ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass

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ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass

Postby Heidi » Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:18 am

I am very honored and pleased to announce Brent Sass is our next guest musher in the 'Ask The Musher' series! Born in Minnesota, Brent moved to Fairbanks, AK in 1998 to go to UAF and ski on their Nordic Ski Team. He soon got hooked on dog sledding (a neighbor of his was a musher) and later had the opportunity to train with Susan Butcher and David Monson who "gave me a great start".

Brent has accomplished a lot in his young mushing career, including a first-place finish in the 2006 Yukon Quest 300 - the very first race of his career! He also has three 'Top 5' finishes in the Copper Basin 300, including a third-place finish in 2009. In 2008 he was first in the Men's Division of the Gin Gin 200. In his first Yukon Quest in 2007, he finished in 15th. In the 2008 and 2009 Quests, he finished in 5th and 7th, respectively.

As well as he has done in his short mushing career, Brent Sass is perhaps best known for his incredible sportsmanship. In 2006 he helped several mushers over the top of Eagle Summit. When Yuka Honda lost her team in the 2007 Quest, it was Sass who gave her a ride. In 2008, he was formally recognized by the Yukon Quest and awarded the 'Spirit of the North' Award. In this year's Quest, Brent came upon William Kleedehn who had a dog in heat and whose team had balked. Brent got his own team to the top of Eagle Summit - then walked back down and became the 'lead dog' in Kleedehn's team and got them to the top. Wow! :shock: :D Brent had some problems on the last day, but he still managed a very respectable seventh-place finish - it should be noted he still finished 24 hours faster than he did in 2008.

Aside from dog sledding, Brent owns a small construction business, maintains a rental cabin neighborhood and in the summer he gives sled dog presentations at Trail Breaker Kennel. His hobbies are hunting, fishing and camping. I should add, he maintains a fantastic website (and blogs!) here: http://www.wildandfreealaska.com/

Welcome Brent! :D

brentYQstart.jpg
brentsass.jpg
brent_dogscloseup.jpg
brent_aerial.jpg
brent1.jpg

All photos by Ken Tape/Arctic Circle Photography
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Re: ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass (starts 2/27)

Postby CynCyn37 » Fri Feb 27, 2009 6:53 pm

OMG I am so excited that you are here Brent!

I loved the videos last year when you were singing to your dogs and this year, you blew me away by helping William!! I am so impressed with the sportsmanship and character you display!

Now for some questions, what is your favorite part of racing (besides the dogs)?

How did you get into mushing?

Are you going to go for the Quest/Iditarod next year?

And why can't I see the text on your blogs? (I have to copy/paste into word and change the font color?
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Re: ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass (starts 2/27)

Postby Moose » Fri Feb 27, 2009 7:23 pm

Brent Sass? No way! What would Every Man's Hero of the Quest be doing hanging around here? :D

It's absolutely awesome that you're here. Have you even caught up on your sleep yet? And I don't think calling you Hero of the Quest is a stretch, not from where I sit. In fact, I'd like to present you with the Golden Suspenders award for best two-legged lead dog on the trail and the Platinum Stethoscope award for having the biggest and warmest heart out there.

Questions? Oh, yeah. Sorry. :oops:

1. Do you keep a running list of your goals? If so, what are the top five items right now?
2. Please take us back out on the trail and share a high point, a low point, and another high point.

Thanks, Brent. You're a good guy.
Wag more, bark less.
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Re: ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass (starts 2/27)

Postby sugarriver » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:18 pm

Brent - I'm really looking forward to your "appearance" here. I will admit that I didn't know much about you other than your name and some peripheral facts from news articles :oops: - but in following your Quest race this year (my first venture outside of the Iditarod), I have become a huge fan. I have now added your blog to my favs and have read what I could find on you, (not stalking - just appreciating.) :mrgreen: I was always a fan of GB and some others for their willingness to help other people out even if it meant possibly losing their advantage in a race; and I would like you to know that you really picked up a HUGE fan base here on our little forum this year. I hope you will continue your winning ways, both kinds. I'm not a good question asker, but I am now an absolute back-sasser - :? no, that's Sass-Backer. :D :D Thank you, and may all your good karma keep on working for you.
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Re: ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass (starts 2/27)

Postby flowerpower » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:56 pm

WELCOME BRENT! and Good one SR! I like that turn of phrase!

Brent, I am soooo excited to have you here, and thank you so much for taking time to join us. I have been following your career with interest the last couple of years-and thank you for making it easy with such a great website-and you were my pick to win the Quest this year. You might not have crossed the finish line first, but your incredible displays of sportsman ship make you a winner in my book for sure. I especially like the info about all the dogs-and after all, it really is all about them, isn't it? :D :D

My question is-what do think the most important thing is that you learned from Susan? Being able to train and learn from her must have been wonderful experience-she is the person who first sparked my interest in mushing, back before all these cool information sites, when the most we got down here was a couple of lines about the Iditarodand maybe a blurry picture (if we were lucky and it was a "slow" news day)!

Again, many thanks, and welcome to our little corner of insanity! ;)
"No matter how little money and how few possesions you own, having a dog makes you rich." - Louis Sabin
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Re: ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass (starts 2/27)

Postby MelanieGouldFanBrian » Fri Feb 27, 2009 9:17 pm

Hey Brent. Thanks for joining us here and answering some questions for us. I know it wasn't the way you wanted it to end up, but congrats on your Quest finish none the less.

I'm curious about The Dude! My questions are:

In your opinion, why did The Dude refuse to go on after the 8 hour mandatory at Twin Bears?

Was he physically tired? Or just mentally drained?

How did his lack of enthusiasm affect the rest of the team only 44 miles from the finish?

MGF Brian
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Re: ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass (starts 2/27)

Postby fladogfan » Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:34 am

Brent I agree with what has already been said. You have made lots of fans here at BSSD, thank you for giving us your time.

What, in your past, has made you so willing to go out of your way to help others?

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Re: ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass (starts 2/27)

Postby Brent Sass » Sat Feb 28, 2009 5:09 am

Hello all it is great to be here thanks for having me

ok here are some quick answers for ya it is is 330 am but though I would field a few questions

How did i get into Mushing-- well it happened pretty fast i was a skier i was out one day and a dog team past me I watched as every dog ran b y and realized that this was Something i wanted to do. that person ended up being a neighbor and he gave me my first dogs from there it is history I was a rec musher until I got a summer job working tourism with David Monson and Susan Butcher and then the summer tourism job turned into a handyman around their kennel which turned into running teams with Susan an David that winter and from there my team and experience grew.

Quest /Iditarod in 2010---- may be it really depends on money and if I can afford it at this point my focus is in the Quest until I win so any Iditarod run will be with a team of young dogs an that is only if i can afford it.

Blog Problems-- I have no Idea why you cant read the blog no one has ever had that problem '


Goals----- goals are everything for me with out goals it is hard to have Direction here at the top five overall goals for my mushing career

1- Enjoy Every minute of everyday - if your not enjoying it then why do it
2- Improve Every year
3- Learn from my mistakes- and put what i learn into action- this is a big one after this Quest
4- WIN THE QUEST
5- Treat my dogs the best I possible can because it is really all about he DOGS!!



at least a few answers tonight ill be back tomorrow to answer the rest of your Questions-- thanks again for having me!!!
'
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Re: ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass (starts 2/27)

Postby CynCyn37 » Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:55 am

You were up late! Those are some of my favorite times when everything is so quiet!

We 'visited' Susan's kennel in 2006 on the river boat ride. That was my first view of mushing along with reading the Jessie Arnold books. The next summer, we went to Skagway and did the dog tour there and I was totally hooked for life! I would love to ride in the snow.

Are you running any other races this year?

Thanks again for being here!
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Re: ASK THE MUSHER Vol 14: Brent Sass (starts 2/27)

Postby MotorWerk » Sat Feb 28, 2009 12:24 pm

Hi Brent, welcome to our forum.

Some questions:

You race with glasses, have you ever accidentally broken them in a race? Can you manage without them if you do? (I guess you have spares...)
Having something fabulous to eat at the CPs is always nice - what are your favorite CP treats?
I see you link to Dog Paddle Designs. Do they make your sleds? They do beautiful work.

Have you completely given up on Nordic skiing? I'm from Norway and we are completely crazy about cross-country.

All the best, Stig Olsen/Norway
-exit body, exit mind-

""It's a mathematical certainty that somewhere among all the millions of stars, there is another planet where they speak Norwegian""
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