Twenty women hit the trail April 13, riding from Kotzebue to Noorvik and back in the all-women cross-country Gunner 120 snowmachine race.
Alena NaidenAt only 16, Esther Skin competed in her first snowmachine race — and won first place in a fan class of Gunner 120.
The Gunner 120 was named after Mabel Irene Mitchell, known by everyone as “Gunner.” Mitchell was famous for her competitive spirit and ability to outrace men, women and renowned racers alike. Mitchell died in 2011, and six years later, the Kotzebue Women’s Race was renamed after her.Jennifer Smith, #29, and Amelia Williams, #53, prepare to take off to race in Gunner 120 snowmachine race on April 13, 2024. Photo by Jim Evak.Skin tried riding a snowmachine for the first time when she was 4.
Sisters Samantha and Esther Skin from Selawik both raced and received awards for Gunner 120 snowmachine race. Photo by Rose Stalker. “I still managed to finish the race,” Samantha Skin said. “I always wanted to race the Gunner 120 since I was a kid and finally got a chance to race it and got a trophy I always wanted.”
An avid racer, Johnson came up from Nome and took third place in the B class. Johnson participates in — and frequently wins — the women’s class of the Nome-Golovin race, as well as in mixed competitions like the Cannon Ball Snowmachine Race. In 2023, she was the only woman racing in the Archie Ferguson Willie Goodwin Sr. Memorial Snowmachine Race and took seventh place.
For Ballot, preparations for the race started about a year ago, and pregnancy and giving birth did not disrupt those plans. She asked her family to watch her newborn son, and her fiance Michael Brown to help her get her sled ready.Jia Ballot and Michael Brown talk before the start of Gunner 120 on April 13, 2024. Photo courtesy of Jia Ballot.
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