Documentary Review - Iditarod 2010: Chasing History

The Iditarod Insider has done it again with their latest documentary on the Last Great Race On Earth. The Emmy Award winning crew bring Iditarod 38 to life as they follow each team all the way to Nome. Many firsts happened during this year's race as well as lasts - each are captured by the cameras.

We follow, of course, Lance Mackey as he runs his way to a fourth straight title (the first musher to do so). We follow Dallas Seavey as he takes hold of destiny and becomes the first of Mitch Seavey's sons to beat his father. We follow Newton Marshall as he becomes the first Jamaican musher to finish the race. And, we follow Jeff King on his final "competitive" journey to Nome.

The Photography is fantastic, and even though you know the outcome before the video even starts you still feel the excitement and tension. These characters are real men and women and dogs running an amazing feat of a race. They are personable, they are blunt, they are entertaining, and they're heroes. Each loving their dogs with more and care than they're given credit for. Their stories are shared thanks to the wonderful direction of Iditarod Insider.

This is a great addition to any sled dog enthusiast's collection, Iditarod fans and dog fans alike will love their copy. You can purchase a copy from the Iditarod directly by clicking here.

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Choreographer Sandra Bezic named to Canadian Hall of Fame

The list of new inductees for the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame have been announced, top of the list is skater/choreographer/commentator Sandra Bezic. Bezic is most known for her choreography work - which garnered her an Emmy award in 2003 for Stars On Ice - which landed many skaters on top of World and Olympic Podiums.

Bezic was a three time Canadian Pairs Champion with her brother in the 1970s before retiring and beginning her work as a choreographer. In the 80s she worked some with a young up and coming Canadian men's figure skater, Kurt Browning as well as US and World Champion Brian Boitano. Bezic would be the key to Boitano's Olympic success as she was the lead choreographer of his Olympic Short and Famed Napoleon Long Program.

In 1992, after choreographing Kristi Yamaguchi to Olympic gold, Bezic joined the Stars on Ice team as director and choreographer. She reinvented Scott Hamilton's winning show and SOI saw its greatest success under her watchful eye.

Bezic landed a commentary role with NBC Sports in the 90s as well, voicing many of the professional competitions as NBC did not have rights to many ISU events. She has been critisized for being too down on many skaters, but other fans believe her eye for choreography and the subtlties in a skater's performance. When NBC won the Olympic bid for the 2002 through 2010 Olympic Games, Bezic was kept on the team and they added Scott Hamilton, Dick Button, and Tracy Wilson to the crew. Bezic was alongside Hamilton as they called the controversial 2002 Pairs Competition. Bezic and Hamilton were key in sparking outrage with the results.

Bezic's final year with SOI was in 2003 - the same year she won an emmy for her work with the show - after sharing her disgust with the changes in competitive figure skating. After a brief hiatus from the sport she is still commentating for NBC.

Congratulations, Sandra.

Buntin, Chipeur announce retirements

News broke this week that Canadian pairs skater Craig Buntin and Men's figure skater Vaughn Chipeur have announced their retirements from competitive skating. Craig Buntin, 30, has been on the national and international pairs scene for quite awhile and was on national champion with Valerie Marcoux from 2004-06. In recent years, Buntin skated and competed with Megan Duhamel.

Buntin is enrolled in the MBA program at McGill University, and plans to still be a part of skating though more behind the scenes.

Buntin stated in his press release, "Training, sacrificing, creating, performing and sharing the spotlight with my partners and coaches has meant more to me than anyone could imagine...I am so grateful to have had figure skating in my life and so proud to have represented such an incredible country."

In a statement released today, Vaughn Chipeur is the latest skater to announce his retirement from competitive skating. Chipeur, 25, is a two time Canadian national silver medalist as well as 2010 Olympian. Chipeur was 12th at the 2009 World Championships and 23rd at the Vancouver Winter Games.

Chipeur stated that he will tour through the summer before joining a cruise ship's ice skating cast.

"I want to wish him well in his professional career," Scott Davis, his coach, said, "and will miss those high flying triple axels on a daily basis."

Liberty Competition: It's That Time Of Year Already?!?

We're halfway through July and that means figure skating is getting its legs back after a few months of R&R for most of its skaters. The Liberty competition on the East Coast normally marks the start of the season for a lot of the second tiered seniors skaters and up and comers in North America. It's a chance to get their new programs seen by judges and officials and get some feedback as to what needs changing. Some bigger name skaters also show up not to compete but to get feedback on their new routines.

Reports will start flying tomorrow, competitions have already started, and videos won't be far behind. Cannot believe it's already this far into summer.


In blogging news, this is my 99th post. No idea what I will do to celebrate 100 posts. Not that anyone reads this anyway! (if I'm wrong PLEASE comment so I know this is worth it)

Backstage Wildride Again!

More photos of the real stars of the Wildride Sled Dog Rodeo: The dogs!

This here is Bandit. He's one of the characters of the show and is featured in the arena style races, he was pretty proud of himself on Sunday because he managed to get loose during the show not once but TWICE. It's the great Houdini Dog!

One of my favorite Seavey dogs of all time is the 2004 Champion Lead Dog Zebra. He's such a good boy, so sweet, and he knows how good he is. He's pretty much allowed to do what he wants. He comes out, wags his tail, pretends to pull, and then comes back to the dog lot and gets praised and fed. Oh to have his life. It will be a sad day when he's no longer with the team.

You have to forgive me on this one, I may or may not name this dog correctly, but I'm pretty sure this is Kosher. Sweet dog, but didn't get the spot in the show that Dallas was hoping for (lead dog in training). Oh well, he's a good lookin' boy with a cool name.

Sweet little puppies that will rip your face off, they are in the fiesty stage now at 8 weeks... and they are HUGE for Seavey pups!

Yeah, Mon! New Iditarod documentary centers around Jamaican Musher.

Iditarod Veteran, Newton Marshall and the Jamaican Dog Sled Team will be featured in a new one hour documentary "Cool Mushings" this fall the official facebook page announced this morning. Marshall's rookie run was during the 2010 Iditarod where he leased a team of [Lance] Mackey dogs on his quest to Nome.

Newton Marshall runs a team of dogs out of his home in Jamaica, and has sparked a huge fan club after signing up for the Iditarod last year. He's already signed up for Iditarod 39 set to start the first week of March in 2011. Newton's story inspired many world wide, and was the talk of this year's race. His self promotion rivaled that of the professional promotions the big name mushers have. The entire crowd at each stop were chanting "Mush Mon" as Marshall ran his team up the trail.

According to the Official Jamaica Sundogs Racing Team website, the film follows Marshall the entire race, and spares nothing. In the trailor we hear Marshall state he wishes to make his family, his friends and his country proud. Later on he wishes he were back in Jamaica [instead of the middle of nowhere Alaska]. Lance Mackey is interviewed along with other mushers and racing supporters.

No date has been released, but you can read about the documentary and catch a sneak peak by visiting their site. Click here.

Weir reinventing his skating, sits out competitive season.

US Figure Skater, Johnny Weir withdrew today from the 2010-2011 competitive season. In a press release put out by Weir with the USFSA and Figure Skaters Online, Weir stated that he was currently working on reinventing himself as a skater and plans to come back after a year or retooling.

"I have decided that I need a year to rest and reinvent myself as an athlete and artist," Weir's statement read. "I say this with the hope of returning as a competitor for the 2011-12 season."



How hard he is actually working on that while making as many public appearances nation wide, one has to wonder, and many fans are arguing that we've seen the last of Weir on the competitive front.

Weir dominated US Men's figure skating from 2004-2006. Hitting a rough patch starting at the 2006 Olympic games, Weir suffered a devastating loss in 2007 at the US National Championships when he faltered and failed to make the World team. It's been a rocky road since then, but he seemed to have turned a corner in the last couple of seasons. Weir fought a good battle at the 2010 US National Championships to win the third spot on the Olympic team. Weir finished sixth in the games and many argued he should have been higher.

Weir withdrew from Worlds feeling he was not up to par to compete, stating that he would work hard and come back strong next season. Since Worlds he has flitted the world enjoying the glitz and glam of his new found fame.

Where would you like to spend your retirement?

Walt Disney World, sadly retirement is so far off.

Ask me anything

What's the longest you've ever gone without a bath or shower?

Four or five days, camping trip. I apologise to my friends, I knew not what I did.

Ask me anything

Harding marries again

allen figure skating superstar Tonya Harding has made the news once again, this time, thankfully, on a positive note. The Columbian and Associated Press reported over the weekend that Harding applied for a Marriage License with a Joseph Jens Price on June 23, and the AP wire stated that as of Saturday the paperwork had been turned in to prove that the wedding/marriage had taken place.

Harding made a name for herself in the early 90s as one of Nancy Kerrigan's main rivals leading up to the 1994 Olympic games, she was the only American lady - at that time - to land a triple axel in competition. Harding found herself in the middle of controversy after her - then - husband attacked Nancy Kerrigan at one of her practice sessions (it was later known as the "Whack Heard Round the World."). While she was not found guilty of having a part in the attack, Harding did take a plea deal for the charges of cover-up. Subsequently the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) banned the skater from competition for life.

Harding has had a rough go since her figure skating glory days, between domestic violence reports and a very short second marriage and her short lived (and unsuccessful) boxing career, one can only hope she's finally found her happiness.