Anchorage Daily News

In a year of global economic downturns and companies feeling a financial pinch, some Anchorage businessmen have pulled out their wallets and helped revive Alaska's most historic sport.

The Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship will offer the richest purse in the sport come February -- and one of its biggest ever. A minimum of $65,000 has been set, said Susan Duck, executive director of the city's annual winter festival.

That's up $15,000 from last season's purse -- and it could grow to $75,000 by February when mushers burst from the corner of Fifth Avenue and D Street for Fur Rondy's marquee event.

If it hits $75,000, Duck said, the purse will match the largest payoff in the history of a race that started in 1946. And by next winter, she said, it could balloon to six figures.

That's a significant revitalization for an event facing its own recession two years ago. The entire Fur Rondy festival faced extinction because of a $110,000 debt. It closed its retail office and downsized its staff.

"We're in a much better position now," Duck said.

The upgrade comes while the purse of the world's biggest sled dog race, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, is facing a sharp reduction of its purse from $900,000 to perhaps as little as $660,000 -- or 27 percent.

Asked what it took to collect such a historic Rondy purse, Duck said, "Blood, sweat and tears."

And some financial backing from Anchorage businessmen Troy Smith of Hotwire Electric, Jack Powers of Tudor Road Bingo Center and Dave Gransbury of the Ulu Factory.

Proceeds from Fur Rondy's K-9 Crew and Paws to Recycle program also will contribute to the purse, which has had its ups and downs since 1993.

After reaching $75,000 that year, the purse dropped to $65,000 in 1994, and plummeted to $35,000 the following year.

Recent years have seen less-dramatic bounces:

• 2008: $50,000

• 2007: $33,000

• 2006: race canceled

• 2005: $60,000

• 2004: $40,000

• 2003: race canceled

• 2002: $60,000

The purse sank to its lowest amount the year Willow's Egil Ellis won his first of four Fur Rondy titles in 1999. He pocketed only $4,800 from a $20,000 purse, which was down $30,000 from the prior year.

"We were basically running for free that year," Ellis said.

Even so, $4,800 was a pile of cash for the 28-year-old musher who moved to Alaska from Sweden, where purses didn't exist for sprint races.

"Just trophies and glory," said Ellis, now 38 and training for his eighth Fur Rondy race. "I'd run Fur Rondy even if the purse was $5,000."

Considering mushing is Ellis' full-time job, he said it's good news for him that Greater Anchorage Inc. officials have boosted the purse.

"We're seeing the results of their hard work," he said.

Depending on how fast his dogs run, Ellis could be in the hunt for $8,450, the winner's share of a $65,000 purse.

There are bonuses for placing in the top three of each of the three heats, so if a musher were to win all three days, the total payout would be $12,350. While huge by sprint mushing standards, the 22nd place finisher in last year's Iditarod earned more.

Still, that kind of money would thrill the Streeper family.

"We're looking forward to Rondy," said Terry Streeper by phone from Canada where it was minus 25 last week.

Terry is the father of three-time Fur Rondy champion Blayne "Buddy" Streeper and the brother of two-time winner "Fast Eddy" Streeper.

The Streepers normally don't make the long haul from their Fort Nelson, British Columbia, kennel to Anchorage until Fur Rondy. But this year, Terry said his son will race the Alaskan Sled Dog & Racing Association's ExxonMobil Open (Feb. 7-8) and Raven Electric Championship (Feb. 13-15) at Tozier Track off Tudor Road to gear up for the big race.

He said the $65,000 purse lured the Streepers to Alaska early.

"It's a real positive for the sport," said Terry, who raced Fur Rondy during the 1990s, an era he calls "the good old days."

Despite the spiraling economy, he argued that this season might signal a new era. For years, sprint mushing was the top dog until long-distance mushing -- particularly Iditarod and Yukon Quest -- took over as the major sponsored races.

As far as money, distance mushing still rules. The Iditarod winner will earn $69,000 and a new pickup, while the Quest champion gets $35,000 of a $200,000 purse.

But Duck is hoping a bigger payday for top Fur Rondy racers will get sprint mushing back to "the good old days."

"Sprint racing has been neglected," she said. "(But now) people want to be part of Fur Rondy."

Find Kevin Klott online at adn.com/contact/kklott or call 257-4335.

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