THIRD ESKIMO OLYMPICS IN FAIRBANKS SET FOR July 19-21
■KR'IKIM W W .. - —— -T-"' IT*.
MISS UNIVERSE CONTESTANT—Miss Alaska, Nina Whaley, who
was born at Nome, Alaska, now living in Fairbanks, will be among
49 other U.S. beauties and many girls from foreign countries when
the contest for Miss Universe is staged in Miami, Florida, on July
10-22. Nina is shown resplendant in a squirrel skin parka borrowed
from Helen Seveck of Kotzebue —Photo by Frank Whaley
Miss Alaska, Nina Whaley, Competing
In Miss Universe Contest in Miami
The Miss Universe Contest for
1963 is July 10th to July 22nd in
Miami. Florida. Taking part are
50 girls from the 50 states plus ap
proximately that same number from
all foreign nations.
One cf the main events is com
petition between the girls from the
U. S. wearing a state costume. The 1
winner in 1962 was Oregon with
Alaska's representative, Miss Tere
' <
Nenana Girl Leaves
For Nurse Training
Miss Phyllis Marie Alexander,
daughter of Nina Minano, left
for Seattle via Pan American Air
lines jet on Monday, May 27, for
Philadelphia to attend nursing
school at the Pennsylvania Hospi
tal.
Fhyllis is a seventeen year old
Athabascan Indian and a 1963 gra
duate of Nenana High School. Hav
ing been very active in high school.
Phyllis was President of the stu
dent body for two consecutive years.
She is also very athletic and parti
cipated in all sports during high
school.
Phyllis now resides in Philadel
phia and is working in the Penn
sylvania Hospital as a nursee’ aide.
In a recent letter she said, "All the
patients think I'm a nurse because
they can’t tell the difference be
tween our uniforms, and they don't
know that nurses wear caps and
nurses’ aids do not. It makes me
,<fiel good!”
Phyllis will receive her R. N
degree in three years and her P.H.N.
degree a year later.
"I would like to be a Public
Health Nurse in Alaska after I
complete my nurses’ training,"
Phyllis once said.
Phyllis will begin her nurses’
training in September, after work- ,
*1® for three months as a nurses’
•rate; 1
sa Hanson from Anchorage taking
second in a creation with a theme
from Aurora Borealis.
This year, Miss Alaska of 1963,
Nina Whaley, will wear a state cos
tume depicting the Alaska salmon.
The girls from each state com
pete in a later event and the win
ner is chcsen Miss U.S.A., who then
competes against all other countries
as the U. S. representative in the
main event, the Miss Universe Con
test.
Nina Whaley, Miss Alaska of
1963. who was also Miss Fairbanks,
was born in Nome, Alaska, and is
19 years of age.
During that time, she has lived
in Anchorage wihile her father(
Frank H. Whaley, was director of
the Alaska Visitors Association. For
the past seven years, he has been
tcur manager of Wien Alaska Air
lines operating out of Fairbanks
| Mina Whaley atended the Univer
sity of Alaska this past winter and
had the female lead in two play;
out on by the college under Let
Salisbury, director.
Alaska state competition in dra
ma was held at Whitehorse and the
Fairbanks play “The Fantastics
won top honors and Nina won tht
coveted “Best Actress Award.”
- At present she is on a tour ol
the state under the auspices ol
Alaska Airlines and has rerentlx
taken part in the program of tht
ice Follies in Chicago representing
Alaska and has made many appear
ances including Cleveland and Loi
Angeles and now is in Louisville
Kentucky at the Jr. Chamber ol
Commerce convention being held
there.
They have built a special float for
Miss Alaska in their parade. From
there she will go to New York for
public appearances and if time
permits, Dallas, Texas, before re
turning to Fairbanks to leave for
the Miss Universe Contest in Mi
ami.
Our best wishes go with her.
I The Eskimo Olympics Games and
Queen contest again this year will
be an important part of the Fair
banks Golden Days celebration,
July 19-21.
The Fairbanks Eskimo Olympics
committee, according to its chair
man, Frank Whaley, hope to once
again get wide participation in the
games as they did in 1961 and 1962.
The Olympics, although only in
the third year, have generated
much state and nationwide publi
city.
Whaley said that a seal skinning
competition held on one of the
three days last year will be put on
every day during the Eskimo Oypm
pics.
Four communities — Nome, Kot
zebue, Pt. Barrow, and Fairbanks
— have been invited to send a team
of not more than 5 Eskimo dancers
complete with drums, costumes and
other necessary gear to compete in
dancing.
Invitations are being extended to
six ccrrrmunities — Tanana. Ga
lena, Fort Yukon, Nome, Kotzebue,
and Pt. Barrow — to send the best
Eskimo hi-kicker, the best blanket
tosser, and each community’s
beauty queen contest winner.
To be qualified as a candidate,
each hi-kicker (male or female)
must be able to kick an object with
both feet at the same time at least
5'k feet above the ground. Only
one person frem each community
takes part in this event.
To qualify for the blanket toss,
in the final Eskimo Olympic Games
held in Fairbanks, the jumper (male
or female) must remain standing
for three consecutive jumps. The
winner will be the jumper attain
ing the greatest height on any of
these three jumps.
A beauty candidate, to qualify
must be not less than one-half Es
kimo or Indian blood, at least 16
years old, single, and never mar
ried.
The queens will be required to
appear in their local area costumes,
Eskimo or Indian, and also in bath
ing suits.
According to Frank Whaley, the
third annual Eskimo Olympics pro
mises to be the best yet and all
persons who attend the Games are
sure of a bang-up time benefitting
the occasion.
Many prizes and awards will be
given the winners and a special
tour will be arranged for the Queen
of the Eskimo Olympics.
The following is the program of
the Eskimo Olympics, July 19-21:
Friday. July 19 1963
7:30 PM—Lighting of the torch by
Eskimo runner.
7:35 to 7:50—Marching — Eskimo
Boy Scouts lead with flags, follow
ed by all contestants with placards,
stating their village. Eskimo dance
music for parade.
7:50 to 7:55—Opening ceremonies.
Welcome speech to all in Eskimo
and then in English.
8:00 to 8:30—Eskimo Dancing
competition. Two teams: Fair
banks and King Island, 15 minutes
each.
9:30 to 9:50—Parade of queen par
ticipants in swim suits.
9:45 to 9:50—Teeter Board Exhi
bition.
9:50 to 10:00—Finals of queen con
test and crowning of queen.
(Queen's crown to be brought in
on Eskimo drum by small Eskimo
child in winter garb).
Saturday, July 20 1963
2:30 PM—Introduction and wel
come address in Eskimo and then in
English. Introduction of Queen and
her court M C Bill English.
2:45 to 3:15—High Kicker com
petition.
3:15 to 4:00—Teeter Board Exhi
bition.
4:00 to 4:30—Blanket toss compe
tition (Men) Blanket Toss competi
tion (Women).
4:30 to 4:45—Seal skinning com
petition.
4:45—Eskimo “Piggy Back” baby
buggy demonstration. Queen and
her court on special stand. Dance
band on another stand to fill in
when necessary.
Sunday, July 21 1963
2:30 to 2:35 PM—Welcome speech
in Eskimo and then in English.
2:35 to 2:45—Introduction of
Queen and her court.
2:45 to 3:15—Finals of Eskimo hi
kick.
3:15 to 3:45—Eskimo dancing fi
nals, all teams to complete 15 min
utes per team.
3:45 to 3:50—Teeter board exhi
bition.
3:5Q to 4:25—Blanket toss compe
tition finals, men and women.
4:25 to 4:35—Eskimo "Piggy back”
baby buggy demonstration.
4:35 — Awarding of trophies.
Queen and her court cn their stand.
Eskimo dance group on their stand
available when needed.
ESKIMO HI-KICKER IN ACTION — Forrest Solomon Jr., the 1962 Eskimo Olympics winner in the
Eskimo hi-kick event is shown performing at the convention center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Several
participants in last year’s Eskimo Olympic games were taken to the 32nd World Travel Congress and
American Society of Travel Agents convention in Las Vegas where they took part in various Alaska
promotion programs put on for travel agents and tour operators from all over the world. During the
coming Eskimo Olympic games to be held in Fairbanks during Golden Days, July 19-20-21. the best
Jumpers from Nome, Kotsebue, PL Hope, Ft. Bar-ow, and other communities will compete. This event
promises to be one of the most interesting that will be seen during the 1963 Eskimo Olympics. Both
feet of the jumper must touch the jump target at the same time. The record height last year was 6 ft.
4 inches and it looks like it will go higher this year. Forrest Solomon Sr., left, and Molly Ahvakana.
chief radio operator at Barrow for Wien Alaska Airlines, right, are shown aiding the hl-klcker.
_. . ... ... —Photo by Frank Whaley