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The one-foot high kick is a popular event at the Arctic Winter Games, and world records are routinely broken. Bo O Kristensen/AWG2016
The snow snake involves hurling a sharpened wooden pole along a snowy track as far as possible. Julius Filemonsen/AWG2016
Chris Stipdonk won gold in the knuckle hop at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games, pushing himself nearly 55 meters using just the tips of his toes and knuckles. Hadler/AWG2016
The pole push -- in which two teams try their hardest to push the same wooden pole in opposing directions -- is one of the best-attended events of the Games. Mathieu Couture/Kativik Regional Government
Dene Games are another sport rarely seen by mainstream audiences, but which feature prominently at the two-yearly competition. Mathieu Couture/Kativik Regional Government
Futsal, a modified indoor version of football, was arguably the biggest draw at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games, packing out the 1,000-capacity arena.
Greenland's futsal players enjoyed boisterous home support -- the 12-year-olds were roared onto the pitch by hundreds of friends, family members and neighbors. Andre Guttensen/AWG2016
Athletes from Canada's Yukon territory get off the plane in Greenland -- for most of them, it was their first trip to this part of the world. AWG2016
Nuuk is Greenland's biggest town, with a population of 17,000. The community nestles into the rockface of Greenland's southwest coast. Mads Phil/Visit Greenland
The northern lights flicker above the burning flame of the Arctic Winter Games in the center of Nuuk. : Vagn Hansen/AWG2016
Deseray Cumberbatch represented Nunavik Quebec at her sixth Arctic Winter Games, but this was the first time her father -- born in the Caribbean but married to an Inuk woman -- was able to attend. Mathieu Couture/Kativik Regional Government
Not all athletes plan to set records at the Arctic Winter Games, which also features more conventional sports such as table tennis, volleyball and ice hockey. It's a first taste of a mini-Olympics for young teenagers -- such as these skiers -- who harbor sporting ambitions. Ollie Williams
It is a chance for young athletes from nine different polar regions to spend time with each other -- particularly when there's a weather delay, like this one during the snowboarding. Bo O Kristensen/AWG2016
The Arctic Winter Games' cultural program offers a chance for northern performers to come together and take center stage. Pictured is a performer at the closing ceremony. : Bo O Kristensen/AWG2016
Left-right: Ella Marie Haetta Isaksen, Hilda Lansman and Katarina Barrok perform a traditional Sami yoik song. AWG2016
