Mackey remembered as great dog man and friend

Family, friends, and fans gathered Saturday at the Janssen Funeral Home in Palmer to pay tribute to legendary distance musher Lance Mackey. Mackey passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer on September 8, he was 52. While the service was well attended in person, many tuned in worldwide via a zoom link that quickly filled to capacity (the limit was set at 100 which was met in minutes). Everyone dressed as one would expect to tribute an Alaskan Dog Man - jeans and clean shirts (many featuring Lance's Comeback Kennel logo). The two hour service went quickly.

Soon after the pastor spoke, sharing the traditional "funeral scriptures" as well as a heartfelt tribute that wasn't your standard reading of the Obituary, the podium was open to anyone who wanted to share stories. Many of the Mackey family spoke, including Lance's older brother Rick, and his younger brother Jason. While Rick managed to get through his story without becoming emotional, Jason acknowledged he wasn't going to be successful. Jason thanked everyone for coming, and was touched so many of Lance's competitors came - to which Jeff King yelled out "wouldn't miss it!"

Lance and Jason had a special bond as they were closest in age and grew up together, and the loss of Lance has affected Jason greatly. Jason told several stories on his older brother before choking up when he pointed out, "There was never a time... never a time that Lance couldn't handle whatever was thrown at him. ...until this time." He soon after went to leave the podium saying he couldn't finish to which you could hear the family encourage him saying he did great. Jason then did a 180, went back to the podium and began listing the mushing greats that had gone on before, he finished by saying "there's a hell of a race going on up there."

Several mushers also spoke, sharing stories of Lance in his early mushing career. Barb Redington also spoke about Lance's history with the Jr Iditarod as well as the Last Great Race. She asked Iditarod Champions to raise their hands and read off some of the names - including Doug Swingley - then asked the audience to raise their hand if they ever ran the Iditarod and many more hands went up. Barb finished by reading an excerpt of Danny Seavey's write up on Lance's 2015 Iditarod entitled "What the Hell does Lance do now?" It was incredibly moving.

It wasn't all mushers. Several fans/race volunteers spoke, one of Lance's neighbors spoke as well. His sisters, niece Brenda, and youngest brother also told stories. Lance Mackey's ex-wife Tonya got up wearing her Raider's hoodie in honor of Lance's favorite NFL team and spoke of their moving to the Kenai Peninsula and how quickly Lance grew his kennel of misfit dogs. 

The Mushin' Mortician Scott Janssen spoke last, wrapping up the service by sharing that during his hospital visits with Lance he often read Robert Service to Lance. He then shared a parody poem he (Scott) wrote after running the 2018 Iditarod about the race. He shared that Lance often asked him to read it to him. 

After the service the reception took place with more stories and memories. Outside Nic Petit gave dog cart rides, and attendees were given the opportunity to drive Lance's race car. Overall the perfect send off for one of Alaska's most beloved sports icons. 

Barbara Redington didn't just share stories on the podium, she brought her camera along and posted the photos of the service to facebook.

As the service ended Greg Heister posted in the livefeed chat that Iditarod Insider shared an interview they shot with Lance and encouraged everyone to go and watch.

Sunday evening the service was uploaded in its entirety to YouTube, you can view it here.

Lance Mackey's car racing community gives tribute

It isn't just the mushing community giving tribute to the mushing legend. In the years since his whirlwind dominance of the Iditarod and Quest trails, Lance turned to car racing. He raced on many tracks in Alaska and in the North Western part of the Lower 48. In fact, it was after a roll over accident on a track that Lance was diagnosed with the cancer than would ultimately take his life. Odd how poetic his life had been, he was diagnosed with his first round of cancer back in the early 2000s after he had trouble swallowing/talking while running the Iditarod. 

After his car racing facebook page "Below Zero Racing" posted of his passing, word of course spread quickly and tributes came in. Below are a sampling of the ones shared throughout the week.

When Lance's health made it impossible for him to drive, fellow musher who's now got the car racing bug Nicolas Petit took over driving Lance's car. He will continue to drive in Lance's memory and honor.

More tributes to Lance Mackey

As everyone prepare to say a final farewell to Iditarod and Quest champion Lance Mackey on Saturday, tributes to the mushing legend continue to be posted. Many heartfelt stories and memories shared by those in the community from all over the world. This is, in a way, a part two from last weekend's round up. 

Lance touched so many lives, most likely more than he could have even imagined, and it's easy to "fall down the rabbit hole" following the tributes and reading in the comments others chiming in with similar stories where the champion musher took time out of his life to reach out and encourage those he didn't even know. Like many cancer warriors, Lance responded to many fellow warriors as they reached out to tell of their own battle. Even with all of Lance's hardships, he never thought his problems and his life were above another, and that has never been so evident as this past week as so many shared stories of Lance this week. Saturday should have even more of those moments.

And as a reminder, the family set up a GoFundMe for Lance's two youngest children, if you would like to donate you can click this link.

Don't worry, there's more, just below the cut.

Mackey memorial service set for Saturday

According to the obituary posted today for Lance Mackey, the memorial service for the 4-time Iditarod and Yukon Quest champion will take place on September 17th at 2pm AKST in Palmer at the Janssen's MatSu Funeral Home.

For those unable to attend in person a Zoom meeting has been set up to broadcast a live feed of the memorial service. If you have issues and it asks for codes/passwords they are:

Meeting ID: 833 3200 7986
Passcode: 333879

Mackey passed way late at night on September 7, 2022 after a lengthy battle with cancer. The 52 year old musher left behind many family and friends including his two youngest children who lost their mother in 2020.

In lieu of flowers the family has set up an account for Atigun and Lozen's future.

Northrim Bank
Account: 3109153682
Routing: 125200934

You may also donate via the GoFundMe Lance's sister Kristin Elieff set up benefiting Atigun and Lozen. 

The family is also requesting stories and photos of Lance be sent to Aunt Kris to share with his young children. You can share them on her facebook post found here.

Lance Mackey gives update on health

The mushing community and fandom heard from one of its greatest legends this past weekend when four-time Iditarod and Yukon Quest champion Lance Mackey spoke with Iditarod Insider's Greg Heister to give an update on the former champion's health. You may remember last year Mackey announced that his cancer had returned, but that didn't seem to slow Mackey down. Lance leased/sold his team to give the dogs a chance to run throughout the winter, and then focused on his health, family, and car racing. 

Fans didn't hear much from the musher himself, though every once in a while a friend posted pictures hanging out with the larger than life personality. Still, not much was being shared outside of his circle and as the mushing season of 2022 got underway many let it slip their mind that Lance was in another fight for his life. 

Rumblings of Lance's condition started to circulate in June as fans gathered at the Iditarod picnic. Whispers saying that Lance was "not doing well" was the worry no one seemed to want to say too loudly for fear of making it true. But true it seems to be as Lance Mackey would tell Greg Heister on August 4, 2022 that he'd been taken to first the MatSu Regional Hospital in Wasilla before being transferred to Providence Hospital in Anchorage right after Memorial Day weekend. 

By the end of June through the first part of August Mackey reported he had been in "hospitals or hospital like environments" sharing that when he wasn't in the hospital he was essentially bed ridden. While the two original "dark shadows" from his original diagnosis have been "taken care of" and are "gone," "other issues" have come up and "progressed rapidly." Lance also confessed that he does not want to know what his prognosis is, and that he feels like he has a lot of life left. He's on oxygen but says he can still walk - though he isn't getting around much right now - and says that he's lost at least thirty pounds and is "a rack of bones."

"I'm not scared of nothin'," Mackey told Heister, "It is what it is, and I ain't any more important than the rest of the people on this planet. When it's my stop, I'll get off the bus." He continued, "I'm more scared for my kids, you know, they've been a little traumatized," referring to the loss of their mother in 2020. Mackey's youngest son and daughter are staying with family while their dad is in the hospital. He's kept them away from most doctor visits, and they've only seen him a couple of times in the hospital. With their being so young he doesn't want them to be scared, and he doesn't want only negative feelings to be associated with doctors and hospitals. 

"It sucks, man, it sucks. I ain't gonna lie to you, it hurts, and it's a little bit emotional. But, it's reality, and you can't change that, ya know."

The interview runs just over 13 minutes with Heister, and the Iditarod chose to share the interview audio in full on their facebook page. You can listen to the full interview here.

After the interview was released, Lance Mackey took to his facebook page to share a condensed update saying much of the same as what the interview shared. 

When asked by Greg Heister if Lance had anything he wished to relay to his fans, Mackey spent a good deal of time apologizing for his "letting his supporters down" after 2020 when he tested positive for meth at the conclusion of the 2020 Iditarod. Lance acknowledged this was the first time he really had time to speak on it as he went from "the embarrassment" to going into rehab on the East Coast, to coming home and losing his partner-the mother of his children-Jenne. From there he was diagnosed with the return of his cancer. He hasn't fully spoken out about how sorry he was for letting everyone down.

Knowing Lances supportive fanbase, however, he need not worry about apologizing. Most who have followed his career know that he's been dealt a far crappier hand than most and they continue to encourage and pull for the king of comebacks. 

The entire mushing community is joining in pulling for Lance to make yet another comeback. 

Mushing community mourns the loss of Alaskan Balladier

Photo courtesy of "Alaska Bob" Parsons.

James Varsos, better known as Hobo Jim, passed away after a short battle with pancreatic cancer on the morning of October 5. His wife of 42 years was by his side and confirmed the singer's passing in a statement to Alaskan media on Wednesday. Hobo Jim was 68 when he died.

Hobo - as he's lovingly called by friends and fans alike - moved to Alaska in 1972 and immediately fell in love. The singer-songwriter wrote songs of the Alaskan way of life from commercial fishing, to mushing, and off grid life. His songs endeared him to Alaskans and in the early 80s he was given the official title of Alaska's Balladier. 

Varsos and his wife Cyndi settled and raised their family near Soldotna, Alaska (a town on the Kenai Peninsula). His homesteading life inspired many Hobo Jim classics, and many were inspired by his love for his devoted partner. He didn't just write for himself, several well known singers throughout the decades recorded songs he wrote (including Country Legend George Jones). 

The song that solidified Hobo Jim's legendary status came in 1982 when he released the famed Iditarod Trail song which quickly became the official song of the Last Great Race. What was once a "bar song" is now sung in classrooms around the country (if not the world). The catchy polka inspired hit both inspires and haunts those that hear it (mainly because it's an earworm rivaled only by Disneyland's It's a Small World"). 

Hobo Jim would write other memorable mushing songs including Redington's Run which he wrote in tribute to his friend and Iditarod founder Joe Redington Sr. after the musher passed in 2002. Hobo's classic "Wild and Free" was the inspiration for Yukon Quest Champion Brent Sass's kennel (known as, what else, the Wilde and Free Mushing). Hobo Jim was often seen playing concerts benefiting the different races and kennels. 

Varsos announced September 18 that he was diagnosed with end-stage cancer and doctors had given him 3-6 months to live. The singer would pass just 17 days later, a shock to most every one. Family, friends, and fans all took to social media in the days leading up to his passing sharing favorite memories and songs along with encouragement and love. Following the news of his death, the tributes continued. The mushing community was no exception as the emotions and tributes poured out from kennels all over Alaska. 

Hobo Jim left one final message on his facebook at the end of September. 

When Varsos announced his cancer diagnosis friends rallied and started a GoFundMe to support the singer and his wife. Their goal was $75,000 and they had just over $51,000 raised at the time of the singer's passing. They've chosen to continue to raise funds to help Cyndi Varsos, if you would like to contribute you can find the GoFundMe link here.

Do you have any fond memories of Hobo Jim? Favorite song? Share below.

I lost a friend today.

I lost a friend today. We met four years ago at the Tustumena 200. He and his wife had volunteered to help with the race, and I was the official photographer. Little did we know that it was going to be -30 for most of the weekend (plus windchill. It was flippin cold) and so we were all going to get really close in a Yurt in the middle of nowhere. Bob was, at the time, a hobbyist photographer who was still getting used to the digital age. He could work computers, but he wasn't sure about the DSLRs.

Bob would go on to become a pretty popular photographer over the next few years. When he got into something he went all in. He photographed many sled dog races, sometimes while volunteering in other areas of the race, and shared his views of Alaska for all to see on Facebook.

But I knew him as a friend, not just as a photographer or a name on facebook. Bob was a take no crap kind of guy. He was a straight shooter who didn't mince words. You knew exactly where you stood with him and what he thought on any multitude of subjects. He lived life in a way most only dream of being able to. He didn't play games, he didn't keep toxic people near. If you were a friend, you knew it - and you earned it.

I'm having a hard time putting into worlds just what this big guy means to me. He and Jolene (aka "The Boss") have always been so awesome to me, and I treasure the times spent together - which were not nearly enough. Schedules being what they were, there were a lot of missed opportunities. I think I still owed him Dairy Queen.

Last month he treated me and Taylor Steele (up and coming Mushing Superstar currently helping train Mitch Seavey's yearlings) to St. Elias Pizza. We gabbed about sled dogs, past happenings and up coming events. Taylor is fresh out of high school with all of these dreams and as he listened he gave advice and more importantly encouragement and support. If Bob was in your corner, you always knew it. He'd challenge you and keep you going.

No one saw this coming, while he was a man on "borrowed time" by doctor's standards - no one I know ever doubted he'd kick cancer's butt. Getting the message this afternoon (while I was at work, and we all know how much I LOVE getting emotional in front of people, no doubt that'd amuse Bob) I just sat there staring at my phone in shock. I wanted it to be a cruel joke. One I could get upset with him about.

But it's not. And I don't know how I feel. I'm in shock. My heart breaks for Jolene, but I selfishly also feel sorry for myself. I lost a friend today. Cancer took him away. Cancer Sucks.

See Bob Parsons' photos by going to his gallery here.