The territory's judo season started with a bang last weekend at Golden Horn Elementary School.

A total of 63 judokas – 50 males and 13 females – hit the mat for the Golden Horn Judo Championships, the first of four Yukon tournaments this season.

Tournament director Michael Bellon said he was impressed by the amount of athletes that competed on Saturday.

"This was definitely the biggest seasonal tournament that we've had,” he told the Star. "It was probably at least a third more athletes than usual.

"I think judo has been getting a higher profile. There's a Carcross club going now, and then there's Golden Horn and the two Whitehorse clubs, so it has been getting more popular.”

The judo community is one that grows in ebbs and flows, said the Golden Horn sensei.

"We have probably twice as many this year,” Bellon said of his club.

While he admitted Golden Horn has had significant enrollment in the past, one of the battles he constantly fights is encouraging athletes to stay in judo.

"It's one of those things where kids believe they join judo and then they know judo,” he explained. "They sort of have to realize that you have to come out and practise year after year, and you get better. It never stops.”

Of the four clubs participating, the Shiroumakai club took home the largest medal haul with 14 golds, 12 silvers and 17 bronze. The Whitehorse club also has the largest membership, with 28 members competing.

Shiroumakai won both the League Cup and the Best Performance Trophy last season.

Golden Horn had 15 judokas take home five golds, six silvers and nine bronze.

The second Whitehorse club, Northern Lights, earned six gold, four silver and five bronze with 10 athletes competing, while the Carcross-based Hiroshikai club split two gold, five silver and three bronze amongst 10 members.

"There was lots of improvement from everybody,” Bellon said. "If they keep coming out, you'll see even more. They're growing and getting stronger, more skilled and more confident.”

Two judokas had particularly outstanding tournaments, taking home three medals a piece.

Kaajineek Neumann from the Northern Lights club won gold and silver in two Under-12 ground-fighting categories, and also won silver in a knowledge category.

Kurtis Hyatt of the Shiroumakai club also completed the hat trick in the Under-12 category, winning a gold and silver for his grappling skills, and a silver for demonstrating his knowledge of the sport.

A variety of athletes took home two medals.

Subsequent in-territory meets include the Carcross Judo Championships Jan. 25, the Northern Lights Championships Feb. 22, and the Yukon Open Judo Championships May 3. Judo Yukon will also compete in a variety of events Outside, including the Arctic Winter Games.