Uncategorized

March 5, 2013

Sass Mushes into Iditarod Point d’Appui on Second Day

Brent Sass

Brent Sass

Teams are spread among three different checkpoints as the second day of the Iditarod mushing is figured. Brent Sass, owner and founder of Wild and Free Mushing, is at the Point d’Appui of the race. Half the dog sleds were ahead of him and half were behind when he checked in at Finger Lake.

Sass majored in geography at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and started racing and training huskies about seven years ago. He began racing in 2006 and was Rooke of the Year for the 2012 Iditarod. Ahead of him, Martin Buser still leads the race, and James Volek is bringing up the dog’s tail.

March 4, 2013

Demoski Holds Point d’Appui after First Day of Iditarod

Rudy Demoski

Rudy Demoski

Sixty-seven-year-old Rudy Demoski Sr., who raced his first Iditarod in 1974, finished at the middle of the pack Sunday as the mushers arrived at the Yentna checkpoint on the first day of the 2013 Iditarod. His placement, however, belies his success. The mushers were sent off every two minutes, and Demoski has already passed several other mushers to get to the fulcrum.

Demoski, a carpenter, hasn’t run Iditarod for 27 years, but picked up a sponsor this year and decided he wasn’t getting any younger. In the 1974 Iditarod, Demoski finished fourth so don’t expect him to stay on the fulcrum long.

Martin Buser, who led out the race, has retained his lead so far, although several behind him are maintaining stronger paces so far. The final sled had not checked in at Yentna as of this post, so the tail of the dog is unknown yet.