Dallas Seavey is Iditarod 40's champion

I grew up knowing that Mitch Seavey was a Peninsula musher. An "also ran" when I was growing up, Mitch wouldn't win his title until I was in college. Peninsula mushers were people we cheered for because they were "from the area" but they weren't the big names as far as teh media was concerned.

Then I was a "starving" college student in need of a job. I'd tried working during the school year and let's just say I'm still trying to get over that nightmare. I saw a job posting in Anchorage for "Ididaride" I figured that that was what the Iditarod called their giftshop. I was unaware of the Seavey's long time family business. Come to find out that it was a job for a gift shop of a new show they were planning for Anchorage called Wildride Sled Dog Show. It would later be renamed to Wildride Sled Dog Rodeo.

I vaguely knew who they were, and when I got called for an interview I was told I'd be meeting with Danny and Dallas. Dallas I knew only as one of the Iditarod rookies who was a couple years younger than I was and he finished. Not really enough to feel confident in getting a job with these people. But it was a shot.

I didn't get the job.

I got a different job. They needed someone who could run a sound board. Did I have experience. I'd worked at my church as a multimedia person, so I was in the sound booth but I worked with a computer. Didn't matter. I'd seen one, and I could turn one on. I'd learn the rest on the go. Two weeks before show time I was working 8+ hour days while everyone learned what the heck we were doing.

That job is still my favorite job I've ever had. Not counting my photography, I didn't get much more joy than when I was at the arena. Granted there were times we'd butt heads, and I shed tears over not knowing what I was doing, but I loved it. The people - were more like family - the being outdoors - ok so the threat of electrocution was bad - the puppies! - until they turned pirhana... I was hooked. I'd work for Dallas and Jen for the next four years. The last two years I also worked a full time job for the Federal Government as a receptionist. I'd finish work there and drive down to the Arena to help with the evening shows. The last year I worked, I did it so sparingly that I didn't take a paycheck. I just wanted to stay involved.

My move back to the Peninsula kept me from being a part of the action last year. Earlier this year - try a week before the Iditaod - I took a different job with the Seavey's. I'll be working for Danny now, not Dallas, but it's all pretty much the same. Tonight I got to be a part of Dallas's win.

No, I wasn't in Nome, but while Dallas closed in and then ran into Nome, I "reported" it on their social media. In a small part I felt a part of the whole process. It was an amazing acomplishment for Dallas, and I couldn't be more proud. Dallas and I might have butted heads numerous times while I worked for him, but he has my upmost respect. I've always been pulling for him - even though I promised him I wouldn't so I didn't jinx him - and it doesn't surprise me that he won. I downplayed it because I didn't want it to not come to be, but deep down I was bursting with pride.

Dallas is a worker, he's intelligent, he's personable; a great speaker. Watching him thank the Iditarod sponsors, and his supporters... talking about what got him to the win... he's one of the best choices to be the face of the Iditarod. They've been waiting for him to take it. And take it he did.

I'm delirious, if any of this makes sense I will be surprised... CONGRATULATIONS BUBBA! SO PROUD OF YOU!

History Rewritten

Around 6pm Alaska time, Dallas Seavey will pull into Nome's Front Street and aim his dogs to pass under the famous Iditarod Burled Arch. He will be be the youngest musher to win, beating Rick Swenson's long standing record, at just age 25.

Seavey has worked for this achievement over the last four years. He's built his kennel, trained his dogs, and worked his strategy for this moment. Whenever tourists asked what his goals were, one of them was to win the Iditarod before age 26. He had a record to beat. This was his year. Just like Lance Mackey in 2007 took his bib number, lucky #13, and said it was a sign that it was his year, Dallas knew this was his. After Mackey's win in 07, folks began saying 13 was a lucky number for Iditarod (Mackey's brother and father won their Iditarod titles with the bib #13). Today is the 13th of March.

Considering Mackey's declaration that he wanted anyone but Dallas Seavey to win due to his feeling that Seavey was cocky and obnoxious, well, one can't help but enjoy the irony.

Dallas will be pulling into Safety in just a few minutes it looks like. Safety is the last checkpoint to Nome. This is where he will don his bib - #34 - and snack his dogs. He will be congratulated, and it's a mere 22 miles more to go. Bells will begin ringing - large bells - church bells - and he will have the first of many moments. He could stop on the trail between there and the finish. Mackey did one year to congratulate his team before the craziness of the finish chute. He may snack his dogs. But he'll be headed to Nome. He'll be headed to family.

Meeting him in Nome will be his paternal grandmother, mother, brothers. More importantly his wife and daughter will be there. They knew he was going to win this year. Jen bought tickets well ahead of time, Annie was already celebrating daddy's new truck. Missing from the celebration: two men still on the trail beaming with pride. Mitch, Dallas's father, has been at that moment. He won in 2004. He was welcomed by his father, Dan, who is at the back of the race pack also missing his grandson's moment. They've been interviewed, they know that this is Dallas' moment. They want to be there, they're torn, they have a job to do, too. But, they get bragging rights none the less.

So an early Congratulations, Dallas! We're all sitting in front of TV and computer screens waiting to watch you finish!

No doubt now, only two in to win

Dallas Seavey and Aliy Zirkle are not just front runners, they're clearly the only ones with a solid chance of taking home the big prize. Aaron Burmeister is making a good effort, but it seems there's now too wide a gap between the top two and third.

Dallas breezed through Elim just forty minutes or so ago, taking time to only grab some hay and some food for the dogs, obviously planning to stop on the trail or in the town of Golovin where they do not have a drop bag location. He is still running in first and about three miles ahead of Zirkle. A lead that can be taken away from him if Aliy's team is willing to push that hard.

Report just in from Elim via Tyrell Seavey - Aliy is staying in Elim and Dallas has gone. Aliy may be hoping he pushes hard not know she's stayed and he'll tire his dogs out more than hers will be.

How a fan watches the Iditarod





Duane, Dad, Belinda & Tonichelle at the Willow Re-Start

Let's face it, not all of us have the option to ride out by airplane or snow machine or live in an Iditarod checkpoint. We are sitting at home and waiting for any and all information we can get. Growing up, I remember waiting for the updates at the beginning and end of every school day in elementary school. By the time we were in Jr. High and High School interest in the race, for students, was non existant. If you weren't friends with a peninsula musher, chances are you weren't paying attention. Besides, the internet was booming and you could get updates via the Iditarod.com site or better still the Anchorage Daily News.

Back when I was in the single digits age wise I remember heading over to the post office after school every day and viewing the "current leader board" that they updated as much as they could. They had to call the COMMS department regularly. That's how it was watched before social media, it was all done with a phone call to the race central folk. Phones, I'm told, rang off the hook twenty four hours a day and the calls were from all over the WORLD. Now all one has to do is click a button.

Each team has a website, or the very least it seems a facebook page. Fans can interact with the handlers/family members/employees of the mushers. Most posting are not on the trail, but are watching from home. However, they've seen these dogs train and they know the mushers. And best of all? They know what they're talking about. You didn't have that in the early days. You had what the Iditarod Insider does now, you had an "expert" talking with newsreporters and hoping everything made sense.

Some of the "excitement" is taken away because we have information instantly (or at least with in 15 minutes or so). Fans are complaining that the current standings take "so long" to post (when in actuallity it is so much FASTER than when I was a kid). We have video within hours of it being captured. We have GPS. It's incredible. It brings a new sort of excitement, and armchair mushers can debate until the wee hours of the morning while they wait for the leaders to come off of mandatory rests before they can BS about something new.

And it's all so accessable.

Does that mean I don't want to be out there on the trail? No, if anything I wish I were there even more! The energy is amazing in a checkpoint, and it's a chance to really see the action unfold. And if you're a photog like me? Well, it's a great chance to get pictures that end up in magazines.

So, while it is frustrating that we don't truly see every SECOND of information as it happens, remember, it used to be SO MUCH LESS than what it is now. And go follow a few musher's social media sites. Especially http://www.facebook.com/ididaride - Danny Seavey is doing an amazing job with coverage.