In elementary school, I always loved getting assigned a musher to track throughout the race. We'd cut out pictures from the Anchorage Daily News and make little scrapbooks of our musher's journey as homework.
My brother had Jeff King the year he won. I was so jealous. My mushers never won--Tim Triumph had to withdraw due to competitiveness. And then to make it even better my dad met King and got my brother a signed King Iditarod trading card! I hope he still has that.
But anyway, I'm following the race this year. And I've assigned myself a musher: Matt Hayashida. Apparently he's originally from the east coast and then moved to Alaska to race dogs with Martin Buser. Now he lives in Willow.
Sigh. I have such a school girl crush on his dirty hat and Carhartts fashion sense.
And he's doing well so far! In 20th place as of today, pulling ahead from his previous ranking. Maybe I can get his trading card...
Who's your favorite musher?
(photos from ADN, http://www.rubiconracingfastdogs.com/, and travel.webshots)
*UPDATE:Just so you know my musher made it to Nome in good time. He made it this morning Friday, March 20 and finished in 21st place--his best yet! Oh Matt Hayashida!
*update: Check out this story, "Stumbling, Bumbling Sled Dog: 'Sorry, This Is My First Iditarod'"on The Onion. As always, The Onion is effing hilarious.
"You look around and you realize that you are going up against your idols—Larry, Bronte, Salem, Handsome, Blue—and then it hits you: This is the fucking Iditarod," Melvin said. "It's not the Jack Pine 30 or the American Dog Derby. Out here, if you playfully root through your musher's sled basket and destroy his heavy parka and extra-warm sleeping bag, well, that's a mistake that could haunt you the rest of your career. Unfortunately, I'm learning that the hard way."
Thanks to my favorite hippie Amy for sending me the link!
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