Day 3 of WEIO tests leaps, and the bounds of pain

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The preliminary round of the two-foot high kick thinned the field early Friday afternoon. Here's a slow look at some of the top performers.

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One way to tell if a WEIO event is going to measure pain is that there are no preliminary rounds. An ear can only take so much punishment.

Ear pull medalists were decided in one tidy tournament Friday afternoon. Athletes sit across from each other, loop a simulated sinew loop over their ears and pull straight back.

Head official Sam Strange said two things make or break an entrant. One is the shape of their ear and its ability to hook and hold the line. Good cartilage can make all the difference in whether or not it slips right off.

"And, of course, you got to be able to tolerate some pain," Strange said.

Finalists in the men's competition featured two veterans of the event. Leroy Shangin faced Linc Qimiq, both from Anchorage. Shangin lost the best-two-out-of-three round that decided the title. Immediately afterward, he said it was hard to tell if he was pleased or frustrated by his runner-up status.

"We have a battle going on. He's won a few, I've won a few," Shangin said. "We know that we're arch-rivals, but we're best buddies."

In the women's competition, newcomer Auna Reed-Lewis upset Misti Evans, who had held the title for four years. Fifteen-year-old Reed-Lewis, soon to be a sophomore at Colony High School, said she was nervous and surprised at her success. This is her first year competing at WEIO.

"It was pretty painful," Reed-Lewis. "I'm really surprised I didn't bleed."

Evans said she had mixed emotions about relinquishing the title after holding it for years. Up-and-comers, she said, are welcome at WEIO.

"It's good to have fresh competition," Evans said.

Here's a look at a few more brave faces from the ear pull.

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For Sharlane King, the tears of joy came when she could see it in writing.

After results from the two-foot high kick were posted on the wall of the Carlson Center, King couldn't believe her name was at the top.

"I just haven't been here for three years. I thought I lost all my form," she said.

[Results: WEIO champs crowned in ear pull, Indian stick pull]

The 25-year-old spent 10 years living in Alaska, in both Anchorage and Fairbanks. In those years, Native games were a frequent part of her life. But since moving to Washington, she has missed it dearly. Down there, it's hard to find a place to train. At the gym she attends, the basketball court is always in use.

"It's hard to find a place to hang up a ball down states. Nobody understands what these sports are," King said.

Though King and Amber Vaska both connected with the ball at 74 inches, Vaska had three misses in the competition. King had only one.

Now, King, who recently graduated from a program to become a heavy equipment diesel mechanic, said she's thinking about returning to Alaska for good.

"I moved down to Washington, and I don't know why I moved there. Like, I need to come back home," she said. "This is home."

In the men's competition, Andrew Kashevarof, of Anchorage, connected with the ball when it was 98 inches off the ground. That was good enough for gold. Kyle Worl, of Juneau, and Casey Ferguson, of Eagle River, both hit 96 inches for second and third, respectively.

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Piiyuuk Olivia Shields was named Miss WEIO late Friday. Shields, from Toksook Bay, is studying elementary education at UAA and hopes to one day return to teach near her home.

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Mary Kakoona, of Shishmaref, took top prize in the seal skinning contest late Friday, finishing the job in 1 minute, 58 seconds. It was the fifth time she has won the event.

"I've been trying to see if I can get any faster each year," Kakoona said

Kakoona had her eye on the WEIO record, but the seal skinning record has stood for 50 years, the longest of all WEIO events. In 1967, Rhoda Nageak skinned a seal in 57 seconds.

Back home, Kakoona estimates she probably skins 50 seals a year. She uses a lot of seal skin in her sewing projects.

"I like sewing slippers," she said.

Check back for more WEIO updates throughout the event.