou skipping rope. They will continue to jump through the added skipping rotations and increased speeds until he or she can no longer jump.
Rope Skipping
Thew movement for the rope skipping challenge includes the following skipping transitions: regular skipping down to a push up back up to a regular skipping back down to a bum hop and finally back up to a regular skipping with control.
To start, the participant will be running into the skip and doing regular skipping. The participant will transition down to do a push up with only the hands and feet touching the floor for a couple of skips and transitions back up to the regular skipping for a few times. The participant will then go down to a bum hop position they will be just jumping on their buttocks, the participant has to use their whole body and arm momentum ot help them lift and bounce off the floor.
Stick Pull
The stick pull mimicked pulling a seal out of the Arctic Ocean or pulling a whale on to the arctic ice. Hunters needed to know the animal's resistance, this was as close to mimicking pulling the animal out of the ocean to be successful so they could provide for their families.
To start, the participants sit on the floor facing each other with legs stretched out and knees slightly bent. The feet should be paired up together. Participants feet should push up flat against each other. The pulling stick will be entered positioned at the feet. One participant will place their hands in the middle side by side grabbing the stick. The other participant will grab the stick on the outside of their opponents hands. Each of the participants arms should be stretched out grabbing the stick ready to pull. Both participants knuckles must be facing up. On signal of the official, they will tighten their grips and pull just to tighten up and on the word go, they will begin to pull without a jerking motion. The participants will be using their legs to push and their backs to help pull the opponent with arm and hand muscles tightened. There are three ways to win, the opponent will pull the person to stand, the opponent will lose grip of the stick or the opponent will pull the participant to one side. This is a best out of three attempts. If there is a tie, a coin will be flipped to decide placement of hand grip.
Musk Ox Push
To start, the participants are positioned in the middle of a circle on the floor with knees, shins, and hands touching the floor. Each participant will position their head under their opponent's collar bone so that they are pressing shoulders against each other. The official will make sure the participants head is tucked under the collar bone in a comfortable position before starting to push.
Using technique, body weight, feet and strength, participants try to push each other out of the circle or win if the other participant gives up. The winner will move onto the next round.
Arm Pull
To start, the participants will be pulling with their right arms first. They will be sitting on the floor chest to chest about shoulder to elbow distance from each other. To begin, the official will assist in positioning the participants. both participants will go down to the sitting position. They will each position themselves about shoulder to elbow from each other. They will position the right knee bent with foot flat to floor and position his left leg stretched out flat to the floor. Participants will place their right leg over the opponents left leg. Each participant will grab the right ankle from the point each participant will extend out heir right arm and lock evenly at the elbow.
From this point, the official will ensure participants backs are straight a parallel with each other and position the elbows locked above the knees and centered. The official will have the participants tighten up their pull and on signal begin pulling without a jerking motion, both participants pull without stopping. The objective is to try and pull the other opponent over, or until the opponents hand touches the best of the participant pulling.
If the hand touches the floor or slips off the opponents ankle, or if the opponent turns sideways to touch the floor, they will have to start over. This is a best of three attempts.
Tug of War
Tug of War mimicked pulling a whale on to the edge of the ice flow.
To start, a rope approximately 60 feet is stretched out on the ground with a marker placed at the centre line. Each team has a marker on their side of the rope (approximately 10-15 feet from the centre line) that they as team have to stand behind and pull from. At both ends of the rope is a loop large enough to go around the waist, or loop around the shoulders of the techs anchor. The anchor is usually the largest or strongest person on the team. With direction from the referee, both teams take up the slack so the centre flag is positioned at the designated centre. When signalled to pull, the teams begin to pull the other team to the centre. The teams ho manages to pull their opponents to the centre marker is the winner of the match.