Last Updated on 10/11/20 by Rose Palmer
This post was recognized by the North America Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) in the 2019 awards competition with a Silver award in the Sports, Recreation and Adventure – Online category
Leroy Shangin attempts to win in the finals of the Ear Pull event at the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) in Fairbanks, Alaska. As with all the games at WEIO, this event is rooted in traditional games that tested and prepared the indigenous people for survival in the cold and harsh climate of the region. The Ear Pull tests a contestant’s ability to withstand pain, especially in the extremities due to possible frostbite. The event is played with two opponents looping a length of sinew around their ears and pulling as hard as they can until one of them gives up. A match is best two out of three.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose