Yes folks ... it's that time, once again.

With snow on the ground and temperatures dipping below zero, it might seem a little strange to be talking about the Yukon River Quest.

In fact, most people might feel like this year's edition of the annual 740-kilometre (460-mile) paddling marathon just ended.

But even though there's still more than seven months to go until the ninth annual canoe and kayak race, which will be held June 27 to July 1, registrations are now being accepted.

Entry forms and other information can be found on the race website, www.yukonriverquest.com. Deadline for entries is May 26, 2007, but teams are encouraged to register early, due to the growing popularity of the event.

Jeff Brady, president of the Yukon River Marathon Paddlers Association, said the River Quest roster was

filled up by the end of February for last year's race, and he expects it could fill up by Jan. 1 for the 2007 event.

There is a new limit of 85 canoe and kayak teams, plus voyageur teams. This increase from last year's limit of 70 teams allows two new classes: an open standard canoe racing class, and an experimental solo canoe class. All boats must meet the specifications defined in the YRQ rules on the website. There also is a limit of 25 solo kayak and five solo canoe teams.

Entry fees remain $700 (Cdn.) for tandem canoes and kayaks, $400 for solo canoes and kayaks, and $200 per person for voyageur canoe teams of six or more paddlers. Each team also must post a refundable $200 rescue deposit in the event that they, along with their gear, have to be evacuated by safety boat.

With the additional classes, the total 2007 race purse has been increased to $26,500 (Cdn.), from $20,250 in 2006.

'There has been interest over the past few years in adding a faster canoe category for the serious racers out there, so we have taken that step,' said Brady.

'However, this should not reduce entries in our stock canoe category which has been very popular over the years. The experimental solo canoe category will feature a special class of canoes with rudders that should be able to keep up with the rest of the field.'

Additional safety measures have been put in place as well, Brady added.

'We have ramped up our mandatory gear list. With the wet, chilly weather last year, we found that quite a few teams did not have additional changes of clothing, so we've moved that from a suggested item to a mandatory item.

'Teams also must carry a backpack-type stove and pot for heating water. We hope this will cut down on the number of teams that scratch early, like we had last year. If they can stop and warm up, and then carry on, then everyone's happy they are able to finish and we have fewer teams to rescue. Still, we'll have the usual complement of safety boats out there to help those who need it.'

Volunteers are the cornerstone of the event, Brady said, but more are needed to help as the race grows.

'We have great safety boats and great checkpoint crews, but we will need more bodies to help make the event run smoothly,' he said.

If anyone is interested in helping with the event, please contact the race organization at info@yukonriverquest.com, or call 867-33FLOAT.

The Yukon River Quest is one of the premier events in the North and the paddling world. It has been featured on the BBC, CBC and in numerous paddling and adventure magazines. Last year, the National Film Board followed the Yukon Paddlers Abreast team, which will be featured in an upcoming film called 'River of Life'.

After a LeMans-style start in downtown Whitehorse, teams paddle round-the-clock under the midnight sun, stopping for just two mandatory rests at Carmacks (seven hours) and Kirkman Creek (three hours).

It is a gruelling wilderness adventure race that tests the stamina of both professional and recreational paddlers from around the globe.

The prize, for many, is just finishing the event in world-famous Dawson City, site of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1898.

The 2006 race started out with a bang a record 74 teams took off from the banks of the Yukon River last Wednesday and featured a little bit of everything dramatic rescues, surprise scratches and some amazing course records.

A total of 19 teams scratched before Dawson City, with 55 crossing the finish line. At least one tandem canoe took a spill at Five Finger Rapids, outside of Carmacks, and needed some assistance from the Canadian Rangers before they could carry on.

It was the second straight high-water year and six category records were broken, including the new course record of 40:37:05, set by the tandem kayak team of David Kelly and Brandon Nelson. That breaks the previous record, set in 2005, by more than two hours (42:51).

Also destroying a record was voyageur team Kisseynew, finishing second overall with a time of 42 hours, 56 minutes and 13 seconds. That broke the old voyageur record by more than 12 hours (55:50).

Solo kayaker Carter Johnson was third overall, with a record time in his category of 44:56:34, while Heather Nelson set a new record in the women's solo division with her time of 46:32:27 (sixth overall).

Also, Pauline Frost-Hanberg and Viki Cirkvencic finished the course in 49:18:56, which was a record time in the women's tandem canoe category.

For more information about results, how to enter, and preparation for the event, visit the race website.

The race is organized by the Yukon River Marathon Paddling Association, based in Whitehorse. Major logo-level sponsors in 2006 were the Whitehorse Star, Canadian Rangers, Yukon Emergency Measures Organization Whitehorse and Faro SAR branches, Air North -Yukon's Airline, Kanoe People-Clipper Canoes, PR Services-yukoninfo.com, Northland Beverages-Aquafina Water, Integraphics and Cranberry Bistro-Bold Rush.

'This is a crown jewel event that keeps it attractive for us.' concluded Kelly after the victory last summer. 'In spite of the wilderness course, it's also about the people. That's what continues to drive me back. There isn't a lot of TV coverage, no huge prize money.

'It has the essence and feel of a grass roots event with the maturity of an event that's been around hundreds of years.'