The Arctic Winter Games are only one year away but the lead-up festivities are starting.

On Saturday at the AWG headquarters in the NVD place, the Host Society held a drop in for people to learn about volunteer opportunities.

The Games will bring more than 2,000 participants to Whitehorse competing in 21 sports. The territory will see an estimated 3,000 visitors and more than 1,800 volunteers will be required to make the Games happen.

For those in attendance, they could see old Games memorabilia, see the drawing of Däch’äw, the AWG mascot and learn about the volunteer possibilities available. The most exciting part of the drop-in and the thing that made everyone stop what they were doing and watch, was the Arctic Sports demonstrations.

Matt Jacobson, 23, has been competing in Arctic Sports ever since he saw a demonstration in his Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., school.

Jacobson will be competing at the Games in a year’s time. He said demonstrating the sports for the community is important to him.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Jacobson. “I like how it gets out there, not too many people out there know about it. So I like getting it out there because it is my culture, it’s where I am from.”

Although they are a year away Jacobson is getting excited about the upcoming Games.

“I’m training every day,” said Jacobson with a laugh. “I go for runs … especially at home, I have my own set, my own ball to kick with, you just train at home for four hours every day.”

Tara Wardle demonstrated the Dene stick pull for everyone and shared the history of how each sport originated. For Wardle, Arctic Sports are the most exciting event at the Games.

“The thing with the Arctic Sports and the Dene Games which are different from other competition is that all of us work together to create the athletes,” said Wardle. “These are Yukon athletes, however, during the AWG or any competition anyone can go up and coach them.

“What we are trying to do is create the best athlete at that time. It’s not about Yukon versus N.W.T., or Alaska. It’s about traditionally we want these guys to be stronger, faster. In the communities we needed them to develop stronger, faster, jump higher than the generation before them.”

The Arctic Sports continue to grow and evolve because all participants in the Games from the circumpolar north bring their own nuances to the sport.

“It’s a northern thing, it’s traditional to the circumpolar area,” said Wardle. “Russia has participated they bring their games, Greenland, and we all bring a little bit (of something) different and make it better, so it’s awesome.”

Wardle said the Arctic Sports bring so much more than just the competition aspect.

“It’s traditional, we involve the elders, there is so much more than just the sporting competition,” said Wardle. “There is the cultural aspect of it as well which brings such a great wealth with it.”

Wardle says the atmosphere at the Games during the Arctic Sports is amazing.