Jeff Helminiak

Hoops roundup: SoHi, Nikolaevsk sweep; Kenai girls win; CIA, Ninilchik split

Hoops roundup: SoHi, Nikolaevsk sweep; Kenai girls win; CIA, Ninilchik split

The anticipated battle entering Tuesday night’s hoops showdown between two of the best girls teams on the peninsula didn’t quite live up to the hype.… Continue reading

Hoops roundup: SoHi, Nikolaevsk sweep; Kenai girls win; CIA, Ninilchik split
Seward’s Nyholm finishes H.U.R.T. 100

Seward’s Nyholm finishes H.U.R.T. 100

Seward’s Joe Nyholm finished 46th out of 69 finishers on Sunday in the H.U.R.T. 100 in Honolulu, Hawaii. There were 61 who started and did… Continue reading

Seward’s Nyholm finishes H.U.R.T. 100
Boonstras win Freezer Food Series ski race

Boonstras win Freezer Food Series ski race

Todd Boonstra and Kelli Boonstra won the Freezer Food Series 5K ski race Sunday at Tsalteshi Trails. Todd Boonstra covered the course in 14 minutes,… Continue reading

Boonstras win Freezer Food Series ski race
Woods, Hermanson capture big races at Tsalteshi Besh Cup

Woods, Hermanson capture big races at Tsalteshi Besh Cup

Sticky enough to stride up the steepest uphills and slick enough to power through everything else. That’s the type of skis Alaska Winter Stars coach… Continue reading

Woods, Hermanson capture big races at Tsalteshi Besh Cup
Jr. Blues complete 3-game sweep of Bears

Jr. Blues complete 3-game sweep of Bears

The Kenai River Brown Bears won one period on a Friday night where they badly needed to win the whole game, and lost one period… Continue reading

Jr. Blues complete 3-game sweep of Bears
Hoops roundup: Kenai girls, boys finish 2nd at Joe T. Classic

Hoops roundup: Kenai girls, boys finish 2nd at Joe T. Classic

The Kenai Central boys lost 59-36 to Monroe Catholic on Saturday at the Joe T. Classic at Lathrop in what amounted to the championship game… Continue reading

Hoops roundup: Kenai girls, boys finish 2nd at Joe T. Classic
Prep hoops roundup: Nikiski girls win big

Prep hoops roundup: Nikiski girls win big

The Nikiski girls basketball team opened with a huge win, while the Bulldogs boys started with a tight loss, Thursday at the Rus Hitchcock Nikiski… Continue reading

Prep hoops roundup: Nikiski girls win big
The summit of Vista Trail on Skilak Loop Road, seen Nov. 23, 2018, while waiting for skiing to come to the central Kenai Peninsula. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Out of the Office: Power of the Culture of the North

First, a few confessions. On Nov. 10, 2018, I marked the first snowfall of the season by getting off work and immediately bolting to the… Continue reading

The summit of Vista Trail on Skilak Loop Road, seen Nov. 23, 2018, while waiting for skiing to come to the central Kenai Peninsula. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai River Brown Bears goalie Gavin Enright tracks the puck for a save as defenseman Connor Scahill looks on Friday, Nov. 3, 2018, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Series preview: Brown Bears look to get back on track vs. Jr. Blues

After a disappointing weekend sweep at the hands of the Chippewa (Wisconsin) Steel, the Kenai River Brown Bears don’t have to wait long for a… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears goalie Gavin Enright tracks the puck for a save as defenseman Connor Scahill looks on Friday, Nov. 3, 2018, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Skier Pete Sprague participates in the first annual Tour of Tsalteshi ski race on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018.

Tsalteshi features weekends of ski racing for next 5 weeks

The next five weeks at Tsalteshi Trails feature eight scheduled ski races — encompassing everything from two races for some of the best skiers in… Continue reading

Skier Pete Sprague participates in the first annual Tour of Tsalteshi ski race on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018.
Homer’s Hannah Hatfield wins a loose ball from Soldotna High School’s Morgan Bouschor during a Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 game in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

Roundup: Soldotna, Nikolaevsk basketball teams sweep

The visiting Soldotna girls basketball team notched a 65-21 victory over Homer on Tuesday in nonconference play. The Stars had a 30-7 lead after one… Continue reading

Homer’s Hannah Hatfield wins a loose ball from Soldotna High School’s Morgan Bouschor during a Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 game in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Weekend hoops roundup: SoHi girls, boys sweep the weekend

Weekend hoops roundup: SoHi girls, boys sweep the weekend

The host Soldotna girls basketball team cruised past Grace Christian 70-27 in nonconference action Saturday. Soldotna had a 49-8 lead at halftime. Brittani Blossom had… Continue reading

Weekend hoops roundup: SoHi girls, boys sweep the weekend
Kenai graduate Cooper competes in Oberhof biathlon

Kenai graduate Cooper competes in Oberhof biathlon

Travis Cooper, a 2015 graduate of Kenai Central, competed for the United States in the World Cup biathlon this weekend in Oberhof, Germany. In Friday’s… Continue reading

Kenai graduate Cooper competes in Oberhof biathlon
SoHi leads area skiers at Government Peak

SoHi leads area skiers at Government Peak

The Soldotna ski team led the area Friday and Saturday at the Government Peak Recreation Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The SoHi boys were the… Continue reading

SoHi leads area skiers at Government Peak
Steel score weekend sweep of Brown Bears

Steel score weekend sweep of Brown Bears

The Chippewa (Wisconsin) Steel continued to be a thorn in the side of the Kenai River Brown Bears in the race for the North American… Continue reading

Steel score weekend sweep of Brown Bears
Tyle Owens rides to victory Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, in Freezer Food Series Race 5, a six-mile fat bike race at the Slikok Trails outside of Soldotna. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai’s Crawford leads Peninsula riders at Frosty Bottom

Mike Crawford led the way for Kenai Peninsula fat bike riders Saturday at the Frosty Bottom in Anchorage. Kenai’s Crawford finished sixth in the men’s… Continue reading

Tyle Owens rides to victory Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, in Freezer Food Series Race 5, a six-mile fat bike race at the Slikok Trails outside of Soldotna. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna, Homer hockey notch victories

Soldotna, Homer hockey notch victories

A night after edging Palmer in overtime, the Soldotna Stars drilled Houston 9-2 Thursday night at the Big Lake Recreational Center in Big Lake. Eight… Continue reading

Soldotna, Homer hockey notch victories
Thursday hoops roundup

Thursday hoops roundup

The Nikiski girls basketball team notched a 66-38 victory over host Seward on Thursday in Southcentral Conference play. Bethany Carstens led the Bulldogs with 31… Continue reading

Thursday hoops roundup
Series preview: Bears begin 9-game homestand against Steel

Series preview: Bears begin 9-game homestand against Steel

The Kenai River Brown Bears begin a nine-game homestand Friday in a heated playoff race that looks like it will be getting even hotter. After… Continue reading

Series preview: Bears begin 9-game homestand against Steel
Anchorage defenseman Reid proves he belongs with Brown Bears

Anchorage defenseman Reid proves he belongs with Brown Bears

It’s worth remembering that the only junior level above the 24-team North American Hockey League in this country is the 17-team United States Hockey League.… Continue reading

Anchorage defenseman Reid proves he belongs with Brown Bears