For Canada Winter Games gold medallist Knute Johnsgaard, training in Whitehorse is a cross country skier's dream.
"I've been skiing all over Europe and North America and there's no place like home," said the 22-year-old Yukon athlete, who placed first in Monday's 10-kilometre classic race at Otway Nordic Centre.
"It was kind of natural," he said of starting the sport at a young age. "It's one of the more successful sport programs in Whitehorse. You have lots of older athletes to look up to when you're developing as a skier."
He was joined on the podium's highest spot by teammate Annah Hanthorn, who beat out 54 other athletes in the women's 7.5km classic.
Johnsgaard remembers as a young competitor, watching his teammate win gold in their hometown, when the Canada Winter Games came to Whitehorse in 2007.
"That was pretty inspiring to watch. It just kind of makes you realize what's possible."
Now Johnsgaard is one of those athletes.
"I knew I was doing well just by how I was feeling," said Johnsgaard, who was almost 30 seconds faster than Ontario's Scott Hill. He noted this age category is very competitive; in previous races he was 30 seconds behind those he was beating this race.
"It's all timing," he said. "It's all who's in good shape at the right time."
Johnsgaard had as near-even a performance on each of the 5km loops as a racer can get: clocking 12 minutes 54 seconds on both laps for a total time of 25:48.19. At 22, Johnsgaard was one of the oldest skiers in the race and knew coming in he was one of the medal favourites.
Earlier this month, he competed in the U-23 world championships in Kazakhstan and placed 14th in the sprint and 47th in the 15km free technique. The two-time Canada Winter Games athlete said this competition didn't have the same pressure.
"Coming back here it's a really fun atmosphere," he said, adding the warm weather made for firm tracks and fast conditions.
"It's really beautiful skiing out there. I was very pleasantly surprised with the trails (at Otway)."
Hanthorn, too, said she felt strong on the course.
"I was able to really relax. It was a beautiful day out and I could just focus on skiing my best," said the 19-year-old. "The downhills were pretty awesome."
She won a much tighter race than Johnsgaard, separated from silver medallist Katherine Stewart-Jones of Quebec by almost seven seconds. Hanthorn, too, had near identical times and was one second slower on her second lap for a total time of 22:33.17.
Hanthorn said she felt confident on the sometimes icy slopes.
"I really love technical downhills," said Hanthorn after her race. "They make me smile."
But she wasn't always that way.
"I didn't really have good technique moving to the Yukon," said Hanthorn, who has been training in Whitehorse since she graduated from high school.
Hanthorn said she's learned a lot since moving from her hometown in the small hamlet of Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories - population about 800.
There, she had limited slopes to train, relying on snowmobile trails and using the banks down to the river as hills. The family would have to stay close to town for fear of wolves.
The race in Prince George was special as her mother traveled from the territories to watch her win gold. At first, cross country skiing was just a way for the family to have fun together.
"Our first race we didn't actually know you needed to wax your skis," Hanthorn said, adding when they showed up, organizers asked 'You're not going to wax your skis?'
"And we said 'What's wax'" she said with a laugh.
Now Hanthorn is at the top of Canadian competitors, and just returned from the junior world championships.
She said the sport is mostly a mental game.
"It gets really hard and you just have to stay focused and have the confidence to push beyond what you think your body can (do) when it's screaming at you to slow down," she said.
"Skiing becomes your addiction."
Both Hanthorn and Johnsgaard will compete in the remaining events: Tuesday's classic sprint, Thursday's mass start and Saturday's team relay.
