The whip maker from Innaarsuit has good sales

For decades, dog sledding has been an important and indispensable means of transport for commercial trappers in both West and East Greenland.

Although the use of dog sledding has been declining over time, it has become more popular again in recent years. A sled whip is indispensable when driving a dog sled, and is absolutely essential for a good sled ride.

Hans Mathias Kristensen, a trapper and fisherman in Innaarsuit, cannot do without a dog sled in his profession. He has been making sled whips using traditional methods for many years. And there is demand for it, he says.

Part of the culture

The sledge whip is not only important for dog sledding, but it is also a central part of Greenlandic culture, says Hans Mathias Kristensen.

– It is clear that making sledge whips using traditional methods has become a rarity. In North Greenland, trappers and dog sled drivers do make their own sledge whips, but they are not very visible.

– Making a strap is also disappearing. When I was young, my uncle taught me how to make a strap, and I have benefited greatly from that ever since, he says.

The skin of a ringed seal is usually used to make a strap, while the whip cord is made from the skin of a ringed seal.

Complex production of a sledge whip

According to Hans Mathias Kristensen, the sea around Aappilattoq will freeze over late this year. This limits both hunting and fishing. That is why he has recently had better opportunities to make sledge whips.

If a sledge whip is to be made beautifully and properly, it takes a long time to prepare the materials, he explains.

– When I have caught a ringed seal, I degrease it myself with an ulu. While there is still hair on the skin, I dry it for about two months in the basement, and then I remove the hair.

– Afterwards, I cut the strap into strips and process it into a sledge whip. Ringed seal skin is best suited for a whip. I first put it in water, degrease it and dry it, after which I cut it into thin strips.

– If a sledge whip is to be beautiful, the joint at the whip handle must be carefully executed, he says.

Hans Mathias Kristensen has a workshop in the basement of his house where he makes sledge whips. l

– It can take a long time to make a sledge whip from scratch. But if the strap, whip cord and handle are already made in advance, I can make two or three sledge whips a day.

Used for different purposes

According to him, the way sledge whips are made varies from place to place. He also emphasizes that they are used for different purposes.

– For example, sledge whips used on the sea ice are often longer. Some dogs need to be touched with the sledge whip, and they are usually both thicker and heavier, he says.

The sledge whips that Hans Mathias Kristensen makes for sale are uniform. But if someone has special requests, he makes them according to the customer's wishes.

Highly in demand

Sledge whips for both adults and children are popular, he says.

– Last year I completed almost 50 sledge whips. A sledge whip used by adults is about 4-5 meters long, but the most popular one is just over 4 meters, and I sell it for 700 kroner.

– I recently received an order from East Greenland, but most customers are in Ilulissat. It's not just dog sled drivers who buy sled whips – even people who don't drive sleds themselves buy them as decoration, says the whip maker from Innaarsuit.

Although the use of dog sleds has previously been decreasing compared to previous years, it has started to increase again in recent years, says Hans Mathias Kristensen.