DAWSON CITY - The heat didn't keep the crowds away at the 2009 Yukon Gold Panning Competition on Canada Day. In fact, after last year's chilly torrential downpour, it was welcomed.

Bleachers in the recreation centre parking lot were full and the fences around the 30 gold panning basins were lined with cheering onlookers as competitors bent over their metal pans, hurriedly swishing gravel in the water, then carefully placing precious, shiny flecks into their glass vials.

The championships got started with the Sourdough Open, for men and women over 60.

Old-timers took to the basins, pouring buckets of gravel into their pans and skillfully extracting their gold. Art Sailer was the winner, collecting five gold flakes in five minutes and 30 seconds. In second place was Robin Archibald, and third was Noreen Sailer.

In the Cheechako open, visitors to Dawson took to panning. Contestants came from Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, Ontario, B.C., Alberta, Quebec, Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand.

Brad Rowe of B.C. took first place having collected 5 gold flakes in 8 minutes and 54 seconds. Second was Pam Atkinson, and third was Micah Quinn.

The Youth 12-15 category came next and Andrew Steventon, from B.C., took first place, having collected three flakes in 14 minutes and 46 seconds. Alicia Atkinson came in second and Erin Delaney was third.

In the Kids Under 11 years category, Connor Atkinson from B.C. was the winner, collecting his flakes in 21 minutes and 20 seconds, followed by Madison Stevenson and Connor Fellers.

The Klondike Open category saw Herbert Zeman of Austria win in 2 minutes and 40 seconds, followed by Paul Robitay and Robin Archibald.

The Corporate Challenge "gold" went to French Hill Mining, whose members collected 32 flakes in 33 minutes and 44 seconds. In second was Gold Bottom and third place went to the Ace Placers.

Finally, the Yukon Open saw Dawson's own James Archibald collect 9 flakes in an impressive 3 minutes and 3 seconds, winning the tournament for the second year in a row and beating last year's time by more than two minutes.

Archibald says he has competed in gold panning championships for the past 25 years and has been to the world championship six times.

Having been in the mining business for 49 years, he is one of the longest-time miners in Dawson. He says he doesn't practice for the championships, but he does some panning when he's prospecting for gold.

"There's no secret trick to it," he insists. "It's all hard work."

Second place went to Diane Schroeder from Dawson. Archibald and Schroeder both won a cash prize and the chance to go to Biella, Italy for the gold panning world championships at the end of August.

"I can't believe it," said Schroeder with wide eyes as she accepted her award. Lorraine Miller, also from Dawson, came in third place.

Winners from each category received ribbons this year, as well as pencil crayons for the youth. Cheechakos were awarded with a certificate of participation, and all contestants got to keep their vials of hard-earned gold flakes.

Pat and Jordie Jordan came from New Zealand to watch and take part in the championships. They planned a trip a year ago when they heard about the special Canada Day event from friends.

"The day has been just great," says Pat, who stayed to watch the competition until the end.

Klondike MLA Steve Nordick and Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor were spotters for the gold panners, making sure contestants followed the rules and weren't interfered with while they panned.

By Kristen Carlson

Special to the Star