Artist Bill Devine admires the freshly uncrated Joe Redington Sr. Trophy that he designed. The trophy, honoring the founder of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, will be presented to each year's race winner and a version will reside at race headquarters in Wasilla. (JIM LAVRAKAS / Anchorage Daily News)

Trophy honors Redington
95-pound champion's prize remembers 'father of the Iditarod'

By LEW FREEDMAN
Daily News sports editor

The winner of the 28th annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will need to do more than make space on the mantel for the new Joe Redington Sr. Trophy. Maybe clearing the entire dining room table will do it.

A trophy that will help serve as a reminder for all the contributions that Redington, the father of the Iditarod, made to the 1,100-mile race from Anchorage to Nome was delivered to Bovey Trophies in Anchorage on Monday and uncrated in front of a coterie of onlookers at the store.

"What if it turns out to be a lady ice skater?" joked trophy designer Bill Devine as the covering on the box was lifted.

No mistakes were made, though. The impressive bronze trophy, featuring Redington with his arm around a favorite dog, Feats, and the old burled arch from the Iditarod finish behind him provoked oohs and ahs.

Thursday night, the 22-inch high, 95-pound trophy that rests on a 191/2-by-181/2-inch walnut base will be publicly unveiled at the annual Iditarod banquet at Sullivan Arena. By then, the headlamp on Redington's hat will be lighted, too. This huge and heavy keepsake will be presented to the winner later in March in Nome, and duplicates will be presented to winners in future years. A perpetual trophy with a wider base to enable race officials to inscribe winners' names on it will reside at Iditarod headquarters in Wasilla.

The idea for the trophy as a special remembrance for the late Redington, who died in June at 82, was hatched at a memorial service by Chuck Talsky, who works for Anchorage Chrysler Dodge, one of the Iditarod's main sponsors.

"What I pictured was an entire dog team," said Talsky, "but it was too expensive in bronze. And it would have weighed 155 pounds."

Talsky brought the trophy idea to Iditarod executive director Stan Hooley, who liked it.

"I think it's an appropriate additional way to forever memorialize Joe Redington's work in establishing this event," said Hooley, who likened the trophy to the National Football League's Vince Lombardi Trophy, presented to the Super Bowl champion. "I think it's going to be a fitting tribute to Joe."

Talsky also sold his boss, Ron Udd, owner of the Anchorage car dealership, on the suggestion and Udd spent $24,500 for the permanent trophy and the 2000 winner's trophy. Udd, who also recently became a prime sponsor for the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous World Championship sled dog race, also was present Monday.

"It's real nice to be part of it," said Udd.

Redington was the driving force behind the formation of the 1973 Iditarod and remained closely involved in the race's development and expansion for the rest of his life. A longtime racer, with a highest finish of fifth, Redington helped influence most Iditarod policies as a member of the Iditarod Trail Committee's board of directors.

Known for his spunk and innovative ideas, Redington was much-admired and popular throughout Alaska before dying of cancer of the esophagus.

Devine, a close friend of Redington's and an artist who created many symbols and memorabilia associated with the race, took the photograph that was used as the basis of the trophy's design and did the sketches that led to the final product.

"It's great," said Devine. "It's gonna be like no trophy in the world. It's gonna be Alaskan."

Once an implant of a tiny light is made in the headlamp, the trophy will shine even brighter.

"The whole symbolism is Joe Redington lighting the way to Nome," said Greg Bill, the Iditarod's development director.

* Sports editor Lew Freedman can be reached at lfreedman@adn.com