Dry snow plus cold temperatures equalled difficult conditions for skiers in this year's Yukon Championships.

The two-day competition featured a classic race on Saturday, while participants used the skate technique on Sunday.

Both Saturday and Sunday provided the Yukon Ski Team an opportunity to take in one more competition before heading out to nationals on Thursday. This year's nationals team will include 13 skiers, ranging in age from 14 to 25 years old.

The cross-country ski nationals are being held in southern Ontario, near Collingwood.

This area has wetter snow and faster skiing conditions than what the Yukoners are familiar with. Despite the difference, Yukon Ski Team head coach Alain Masson, said it might not even make a difference in Ontario.

"The most important thing is fitness and how well they are mentally (prepared)," he said. "That's what will make the difference, is how ready athletes are physically and mentally. Mostly mentally because most of them want to have their best ever performance there, so that comes down to being ready mentally."

Results in Saturday's classic race events included Derrick Deuling finishing first in the atom boy's category with a time of 0:05:24.5, while Jacob Flinton placed second, clocking in at 0:05:46.4.

Knute Johnsgaard edged out Lee Hawkings in the open men's 11-km event.

Johnsgaard finished less than one minute before Hawkings with a time of 37:03.1.

Logan Potter placed third in the classic mass start race, posting a time of 37:51.8.

Participants were divided up into two categories for Sunday's skate technique, including the open men and open women.

Hawkings had the time to beat in the 7.5-km open men's race.

Hawkings crossed the line at 0:20:45.7, beating Johnsgaard by less than 20 seconds.

Coming in third was biathlete Ryan Burlingame, who posted a time of 0:21:49.7.

Burlingame is currently preparing for the 2009 Biathlon National Championships which will be held in Val Cartier, Quebec at the end of March.

He said it was challenging on Sunday.

"It was pretty slow, the snow was kind of like sandpaper."

Despite it being hard, Burlingame said he was glad about coming out to compete.

"It was great," he said. "I am really glad they put this on, it's really fun to come up and race with the cross country guys rather than with biathlon all the time."

Beatty placed first in the open women's category, finishing the 7.5-km distance at 0:25:46.

Heidi Brook was the only other competitor in the women's event to finish the race.

Brook came in at 0:27:32.5.