IditaProject Forum

I am happy to announce that 2007 and 2008 Yukon Quest and Iditarod ("Iditaquest!") Champion, Lance Mackey, has agreed to participate in our Ask the Musher series! Thank you so much Lance for taking time out of your hectic schedule to do this!

Things are hoppin' here in BSSD's Iditaproject Talk Forums! Dee Dee and Lance - how cool is that?!

Yes, we normally have one musher at a time, but things just worked out this way this time. Hey, it's Christmas-time and we've all been good (right??) so perhaps we're being rewarded with abundance. Or something. All I know is I'm really, really happy about it!

Be sure to check out Lance's website here: http://www.mackeyscomebackkennel.com/. You can help support him by buying a "Larry patch" (yay, Sarida!) or any number of items in his Cafe Press shop (see link on the right side of his homepage).


2008 IDITAROD CHAMPION LANCE MACKEY!

Photo by Dean L. Sanders


TIRED YET? NAH!

Photo by Carol Falcetta


LANCE ON CONAN O'BRIEN

Photo from the Mackey Collection


GRANDPA LANCE!

Photo from the Mackey Collection


All photos used with permission

Ok...I cheated and used my MOD powers to post this...

Lance....Thanks....

Heidi...YOU ROCK...that is all for now....until Heidie officially opens this thread.

Oh...one more thing....

GoLanceGo®...hey lance, just kidding bout the ® thing

tsfr

The thread is open... and WELCOME LANCE!

Lance...

A "ThreePeat"?!?... ...who is the ONE musher that could keep you from this unheard of feat?

tsfr...daniel

WOW
LANCE MACKEY!!!!!!!!!
How cool is that?! Thanks so much Lance for being on our forum! You've made a lot of armchair mushers real happy!

I lost my mom to cancer in '01 so when you fought back from that and started racing again that really got my attention. I couldn't imagine how you could come back from such a physical ordeal and rise to the top totally reinventing the way people look at race strategy! Did your dogs teach you or did you get some divine inspiration on how to do this?

I just finished watching the ITC's "Deja Vu" '08 race coverage and Jeff King's last line sticks with me "he(Lance) is to dog mushing what mozart is to music...he's gifted. It's hard not to be also in awe of his gift." It had to feel great to hear that from Jeff Is there anything left to prove for you? Are you content with your race strategy or is that always evolving & changing?

Thanks for your reply!

Hi Lance, welcome to our group.

How are the preparations to this season coming along? Do you feel you are on schedule?
Obviously you are the man to beat this coming March - who do you see as your main competition?

Thanks a lot for your time and the best of luck to you and your team.

Stig Olsen/Norway

Welcome Lance!

I was amazed at how you kept your cool and composure when Zorro was injured. You showed what we all strive for each and every day.

What keeps you racing when you are so successful? Are you going to use the same dogs for both the Quest and the Iditarod or will you switch them out?

Thanks so much for joining us here. You have found the best group ever! Everyone is so kind, supportive, and friendly here, that I feel like it is a second home!

Cynthia

Lance,

We are honored to have you participate in our forum. I hope you feel at home here.

I loved watching you on Conan O'Brien. BTW, I'm the one who recorded the program and put it on YouTube, and I thought it was pretty cool when I saw the link to it on your website. Then I was bummed when the "YouTube police" removed it.

Can you paint us a picture of what it was like being on the show? How did you feel before going on? What goes on behind the scenes in a show like that?

Also, which races are you doing this year, and which one(s) are you looking forward to the most?

What does a typical day of training look like for you?

OMG! How incredible is this!!!! DeeDee AND Lance at the same time?! THUD! I guess I have been a good girl this year!

Lance, we are honored that you are visiting! I have to agree with Mr. King, I think you are a gifted dog man!
There are probably a few dozen silly questions I would like to ask, but I know how limited your time is so I will try to limit myself:

How are Larry and Hobo getting along, and who are your promising young leaders!

Do you think Cain will run the Iditarod with you someday?

How accurate did you think the Discovery show was?

Thanks so much!
Oh, and I Love my Larry patch, too!
Candy Smith in Texas
aka Flowerpower

Wow.

After the recent U.S. Presidential campaigns my "non-Iditarod" friends are suddenly aware of Alaska, and the Disc. Channel program has them all asking about you Lance (as if I were a close friend, just because I follow the sport a little!)

I'm too star struck to post a question or an intelligent comment... all I can say is: you are an inspiration and an amazing athlete, Mr. Mackey, and unbelievably cool that you're REAL!