Building up all the speed his 16-dog team could muster on the third day of the three-day race, Streeper made up 2 minutes and 11 seconds on leader Bill Kornmuller of Willow for a nine-second overall victory.
It is believed to be the biggest come-from-behind victory since the race started in 1946, according to the Alaskan Sled Dog & Racing Association.
It was so close, both mushers were back at their trucks, tending to their dogs, when Streeper's narrow victory was announced. Streeper had his hands full of frozen dog treats when he heard the news, and he tossed the chunks into the air as if they were confetti. His dogs went wild.
"The team performed amazing today," said Streeper, who banked $13,325 of the record $75,001 purse. "I asked them for some speed at the end, and they handled it. This was an incredible dog team."
It's one that will go down forever as the Comeback Canines.
After finishing third in Friday's first heat and second on Saturday, Streeper's dogs saved their best for last to help their master win his fourth Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship title.
George Attla, the all-time winningest musher with 10 Rondy titles, was impressed as he presented the coveted gold pan to Streeper. The 75-year-old from Fairbanks couldn't recall a musher overcoming such a big deficit on the race's final day.
Kornmuller, a 12-year Fur Rondy veteran, was hoping to take home his first gold pan and become the first American musher to win Fur Rondy since 1993. He settled for runner-up honors for the second time in three years.
"Always the bridesmaid, never the bride," Kornmuller said. "I would have been overwhelmed if I was first."
He wasn't too bummed with his $11,700 in prize money. The 55-year-old positioned himself well by winning Friday and Saturday's 25-mile heats with a dog named Marvin running lead with Patsy, a 2-year-old Fur Rondy rookie.
But Marvin, a 6-year-old stalwart male, sat out Sunday with a sore wrist and was replaced by Sam. She was scared of the crowd, Kornmuller said, but did all that she could to help keep Streeper at bay.
"He was gaining three seconds a mile and just kept coming," Kornmuller said. "There was nothing we could do. Win some, lose some, I'll come back next year and see if we can put it together one time.
"I'm not getting any younger, but I ain't quittin' yet."
Streeper could have called it quits after trailing by 2 minutes and 11 seconds after two heats. He was racing without his superstar 8-year-old leader, Dee -- who raced in his fiance Lina Gladh's team -- and had leader issues Friday and Saturday.
On Sunday, Streeper relied on Miya, who was in lead for his 2008 and 2007 Rondy titles, to fire up the team's back burners along the final three miles -- a stretch where Streeper said he grabbed his victory.
Streeper caught up to fellow musher Arleigh Reynolds before heading up the Cordova Street hill, also known as Heartbreak Hill. He had been listening to the radio broadcast of the race, but lost the signal. As he passed Reynolds, he turned and asked the Salcha musher for a race update.
"Buddy, you're 23 seconds down!" Reynolds yelled.
"Thanks!" Streeper yelled back.
Streeper turned his head around and whistled at his team to run faster and faster and faster after running at a steady but modest pace the previous 22 miles.
Before his brief meeting with Reynolds, Streeper spent much of the race with his feet planted firmly on the sled's brake mat, keeping the team's speed steady at 18 mph. His average speed for the first two days was 19-20 mph.
As he approached the finish line downtown, passing hordes of people lining Fourth Avenue, he turned his dogs and himself loose.
Streeper stepped off his sled runners to lessen his team's burden and trudged desperately through the mushy snow with his hands still clinging to his handlebars.
The extra leg power helped his team blaze the course in 85 minutes, 23 seconds -- 2:20 faster than Kornmuller -- and add a chapter to Fur Rondy's storied history.
Streeper blamed himself for falling behind by so much on the first two days. At least the Canadian will leave Anchorage -- where he's been staying since mid-January with 48 dogs -- knowing he did something right Sunday.
"I saved it for the way home," he said.
Find Kevin Klott online at adn.com/contact/kklott or call 257-4335.
PAST CHAMPIONS
Fur Rendezvous Open World Championships Past Winners
2009 Buddy Streeper
2008 Buddy Streeper
2007 Buddy Streeper
2006 Race canceled
2005 Egil Ellis
2004 Buddy Streeper
2003 Race canceled
2002 Egil Ellis
2001 Race canceled
2000 Egil Ellis
1999 Egil Ellis
1998 Ross Saunderson
1997 Axel Gasser
1996 Race canceled
1995 Ross Saunderson
1994 Ross Saunderson
1993 Roxy Wright
1992 Roxy Wright
1991 Charlie Champaine
1990 Charlie Champaine
1989 Roxy Wright
1988 Charlie Champaine
1987 Eddy Streeper
1986 Race canceled
1985 Eddy Streeper
1984 Charlie Champaine
1983 Harris Dunlap
1982 George Attla
1981 George Attla
1980 Dick Brunk
1979 George Attla
1978 George Attla
1977 Carl Huntington
1976 George Attla
1975 George Attla
1974 Dr. Roland Lombard
1973 Carl Huntington
1972 George Attla
1971 Dr. Roland Lombard
1970 Dr. Roland Lombard
1969 Dr. Roland Lombard
1968 George Attla
1967 Dr. Roland Lombard
1966 Joee Redington Jr.
1965 Dr. Roland Lombard
1964 Dr. Roland Lombard
1963 Dr. Roland Lombard
1962 George Attla
1961 Leo Kriska
1960 Cue Blfelt
1959 Jimmy Malamute
1958 George Attla
1957 Gareth Wright
1956 Jimmy Huntington
1955 Raymond Paul
1954 Raymond Paul
1953 Clem Tellman
1952 Gareth Wright
1951 Raymond Paul
1950 Gareth Wright
1949 Jake Butler
1948 Earl Norris
1947 Earl Norris
1946 Jake Butler
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