Product & Gear Reviews
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All Alaska Sweepstakes - 2008 Centennial Race |
The historic All Alaska Sweepstakes sled dog race is the subject of a new book from Northern Light Media, All Alaska Sweepstakes, 2008 Centennial Race, by Mark and Helen Hegener. Dozens of beautiful photos by Jan DeNapoli, Donna Quante and others tell the story of the sixteen Alaskan mushers who entered their teams, each hoping to have their name engraved on the Sweepstakes trophy beside the great mushing legends “Scotty” Allan and Leonhard Seppala; and, of course, they were racing for the richest purse ever offered for a sled dog race: $100,000.00 winner-take-all!
The All Alaska Sweepstakes is the oldest organized sled dog race in the world, with records kept by the Nome Kennel Club dating back to the first race in 1908. The route from Nome, on the south side of the Seward Peninsula, to the small community of Candle on the north side and return, is 408 miles, following the telegraph lines which linked camps, villages and gold mining settlements on the Peninsula. This route’s established communication lines allowed those betting on the outcome to track the race more easily from the comfort of saloons like the famed Board of Trade in Nome, where the Nome Kennel Club had been founded the previous year.
A.A. “Scotty” Allan describes the route to Candle in his classic book Gold, Men and Dogs (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1931): “It was selected because the trail to it from Nome goes over all kinds of country, from sea ice to high mountains, with rivers, tundra, timber, glaciers, and everything else in the way of mental and physical hardships en route. We knew there wouldn’t be any doubt about the excellence of a dog or driver that covered it.”
With colorful drivers like “Scotty” Allan and Leonhard Seppala, who each won the race three times, the All Alaska Sweepstakes was an eagerly anticipated annual event until the gold mining dropped off and Nome’s population dwindled, along with local interest in sled dog racing. In 1983 the Nome Kennel Club sponsored the 75th Anniversary race, and Rick Swenson took home the $25,000.00 purse. Then, in 2008, for the 100th Anniversary of the event, the Nome Kennel Club offered the richest purse ever for a sled dog race: $100,000.00 winner-take-all.
All Alaska Sweepstakes, 2008 Centennial Race begins with a look at the colorful history of the race, tracing its gold rush roots and highlighting the stories of intrepid mushers like Leonhard Seppala and “Scotty” Allan, “Iron Man” Johnson and Fox Maule Ramsay, and the heroic dogs like Baldy, Togo, and Fritz. For the Centennial Race some of Alaska’s best-known mushers entered: Lance Mackey, Jeff King, Mitch Seavey, Sonny Lindner, Ramy Brooks, Jim Lanier, Cim Smyth, Aaron Burmeister, Ed Iten, Hugh Neff, and Mike Santos. And then there were the mushers who entered simply to be a part of the history of the race: Kirsten Bey, Cari Miller, Fred Moe Napoka, Connor Thomas, and Jeff Darling, whose musher profile noted that he’d entered “for the historical value and a chance to see some countryside he might not otherwise be able to see by dogteam.”
The photo-rich, full color book covers the race from the preliminary festivities such as the crowning of the Sweepstakes Queen, Janice Doherty, and the mushers’ bib drawing, to the historically-themed finisher’s banquet and the awards, not only of the beautiful championship trophy, but also the Alec “Scotty” Allan Humanitarian Award, and the Percy Blatchford “Spirit of the Race” award. Descriptive commentaries by Race Marshall and Lead Judge Al Crane; leaderboard designer and champion musher Jodi Bailey; and race fan Marcia Claesson, who shared how the race was tracked by mushing enthusiasts from around the world, add depth and perspective to the narrative.
“One of the pilots in Candle asked me if I’d seen any wolves, and I said no, and he said there was a big pack of wolves headed this way. I was about two hours out of Candle on my way to Gold Run and I see all these green eyes about fifty feet off the trail, a hundred yards ahead of me. So I had my headlight on bright and I’m looking at these eyes… My .44 was in my sled so I unzipped my sled bag and I’m looking, there’s a lot of sets of eyes looking at me…" ~ musher Aaron Burmeister .
Softcover 8″x 10″, published in 2010 by Northern Light Media. ISBN 978-0-9843977-0-9 • 102 pages, 258 photos.
$44.95 plus shipping and handling
Click here to order your copy
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The Lance Mackey Story |
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How My Obsession with Dog Mushing Saved My Life By Lance Mackey; Foreword by Joe Runyan; Edited by Tricia Brown Illustrated by Jon Van Zyle
Lance Mackey made mushing history in 2007 when he won both the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest, and then just a few weeks later, ran and won the 1,100-mile Iditarod. Back-to-back wins in the same year?! Everybody thought it was impossible. But he proved himself again in 2008, and then neatly won the Iditarod AGAIN in 2009. Lance shares the story of the rocky road that led him to championship-level racing with his superstar leaders—Larry, Zorro, Lippy, Hobo Jim, and Maple.
Mackey’s race record is amazing in itself. But consider this: he made history in mushing AFTER emerging from addiction, and AFTER surviving cancer, taking on the trail while hampered by aftereffects of neck surgery and intense radiation. Think of this guy as the “other” Lance—a super athlete and incredible animal trainer who’s in love with every one of the 60 to 70 dogs in his kennel. And that’s why they’re in still top shape they pull him over the finish line in first place.
Loaded with never before seen family photos and beautifully illustrated by Alaskan artist, Jon Van Zyle. It will make you smile, it will make you cry, it wlli make you want to challenge yourself and grasp life for all it is worth. Inspiring. You are going to love this book.
$24.95
plus shipping & handling
Books are available at:
- Discovery Boat- Fairbanks, Alaska
- Gulliver's Book Store - Fairbanks, Alaska
- Courtyard Marriott - Anchorage, Alaska
- Iditarod Store - Anchorage, Alaska
- The Book Shelf - Eagle River, Alaska
- Iditarod HQ - Wasilla, Alaska
- Iditarod online store- Click here
- Mushers Feed & Supply - Wasilla, Alaska
- Zorro Books - Amazon.com - Click here
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Running With Spirits |
Husky Productions has released "Running with Spirits" just in time for Christmas. A DVD that celebrates the 100th year of the All Alaska Sweepstakes. Documenting the 2008 sled dog race from Nome to Candle and back. Familiar faces like Jeff King, Mitch Seavey, Lance Mackey, Sonny Lindner, Hugh Neff, Cim Smyth, Jim Lanier and more tell their stories of running this rough Alaskan race from the start to finish banquet.
The All Alaska Sweepstakes was the first major long distance sled dog race in the world. With the 2008 centennial re-run of the All Alaska Sweepstakes Race, a distance of 408 miles—you can once again experience the excitement of the early history of the gold rush era in Alaska. This is a great stocking stuffer for any mushing fan.
Priced at $30
plus shipping
To order click here
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For the Love of Dogs |
DVD/Martin
Buser: Documenting Martin's relationship with his dogs
and the Iditarod.
For the Love of Dogs takes you from the puppy pens at
the famed Happy Trails Kennels to the renowned Iditarod
sled dog race finish line, in Nome. If you love dogs,
you'll love this film. An hour of fun for the whole
family.
Priced
at $24.95
To
order your copy click
here
New adventure book,
just in time for Christmas!
Nine Dog Winter by Bruce T. Batchelor
is a wonderful true story about 2 crazy Canadians venturing
out into the northern backcountry, to, of all things,
learn to mush and survive on their own. Gathering up a
questionable team of nine huskies, salvage gear, and a
stack of food supplies, they set off to live a dream out.
Exploring the back country of Canada, sometimes learning
the hard way how tough mother nature can be.
You'll laugh out loud, you'll learn some simple outdoor
skills and you might even cry at times. A good book to
sit by the fire and read cover to cover. Nine Dog Winter
will earn a spot on any book shelf!
To order your copy click
here You will
love it!
See
You in Nome
Follow a rookie musher as he gears up for his first Iditarod.
With "See You in Nome", you get an insiders
view of what it takes for a musher like Sven Haltmann
to prepare and participate in the "Last Great Race",
the Iditarod.
Jump on the runners and ride with Sven. His humor and
compassion for his dogs will amaze you.
This wonderful DVD chronicles Sven's preparations for
an amazing journey across Alaska's wilderness. Over 1,200
miles from Anchorage to Nome by dog team.
The second Iditarod based movie by Donna Quante and Husky
Productions. Another original title song by Kyf Brewer.
Read more.....
Pretty Sled
Dogs DVD
Join Karen Ramstead and her team of PRETTY SLED DOGS,
registered siberian huskies, as they train for and enter
the 2005 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.This 86 minute DVD
is produced by Donna Quante,(3 time Emmy winner for camera
operation}. Donna has taken her love of siberian huskies,
a keen interest in the Iditarod and made a movie she hopes
the viewer will find entertaining as well as informative.
This is one for the whole family to watch.
Read
more...
Tested: Bear Klaw Snow
Hook
Review by Theresa
Daily - Bear
Klaw snow hookTwo time Yukon Quest Champion, Lance Mackey
and Iditarod musher Lynda Plentner are using the "Bear
Klaw" for their racing teams. Product
Review:
The "Bear Klaw" Snow Hook. Not
just your ordinary snow hook. This light weight hook is
made of a very hard steel called "T-1" It has
a minimum yield strength of 100,000 psi and an approximate
Brinell hardness of 250-320. Made to withstand what dog
teams can dish out.
Read
more....
Cold Hands Warm Heart
review by Theresa Daily
Two paws up...Wow!
This book is loaded with information
for fans and the outdoor adventurer. You can't help but
dive into this book and visualize the stories Jeff writes
about. He opens up his life, his family and his dogs to
the readers in a way that makes you feel like you've known
him all your life. Excellent writing. Plenty of never before
seen photos of Jeff and his family, beautiful artwork from
the sketch pad of talented Donna Gates King scattered throughout
the book. This is the kind of book you read cover to cover
(272 pages) and place on the book shelf for keeps.
Read more.....
DOG GONE
ADDICTION
A Wonderful Christmas Stocking Stuffer
review by Theresa Daily
WINNER of BEST ADVENTURE SPORTS FILM - Taos Mountain Film
Festival OCT 07 SPECIAL JURY AWARD/ HONORABLE MENTION MOUNTAIN
CULTURE - Whistler Film Festival Nov 07 RUNNER UP PEOPLES
CHOICE AWARD, Wanaka Mountain Film Festival NewZealand July
07.
Three women tackling the grueling Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race.
Michelle Phillips, a young Canadian mother; Agata Franczak
a 48-year-old Polish adventurer; and Kelley Griffin, Alaskan
veteran, test their limits racing their huskies 1000 miles
through the Yukon and into Alaska's frigid Interior.
Read more.....
Backstage Iditarod
review by Theresa Daily
There is a new book circulating around the dog mushing community
that has fans praising June Price, the author. It could easily
be called " A Tourist Guide to the Iditarod".
This books details events
surrounding what makes the "Last Great Race" tick.
It helps the arm chair musher fully understand the work
that goes into making the Iditarod race a success. I often
wondered when fans show up to watch the start of the Iditarod
each year, how much exposure do they really get. Do they
know about the mushers banquet, the restart, the summer
picnic?
Read more.....
Mush! Revised:
A Beginner's Manual of Sled Dog Training (Paperback)
This is a must for anyone getting into mushing. Complete up
to date information and walk throughs on training lead dogs,
gear information, diagrams on what you always wanted to know
about mushing but were afraid to ask.
Learn how to build a dog house,
build gangline sections, sew a bootie, organize your kennel.
It's all here, order yours today! Click
here
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