Background and history of the Arctic Winter Games

The Arctic Winter Games brings our circumpolar family together and strives to involve as many participants as possible either in the Games themselves or in the team selection trials. The achievement of individual excellence in athletics, with a favourable result from competition, is not a primary objective of the Arctic Winter Games. Instead, the fundamental purpose of the Games is to encourage maximum participation by all cultures in a broad range of athletic activity. Increasing level of skill is expected to result from, rather than be, the primary driver of participation.