Three years of pandemic cancellations and two years of bad weather put a damper on the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay.

But that burned away Saturday in a blaze of sunshine, smiling faces and safe riding without serious accidents.

"Everyone is just so happy to have this event back again. It was top-notch. I think all the energy from the past few years went into this year," said Trena Irving, a teacher and relay regular who also leads a youth cycling club in Whitehorse, Y.T.

Irving, who previously won the event's solo women's division, was connected to five teams that made Saturday's ride, including Great 8, a group of youngsters ages 9 through 12 she coaches. The Great 8 placed 20th of 68 teams in the mixed eight-rider division.

The team's lead rider Oskar Luxemburger, 9, climbed the long hill out of Haines Junction, Y.T., "way, way out ahead" of his dad Tom Luxemburger, who was competing on a mixed, eight-member team of adults.

"They're mountain bikers. This is the first time they competed on asphalt. Now they're hooked," coach Irving said of her young riders. Besides their impressive bike riding, the youngsters fished in Sunday's Youth Fishing Derby in Haines, hooking several Dolly Varden. "The fishing derby was the icing on the cake," Tom Luxemburger said.

At the intersection of Klukshu Road and Haines Highway Saturday morning, village elders Chuck Hume and Dave Joe set up lawn chairs and cracked beers to watch the stream of colorful riders pass by. Chuck's wife Barb Hume sat in a four-wheeler, sewing a piece of beadwork while Dave's daughter Gayle provided commentary.

Dave Joe's daughter Nadia Joe, an environmental scientist who grew up in tiny Klukshu, has been riding the Kluane relay for years with friends from Whitehorse and has gotten used to village elders and family members cheering on her team. "They're a fixture. They provide considerable support."

While lead riders broke off in drafting groups headed toward Chilkat Pass Saturday afternoon, the bulk of participants – on eight-member teams – crowded into early checkpoints, sometimes creating traffic jams of bikes, riders, cars and RVs.

The party atmosphere included a string band that performed for incoming cyclists at Checkpoint 1. The revival of the relay inspired a variety of costumes, including a team of riders dressed as pirates who rode bikes with a full-sized Jolly Roger flag. The Hildebrand family team of four riders painted themselves green to become the "Ogre-Achievers." "Actually, we're three ogres and a dragon," said Erin Hildebrand.

Four Whitehorse friends glued popped popcorn kernels to their helmets and, using red and white striped jerseys, became "The Popcorn Machine." They gave out bags of popcorn to children along the route. "We just like popcorn," said Cindy Breton. Another team fastened cardboard "legs" to front and rear bike forks to transform their ride into a horse. Support crew in cowboy hats cheered them on.

Solo riders took the first 11 places in overall standings. Tyson Flaharty of Fairbanks clocked the winning time of 6:59.32, three seconds in front of second-place Bryce Molder of Prince George, B.C. (6:59.35) and 15 seconds before third-place finisher Kevin Ahl of Nelson, B.C.

The winning time was a little more than an hour slower than the course record, set by a team of four riders on a day with a tailwind.

Fifty-six solo riders finished including Haines residents Chip Lende (29), 9:08.28, Jenn Walsh (38) 9:50.01, Jenn Shelton (39) 9:50.54 and Richard Clements (46) 10:40.17. Thirty-nine two-person teams finished, including Haines squads Wirak-Cassidy (24) 9:04.02 and What Are We Doing (27) 9:21.

Two local squads were among 80 four-person teams that finished: Gina and the Jets (26) 9:13.03, and Winging It (37).

The 84 eight-person team finishing included local squads The Sockeye Seven (58) 10:22, Kicking Asphalt (74) 10:59.33, Not Born Yesterday (79) 11:09.05, and Draft My Ass (83) 11:44.

Longtime participant Heather Lende was on the fastest-finishing team with a Haines participant, capturing third overall in the two-person team division, riding with son-in-law Justin Dorn of Juneau (3) 7:43.04.

Lende said at the finish she was riding alongside a Yukon competitor who started pulling away from her near the finish, at the intersection of Second Avenue and Mud Bay Road, a spot where Lende was run over by a truck while cycling in 2005.

"I slowed down and I don't regret it. I definitely look both ways at intersections," she said this week.

Lex Treinen

Men's race winner Tyson Flaharty of Fairbanks, leads the pack 11 miles from the finish line of the 2023 KCIBR.

Riding an e-bike on the final relay stage into town, Greg Podsiki, 71, of Haines competed for the first time Saturday after serving for years as a volunteer. "It was fun but the headwind took my breath away. I think I would do it again."

KCIBR board president Rob Welton said race officials would decide on the future of e-bikes, used on a trial basis this year. Weldon rode the event solo. "It was interesting because I rode with some of the e-bike folks and they would beat me on the uphills and I would pass them on the downhill."

Welton said he was satisfied by this year's event. "We didn't hear any accidents or problems. Everybody made it in. There were no mandatory starts or serious injuries. It was just a great success."