Cain's Quest: Here are 3 things Labrador's epic snowmobile race needs for next time

The scene at Wednesday morning's finish line in Labrador City was an image Cain's Quest organizers should savour for a long time.

And they should work very hard to see something like that is repeated two years from now, when this biennial snowmobile endurance race is held once again.

To achieve that, they'll need a few things in place: Team Maine, Innu excitement — and more buy-in from the provincial government.

It was near-perfect for the winners, a serious boost of pride for Labrador's Innu communities, and reinforced the Big Land's image as a place that celebrates winter.

The businesses in Labrador that benefited from all the action, from the gas station in Churchill Falls to the only hotel in Nain, must have also acquired a renewed fondness for this event.

Back-country sprint

What was supposed to be seven days of racing collapsed into just five as a record 41 two-man teams sprinted from checkpoint to checkpoint across Labrador under ideal weather conditions and over a layer of snow packed nicely by mild temperatures.

It also helped that teams did more pre-race scouting than ever before, ensuring the best and fastest routes.

It culminated on Tanya Lake under a bright late-winter sun, with dozens of fans energized by the fact the fastest race in the history of Cain's Quest was about to crown a winner.

And then it happened at 10:52 a.m.

Hometown boy Andrew Milley, a mining industry worker and the son of a clergyman, and the outspoken Robert Gardner, the only American in the race, cruised across the finish line on their beefed up BRP Freerides, draped in bright yellow Ski-Doo jackets.

Team 22, part of the powerful Team Maine Racing juggernaut, had done it again, with their closet competitor — the Innu Hawks — more than an hour behind.

'A helluva birthday present'

It was Gardner's birthday, so the crowded started serenading him.

"That's a helluva birthday present," a smiling Gardner said as he unpacked his gear.

All Milley cared about was finding his young son Gracen, who was somewhere in the cheering and impressed crowd.

Both men, worn down by five days of hard and fast riding across more than 3,200 kilometres of Labrador terrain, demonstrated the spirit of modern-day warriors, and the softness you might not expect from such adventurous and fearless competitors.

First, Gardner broke down at the mention of his late grandfather, being reminded of him in the late stages of the race as the sun glinted off the ice on the trees.

Then Milley gave a nod to his father, Pastor David Milley.

"We started off every leg with prayer," he said. "And I want to dedicate this to the man who taught me how important that is and has given everything for me to be able to pursue this dream. Thanks, Dad."

Conquest and emotion. Grace and gratitude.

"I'm very proud that he's my son," David Milley said in response to his son's gesture. "He's a great father. He's a great example of what it means to be a human being."

With three victories, Gardner became the winningest racer in Cain's Quest history, while Milley also entered elite status with his second championship.

Innu racers helped stoke excitement

But the excitement didn't end there.

Just over an hour later, the Innu Hawks team of Aaron Poker and Len Rich of Natuashish crossed the finish line to a hero's welcome, with some fans driving all night to Labrador West just to witness the moment.

"Second is good, but it still feels like first," Sheshetshiu resident Naomi Pokue said.

The presence of eight Innu teams helped stoke the excitement, while teams from throughout the province, as far west as Ontario, and even an entry from Finland, ensured it had an international flavour.

With each team carrying a GPS beacon, fans were able to closely follow the race on their smartphones, with a special app providing details such as location and speed of each team.

To demonstrate just how challenging it is to criss-cross Labrador on snowmobile, 24 of the 41 teams either scratched or timed-out.

So now thoughts must turn to 2020, and what might become of Cain's Quest.

Has it peaked?

Are there ways to entice more teams from central Canada and the United States?

And can other snowmobile manufacturers challenge the BRP/Ski-Doo dominance?

'We'll see what life brings'

Many of the teams enter Cain's Quest with the goal of making it to the finish line, saying they conquered "The Legend."

But what's clear is that entries like Team 22 are needed in order to ensure Cain's Quest has a future.

Milley and Gardner made no secret of the fact they were in it to win it, and were able to match their confident words with action.

They were the team everyone loved to hate, and they had no problem with that.

They brought a little edge to Cain's Quest, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

But this is what they had to say when asked if they'll be back looking for a three-peat.

"I think we might take one off," said Gardner. "We'll see what life brings."

Can Cain's Quest parallel Iron Dog?

If you're an organizer, that should worry you.

"Team 22 is excellent for this race. I'd hate to see them not come back in 2020," said race chair Glenn Emberley.

There's one more player that should take a closer look at Cain's Quest, and that's the provincial government.

There were whispers in various corners that perhaps government can do more to help Cain's Quest stand the test of time, and perhaps be spoken about in the same breath as the renowned Iron Dog snowmobile race in Alaska.

At least one politician is already convinced of its stature.

"It's the greatest snowmobile race on earth, bar none," said Labrador West MHA Graham Letto.