Banquet live stream!

This is a forum for general discussion of dogsled racing, with a special focus on Alaska, and is open to all. It is expected that this area will see the most activity during the months leading up to, and during the annual Iditarod sled dog race. Pictures from races can be posted here. Hosting is provided by the Bering Strait School District (BSSD), and the area is open all year. Care to be one of our volunteer moderators? Contact us!

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Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby fladogfan » Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:53 am

" Lucy thanks shy men who have short speeches <grin> "

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby elsietee » Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:39 pm

29 - Cody Strathe - 11d 9h 26m 47s
3rd Running

"I'd like to, obviously, thank my dogs - they were amazing on the trail, they broke trail for hundreds of miles, it seemed like, even though sometimes there was a team ten minutes in front of us. It was a very tough race, but the dogs excelled and I'm extremely happy with them.

We went through drifts, wind, the blowhole - was luckily very nice for us - but it was a very hard race - great dogs...

I have to thank my wife, my sponsors, my family - they all helped me get here and I appreciate them. They're not here, though, so I want to thank all of you guys.

Let's do an activity... if you were a volunteer in this race, in any way, please stand up now... If you were a checker, a veterinarian, a dog drop person - stand up please. If you're an employee of this race, please stand up. If you helped this race happen in any way, please stand up. That includes sponsors of the race, sponsors of mushers. We couldn't do it without you. It takes thousands of people to make this happen and that includes all of you.

I was hoping we could all stand up, so we could do a standing ovation... but let's just clap. Good job. Thank you."


* * *
28 - Martin Buser - 11d 9h 2m 14s
35 starts... 19 times in the top ten, five (four?) times in position #1 as champion.

"Thank you. It took me a long time to get here - I finally figured out why: there were two of us on the sled. Some of you might have known Art who passed away - a former judge, multiple ID finisher, really good friend of ours. He taught us a valuable lesson: "Enjoy it while you can".

More importantly, Art made the best speech every time he finished the ID and I'm going to use it:

<clipped tone>:

Thank yuh very much.

<dashes off stage>"

* * *

27 - Rick Casillo - 11d 7h 29m 17s
9th running.

"Just to piggyback on what Cody said, thank you to all the vols, the vets, ... I had lots of chances to talk to the vets on the race this year and - the relationships between the mushers and the vets are getting better and better. It has been really cool to see.

Big thank you to my wife Jennifer - an absolute rock in this kennel and we would not be out here if it wasn't for her - she keeps the compass pointing in the right direction, because I tend to stray quite a bit.

A couple of quick stories - this was the most challenging race. This was #9 for me, and by far the toughest race, mentally for me and the dogs. Nothing seemed to go right this year. You would have thought I had several females in heat in my team... but actually I didn't have any. I had one neutered male that absolutely drove the rest of my boys nuts. Going into SHaktoolik - it usually gets very windy going into shak and I usually dread going to Shak - I love the checkpoint, but getting there really sucks. But... we're going in, it's windy and it's blowing and I'm having a tough time seeing the dogs and we're breaking through drifts and I'm looking up ahead with my headlight and I see six legs up where my two leaders were. And I think "what the he...? ANd I look, and my one leader is on top of my other leader, breaking trail, going through the snow drifts, having a good time, as he's leading me to Shaktoolik.

...so that was the theme of our race - they were a very worked up, energetic dog team, for sure, but they were focused on other things.

The other thing is... and I hope Martin doesn't get too ticked off with me telling this story, but it was hysterical.

I nicknamed Martin - I got to travel with him quite a bit in this race - and I nicknamed him "The Ninja" because he just seemed to get out 30 seconds ahead of us all the time.

We were in WM, getting ready to leave our 8, and this lady comes up to Martin and I hear "Oh Martin, I haven't seen you in years and I just wanted to come by and say hello ..." and I'm just kind of half-listening. And he says "well, I've gotta poop".

<silence>

And she's all "...whatever, ..." and he says "NO, I've gotta poop and bad - there's no way I can make it back up the top of the hill". Martin got a bad stomach bug and every two seconds he was doing his duty. So he says "if you don't mind, please walk away" and she's just laughing, and I'm thinking "he's serious, he is going to go, *right now*" and she says "oh, you're not shitting me, you really have to ..." and he says "Yes, I've got to poop NOW". So she turned her back and ... we've got our cookers going and I can barely see Martin's sled. But through the smoke I see Martin squatted down on his bucket - he's got a garbage bag in there - and he proceeds to have a conversation. This is nuts - broad daylight, WM checkpoint and he says "Well, you know, Rick, hardcore mtn climbers go right in their cook pots..."

SO he got done, and says "OK", so she comes back and he signs an autograph. But it was just kind of funny - things that happen on the ID are pretty hysterical.

Once again, thank you to the vols - you guys did an exceptional job - it was awesome travelling the trail. JOar - congratulations. Thank you"


* * *

26 - Katherine Keith - 11d 5h 35m 10s
5th ID

DeeDee gets up:

"
I'm obviously not Katherine - but she had a family emergency and called me from Seattle, at a funeral for one of her direct family members. She asked me to accept this for her tonight and graciously thank each and every one of you for all the support she's gotten over the years.

Unfortunately, Katherine's had a pretty crappy year, so I really appreciate your support for her and your sympathy for her personal losses. Thank you."


* * *

25 - Michael Williams, Jr. - 11d 3h 16m 46s
7th ID

"First of all I'd like thank god for making this a safe trip and no losses - we all heard the stories - there were some pretty close calls.

I'd like to thank my sponsors - Donlin Gold, XXX Air Cargo, the Akiak Native Community - the people from Akiak and my area - we had a hard time getting fish this year and that's my dogs' main food source and a lot of people - neighbors and relatives - were kind enough to drop by a tote of food - backbones and fish to feed my dogs - and that went a long ways.

I got to travel with Jeff King quite a bit this year and that was pretty fun. And Michi Konno in the early part of the race. I got to Nikolai and after I fed my dogs and got some food ready for their next feed and went over to the checkpoint to get some food and someone stopped me - I didn't know who he was - but he asked me if I was Michi <laughs> ... so I started smiling and I wanted to say <nodding/bowing like Michi does> 'yes I am', but I didn't <he's laughing, the audience are laughing>

It was a really challenging trail the rest of the way to Takotna, where I took my 24. During the race I was going to the CP to get something to eat and I passed by Aliy Zirkle and Stu Nelson was talking to her, and as I passed by, she was using the axe to pound out the runner plastic and she was saying "oh man, this is so stuck... how did it get so stuck?!" and stu said <imitates quietly looking down> "well, anything's possible in the ID."

We had a pretty decent run the rest of the way to here, I was pretty fortunate none of my dogs... well, one of my dogs got sick... but the rest of them were pretty healthy the rest of the way.

Another funny story - up in WM, I'd just gotten up and Jeff was getting ready to go, and he came out to say thanks to the checkers and the vets and was going to go out, and I heard him say something to the vet and she was cracking up and I heard something like "XXX XXXX XXXX-ever". She came out and was laughing and I said "what did he say?".

"Best piss test ever". <laughs>

Anyway. Like to thank all the vets, checkers - they have put in a lot of work. Seb and all the other crews that took care of the CPs - that seemed like a pretty hectic deal with the weather - getting to the CPs late and having to scramble to get the CPs set up for us to go through.

Big thanks to my parents and my dad who got me here - I wouldn't be able to do the race without him. Thank you all. "
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby elsietee » Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:00 pm

24 - Jeff King - 11d 1h 36m 32s
Four time champion, 28(?) IDs

"Good evening. Thanks to everyone for being here.

I had a really good trip and look forward to doing it again. I wanna thank Deb and Rowan Trumbridge (?) for letting us stay in their wonderful abode this year again in NOme, it's a big help - but I've hardly gotten to see you. Thank you for your generosity.

I'd like to congratulate all the mushers ahead of me - esp. Joar - I learned something from Joar, even though he probably doesn't know it becuase he was so far in front of me. But I realised I should be pronouncing my name "Yeff" - and maybe that would work out good for me.

I had some ... in generally a really nice run. I had a litter of puppies that was born at Husky Homestead two years ago - they're going to be three in May, and many of those dogs were in this race, some were Jessie Holmes's and Anja's... and many of those were named after previous ID champions. And there were 11 of them in the litter and i think 9 of them were in the race somewhere... two were in my team, but the one I really had high expectations for was "Swenson". I thought it was ironic that the dog I had the most expectations for in that litter - as a puppy, I'd named "Swenson". And is uncharacteristically friendly.... <laughs> ... unlike his namesake. But nonetheless, he is spectacular at what he does - as Mr Swenson was a what he did.

However, it was cause for embarrassment when I pulled into Nikolai - many of you who are mushers know how the dogs speed up when they get to a checkpoint... and those of you who don't know that - trust me, they do. They realise dinner is about to be served and beds are about to be fluffed, and they tend to get exciting and come charging into town.

Hence my team came charging into Nikolai, to make the 90 degree turn ... historically they put up a wall tent - a classically Yukon type wall tent with a wood stove, white canvas... and as I came peeling up there, Swenson in the lead, he turned the entire team and got half of them into the tent before I could get the rest of them stopped.

He's quite the indoor dog and he knew what the tent was. It was embarrassing, but also a lot of fun.

ANyway, I had a wonderful race - the vets were spectacular - officials, I met some really cool comms people - and i continue to be amazed that I meet many of you and you say "yeah, I've been here six years" and I don't remember your name yet. I'm working on it. But I don't know how long it'll take me before I can consistently remember your names - but thank you very much.

I enjoyed running with Mike WIlliams Jr for much of the race. And Anna Berington, I got to run with, which was new to me - and I enjoyed her company as well. Thank you for your companionship and I'll see you next year."


* * *

23 - Michi Konno (r) - 11d 0h 35m 2s

"THank you very much, everyone. I'm surprised - this race - I am before Sprint musher so I have lots of sprint musher experience. But this was best race for wild (?) racing because vets, and checkers, and groomers - walking (?) is perfect [I think he's saying the trail was well groomed]. I stopped at a checkpoint and I cannot speak english very well, but easy talking to me so that I understand.

I get a Bering Sea white out - I cannot find a sign. I stay there maybe 8 hours... I waiting 8 hours for next team. So coming is the next team, I follow him, and I go to next checkpoint.

But always good otherwise. And the vets say "this dog is Ok", touches... checks the limping, lots of helping so I can finish [I think he means the vets helped him be able to finish by helping him with his dogs].

Ramey Redington, two years ago starting help to me, because I was thinking as a sprint musher. This is musher, but different. So two years I learn from him and this year I come back as a musher of distance and I'm at the finish - a good prize.

And Barbara and Joe - this is handler - so thank you very much.

And my sponsors - japanese sponsors - they helped to me so I come back. So I'm waiting ten years as sprint musher... and mushing always use money, and some sponsors helped me. I come back.

I'm happy days. I hope for next year I come back. Thank you very much. Bye bye.

<bows with hands together>"


* * *

22 - Anna Berington - 10d 21h 44m 20s


"I'm so grateful to be able to run dogs and do what I do. Thanks to everyone who made this great race happen. It took so much to get three teams out of our little kennel. There are so many people who came out and helped us - friends, family, sponsors who came out of the woodwork to make it happen, so thank you to everyone that did that.

<goes to leave stage and rushes back>

Wait! I wanted to thank Kristy for giving me the opportunity to drive our better dogs, I hope I made you proud. We tried really hard, so thank you Kristy."


* * *

21 - Hugh Neff - 10d 17h 56m 15s
14th ID

"I'm getting a little bit older here and it's pretty cool to see all these young kids living the dream that I once had. The sense of adventure. I've known Jessie forever, I've known Nic for quite a while. And the beauty of what they've done is they started with *nothing*. And now look at them - they are top of the heap.

Joar - you're always top of the heap. YOu're just an amazing kid.

This year's race for me was interesting - Oh, before I get to that, I just want to thank a few sponsors - Three Bears, sponsor me my sled - SledDogSystems sled. I'm very honoured to have a sponsor from NOme... I don't know if I'm starting to get a reputation, but when I was given my housing, I stayed with John Blakely who's one of the head guys for AK Brewing, and I stayed with George Hallis, who's one of the head guys for Jack Daniels, so I don't know <shrugs>. I guess I get a seat at every bar in this town, they saved just for me. I'm just trying to keep the Mackey tradition alive. So I want to thank Ron from Breaker Bar - they've been sponsoring me - just an amazing guy.

Before I tell a quick trail story, I just want to thank my dogs. A third of my team this year have done - believe it or not - double digit races - ten or more 1000 milers. George Kastanza only made it to Elim, but without him I wouldn't even be here. This was his 13th 1000 miler. I ain't going to win this race, but I've had a heck of a life with one dog team, pretty much.

It's cool having Michi Konno here - because I was talking to Matt, talking to Jessie - I was ROTY a long time ago and I was egging them on and it was fun to watch that race at the end - but I also realised there's more than just racing, it's about living life. And Michi Konno came up here and said "yes, I was a sprint musher". You people probably don't realise this, but Michi Konno is a North American Champion musher who won the NA which was this weekend - many years ago, Michi won it by 8 seconds. And he just happened to beat the guy I was working for - a guy named Curtis Earhart - Lester Earhart's son. Michi and I have known each other for a while, and what I really love about Michi is - you guys just saw it up here - he's a beautiful, wholesome, genuine, happy man. And that spirit - if you share it with others - that's what being an ID Champion is all about. It's about sharing the love - not just of the dogs, but of the adventure.


The weird thing about Michi is, when I was a kid - a long time ago, back in Chicago, 32 1000 mile races ago, back in 1995 - I got a map of AK and I took a little wolf sticker and i put it right in the center in the heart of AK and I said "I"m going to live there". And a few years later, I ended up living in a place called Manley Hot Springs, and I got to work at Susan Butcher's place, for Ray Brooks, I got to hang out with someone who to many of us may be a little bit ornery, but to many of us is also a god - Mr Rick Swenson - and the cool thing about Rick and Susan is ...everyone's always wondering "Who's the greatest champion?", "who's the best of all time?" ... well let me tell you who the best of all time was. The other person who lives in Manley Hot Springs. And like myself, and Tim Muto, and Charlie - he was a big Chicago Cubs fan. And so on my sled this year I took a Chicago Cubs pennant and had it sewn on and carried it all the way to Nome. So when I get back up to Manley Hot Springs, I can give it to an amazing woman in her own right - Pam Redington - because for a lot of us in this room, we know there are great champions, but as far as dog men go, there was only one Joee Redington - and god bless him, and god bless the Redington family. Thank you."



* * *

20 - Lars Monsen - 10d 11h 38m 3s
3rd ID

"Thank you. I'll be quick about this. I just want to thank my wife that put up with me the last three years; my excellent team of handlers; XXX the photographer who's always running around here <points to a guy running in front of the stage>; Ellen; also Paul Haskell who's house [we stayed in] these three years. Also the hospitality of the people we have met in AK during these three years.

And a big thank you to the vets and checkers these last three years - you've really been professional. Always greeting us mushers with a smile, always kind, and always leaving the decisions to us. So that's one thing I've *really* appreciated during these three years.

Of course I have to thank my sponsors XXXX, VOM, Troplom (?), XXXXX [he says them fast in Norwegian, so I'm not sure what they are].

And one last thing, before I go down there, some of you seem to have problems pronounciating the name of our new champion - I've heard so many things - it's just "Awesome"... that's how it's pronounced: "Awesome".

Thank you."
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elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
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Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby elsietee » Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:59 pm

19 - Michelle Phillips - 10d 11h 36m 46s
9th ID

"Hello everyone. First of all, I'd really like to thank the volunteers, I know it was a tough year - a lot of weather, so people didn't get a lot of relief and I just can't imagine how much straw breaking {?} they did - always bringing water out to us - such a great job. Thank you to the race officials and everyone who pulls off ID - it's such a huge feat and they did an incredible job yet again.

I'd like to thank my fellow competitors - you did an incredible job. ANd I'd like to thank all my sponsors - some of the specials ones - Spike, he's always there for me helping out and emotionally. I'd like to thank my husband Ed, he's always an inspiration. And AVery Browman - she's been a great addition to our kennel.

ANd I'd like to thank my beautiful dog team for getting us to the finish line. ANd we'll see you again".



* * *

18 - Mats Pettersson - 10d 10h 55m 23s
5th ID

<has to bend almost double to get down to the microphone>

"I want to thank, first of all, really important for me coming over from Sweden every year - the family of Linwood Fiedler and the crew, who let us stay and train from their place. It means a lot for us, coming over from Sweden.

And my family and crew back home in XXXXX, which makes it possible to come here.

And my sponsors. And big congrats to Joar" <pronounced "Yu-arrr">


* * *

17 - Kelly Maixner - 10d 8h 34m 30s
<joined by his daughter on stage>

"Just like to thank everyone who helped me out with dogs on the race - I had a totally borrowed team, so I'd like to thank Lance Mackey for his dogs, Mitch and Dallas Seavey, Ray Redington, and Cim Smyth. They did a good job getting down the trail.

I'd also like to thank my wife and family at home for giving me the time I needed.

And I think Rosie wants to sing a song:


<lifts her up to the microphone>

<sings the B-I-B-L-E song>

Kelly gets her to hold up his top-twenty trophy.


* * *

16 - Jessie Royer - 10d 7h 59m 10s

"Def a big thank you to all the vols, the vets, the race officials who put this race on - I know they do so much work behind the scenes, so thank you very much to them.

To Kirsten and Bob for another place to stay here in Nome, they're always so accommodating and wonderful hosts. And to my dad for coming up here.

And congratulations to all the other mushers for finishing a tough race.

This year was probably one of my ... I don't know - every year is so different, it's kind of hard to compare them - but for me, it was probably more of a mental challenge, dealing with a lot of different things out on the trail.

This year I got to travel with Aliy more than I've ever gotten to travel with before. And she's definitely one of my inspirations and heroes. She's a lot of fun. She's always upbeat on the trail, and I really appreciate her out on the trail.

A couple of times out there I was thinking - we were going across Norton Sound - and we're out there in the middle of the night - and it's storming and blowing, and you come across some Iditabiker or something - and I'm thinking "you guys are crazier than we are". But anyway, we go across Norton SOund, and it really wasn't *that* bad, and it was drifting, but the wind wasn't that bad. And then we left Koyuk on the way to ELim, the trail actually got better but we were in a white-out with high winds and I had stopped and was feeding my dogs.

And Aliy came up behind me and she was "HOW'S IT GOING??" and we're getting hounded by the wind, and I'm "IT's GOING PRETTY GOOD - IT'S ACTUALLY A BETTER TRAIL THAN BEFORE. I PREFER THIS WITH THE WIND AND SHAKTOOLIK!"

"YEAH, ME TOOOO"

and we're getting pounded and I'm thinking this is kind of crazy - who *enjoys* this out here?? And we do... and it's why we come back every year. We love the challenge of being out there - what mother nature can throw at us, and how we can handle it and conquer it - either physically or mentally. And you always learn something about yourself an d your dog team and the trail - it's different every year.

I have a lot of friends and family to thank for supporting me, and def for god giving me the strength to get down the trail - both mentally and physically at times. If it wasn't for him putting that next marker in front of me, in the storm of life, sometimes I wouldn't find my way, def been my light. So thank you so very much to everybody."



* * *

15 - Aliy Zirkle - 10d 6h 42m 22s
18th ID

"Thank you guys - i had a good time travelling with Jessie as well. We got about > this < close to each other talking about various blizzards, where we stopped and which dogs we had where and who was going to go next first. Honestly, the folks who we travelled around - Ketil, he was always there breaking trail, ...it was kind of a group activity this year on ID. It wasn't really the single team out there... except for <coughs> one of us.

We all draw inspirations - and we need to draw inspirations - to stand up here and do these races. My inspiration has definitely been my family for a long time - and will always be my family. I just want to say thanks to my husband-love of my life-and all of the friends who have become my family. Everyone back in Two Rivers and around the world who've helped my dogs and supported what we do. I really appreciate it.

ANd of course all of our sponsors who are now our friends as well.

ID is very special to me. The last people I want to thank are the people on the trail - the villagers. It's amazing - we talk to you about Shaktoolik and how miserable or crazy or windy it is - there are people there, who that is their home. That's where they live, their parents have lived, their grandparents, their great-grandparents, forever. And they allow us to travel through their towns - thank you so much for letting us travel through your world. It's very special to us. Thank you guys."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
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Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby Moose » Sat Mar 24, 2018 12:06 pm

Great stuff! Beaming much appreciation to Elsie for doing this.
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Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby fladogfan » Sat Mar 24, 2018 7:09 pm

Even if I never get to see the video I won't miss a thing, thanks to elsietee.
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Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby elsietee » Mon Mar 26, 2018 8:14 pm

14 - Ketil Reitan - 10d 5h 54m 4s
7th ID

"Great to be here in Nome again. Thanks again to all the volunteers and XXX who've made this great race possible. It has been a fantastic year for us, I had lots of help from my son Vebjorn who ran my dog team in the YQ and I was able to start with 13 dogs that had been in his Quest team and they were very good prepared for this race. They did much better than we expected and we are ready for another 14-1500 miles back to Kratovic.

Congratulations to Joar - that used to be my handler in Norway. So proud of you and I really appreciate the friendship we've had, over all these years. I'm very happy for you and proud of what you're doing."

* * *

13 - Matthew Failor - 10d 5h 53m 52s
7th ID

"Thank you everyone, thanks for coming. I have a lot of people to thank, of course my mom and dad, everyone sitting at that table over there <gestures>, thank you for all your help here in Nome - Ruth Ann my host family. It's a joy to know we're coming to Nome and she's opening up her home to our family. AK Ice Field Expeditions has been my longest supporter and sponsor - we give tours down in Juneau and we see thousands of people and we get to positively show them the sport of dog mushing. It's a big deal - tourism is a huge part of our state, and we love showing our sport to these people. Gold Rush Sled Dog tours, my friend Micheal O'Makkerly who makes our knives, Woolex who keeps me warm, our booster club - very happy to have all of you on our team. Mr Cutney and of course our crew back home - Tim, Jessie, May and Michael.

I've never done this before - called out the individual dog names, but I'd really like to because I want you to know who our dogs are... some day I hope they're on the back of Mushing Magazine:

Heisman
Durk
Pantera
Superfly
Hell Hound
Torrent
Led Zeppelin
Lord Stanley (he doesn't like it if you just call him Stanley)
Premier
Miss Banshee
Zombie
Pink Floyd
Ronnie James Dio
Rebel
Iron Maiden
and Phantom.

And there's a ton more, but those were the ones on the team."


* * *

12 - Aaron Burmeister - 10d 4h 29m 7s
17th ID

"Thank you. It's good to be home. Not just being here, but it's good to be back on the sled after a couple of years off. It was good to get out there and see everyone - much less being on the southern route and getting to see a trail we haven't seen since 2013. As we all know, the southern route is always a tough trail and this year it was a challenge - not just the southern route, but all the way back in the AK Range - all the way to Nome. But we're ID mushers and that's what we're out there to do - overcome those challenges and bring a team in to Nome - and I congratulate everyone that finished because that was not your easy walk in the park. When you have the winner of the race finishing a day and half later than the previous year - and I did, what, 10 days, 4 hours - I don't think I've done a 10 day race in 12 years. So certainly it was a work out for all of us. So congratulations to all the mushers who got here and - Lars Monsen, that was awesome: "because you're awesome" - that was really cool. A good description. So if anyone has problems saying "Joar"... it's not "jor", it's not.. whatever... just call him "Your awesome" and that works.

Thanks again to the volunteers, the check point people. I know everyone's been thanking them, but we can't have a race without you. Big congratulations to Shaktoolik, as Aliy says, because they certainly earned the Golden Clipboard award this year. They had an awesome warm place on a windy day and did their best to accommodate all the mushers and Volunteers.

There's some individuals that make it possible for me to come back here every year - and I'd certainly like to thank them. My wife Mandy, my son Hunter, and daughter Kaiana for having the patience and being able to put up with me being out on the trail, training dogs all winter long, and travelling to races, and travelling for camping trips and just being patient and always being there when I get home. Sometimes the snow doesn't get ploughed for a few days because I'm busy on teh trail, but thank you - hon - for your patience and doing a lot of stuff that I should be doing when I'm training dogs.

My partner Tony Browning and his wife Maryann for being there. I work full-time as well, and to have them at home to help take care of the kennel and the dogs just really makes it possible for me. It's challenging enough to be a dog musher, but to have a family and a full time job - having Tony and Maryann as part of the kennel has been priceless and made it possible for me to still chase my dreams and take part in this event.

A young man who came on board this year and stepped up and helped up throughout fall training and again coming on in January and staying with us from the Kusko through to the ID, from Nome here - Bubba McDaniel. I've known Bubba since he was a baby, but he's been a monster help and really stepped up. We bought a new snowmachine a couple of weeks ago after the garage burned down, because we needed something for grooming trails. And I think in the last two weeks, Bubba put most of 1000 miles on it because it snowed every day.

And the sponsors who make it possible to keep coming back year after year - big thanks to Northern Air Cargo for being on board - helping us get to all the races, flying our dogs and the dog food and taking care of us. They're a big part of our program and have been there alongside us for 19 years now.

Bering Pacific Services has been on board for many years and we sure appreciate their support.

We got some local support this year and people stepped up through a cause that I'm working throughout the region - it's kind of a suicide prevention cause - living healthy lives and looking forward, setting goals, and looking forward to getting up tomorrow morning. And keep in mind there's always a way to believe in yourself. Norton Sound Economic Development Corp stepped up and they're a big part of our region and our communities and they came on board this year, along with XXXX a subsidiary - which is a clothing company - they came on board.

A long time sponsor - QAP; Dr Timms Pet Food; Northern XXXX in Fairbanks, keeping our snowmachines running and the maintenance on our rigs for training. Klimm Gear for keeping us outfitted in warm winter gear...


...and one special person who I saw earlier, but I don't see her now. SHe's always been an inspiration to us. This was her last ID. She bowed out this year at Rainy Pass, but she wasn't out of the race and we got to see her after that - Dee Dee Jonrowe. Dee Dee has made a lifestyle around this race and been an inspiration to many of us over the years, fighting through cancer, finishing in the top ten multiple times, and she's someone who, after the race ended for her this season, she flew on to several of the villages - she was in Unk and other places - Dee Dee just being out there, thanking our sponsors and communities for being there for us. She's still an inspiration and I wanted to give her a good job and a round of applause for her incredible career.

Again thank you very much, it's good to be home, and congratulations to Joar - incredible race."


* * *

11 - Matt Hall (r) - 10d 3h 36m 51s

"First off, I'd like to thank all of you for being here tonight - it's been an incredible experience, being introduced to the ID family and running against and alongside some of the best mushers in the world. It's been awesome and I will be back in the future.

I'd also like to thank a few sponsors - the Two Rivers Outpost, XXX Electronics, XXXX, AK Icefield Expeditions, and Princeton Tack, as well as all the volunteers along the trail, and my dog sponsors, bootie sponsors, gear sponsors and most of all, the fan base that keeps me going out there.

And of course my dogs - I've got a beautiful team, they've been with me the whole way and it's been amazing. Thank you, guys".

* * *

10 - Linwood Fiedler - 10d 1h 27m 54s
24th ID

"You can tell who's had a few more beers than the others <laughs>. First of all, I'd like to thank my wonderful hosts and his friends who started off the evening taking just a sip of beer every time someone said "blowhole". <general laughter>. However, through the evening, it has transpired into "wind", "drifts", "breaking trail", and "ID checkpoint". That's why they're noisy over there.

Thank you very much for opening your hoem to us. Alison and Grace at home have been instrumental in our training program, Tim Muto did an amazing job this year running our puppy team - anyone who saw those dogs come in - those *yearlings*, not even about a year and half old - coming in happy, driving, wanting to go - it was pretty amazing, and my hat's off to him.

Sandy and Gabe - a special part in my heart. Kathy. My sister back home in CT, who's staying up way later than she usually does to watch this.

One of the thing I really enjoy out on the trail is observing male mushers dialog with each other, versus female mushers dialog with each other. It's so interesting and I'm trying to get more in tune with my feminine side because... female musher 1 to female musher 2:

"How's your team?"

"Oh, it's not so good, I've got some diarrhea and I'm feeling really down about it. My emotions are everywhere..."

"I know just how you're feeling. I was feeling like that at a Checkpoint ago, but you can rise, you can do it... OK, we got this!"

...

Two male mushers:

"How's your team?"

"diarrhea"

"That sucks"

...."
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elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
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Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby fladogfan » Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:06 am

Linwood is a funny man :lol: observant also ;)
All my children have four feet and fur.
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Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby Eggs » Tue Mar 27, 2018 8:23 am

Closing in on the finish Elsie! Thanks so much for these. I'd rather read them than watch the videos.
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Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby sc-race-fan » Tue Mar 27, 2018 11:09 am

Boy do I agree!! Reading at my own pace and savoring the musher's words makes it feel like I'm in the room. THANK YOU!
Proud PaPa of the triplet litter; Aidan (B), Bailey (G), and Cameron (B). Cameron is on top in picture; Bailey, of course, is the bowhead!!
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