Mushing

2008 IDITAROD

Economy taking blame for small Iditarod field

Blowback from the troubled global economy combined with a $1,000 increase in entry fees has combined to shrink the size of the field for the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race by 25 percent.

Looting manager puts Kusko 300 in jeopardy

Out an estimated $15,000 and shaken by a manager looting race coffers, the one-time richest, middle-distance sled dog race in the north is scrambling to prepare for the January start of the mushing season.

MUSHING

King, Zirkle sign up for Sheep Mountain

Four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King and former Yukon Quest winner Aliy Zirkle have each signed up for the Sheep Mountain 150 sled dog race.

Top mushers eye big payday in historic Sweepstakes race

A few miles south of nowhere, out of sight of even most Alaska media, the world's best dog mushers will gather Wednesday to battle for $100,000 in a winner-take-all reenactment of a Gold Rush-era race around the once-booming but now desolate Seward Peninsula.

Quest mushers in for a challenge

FAIRBANKS -- This year, notorious Eagle Summit isn't the main trail concern for officials of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race -- not with horrendous jumble ice on the Yukon River and marker-munching caribou on rough Rosebud Summit.

Currier takes early lead in Tustumena 200 race

Just like last year, Fairbanks musher Judy Currier opened an early lead in the $25,000 Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race on Saturday.

Gatt headed to victory in Cantwell Classic

Canadian Hans Gatt was on pace to win the Cantwell Classic, battling chilling temperatures along the 200-mile race that runs from Cantwell to McClaren Lodge on stretches of the Denali Highway and back.

Rough terrain no problem for Smith in Knik 200

KNIK -- Thirty-two mushers faced harrowing trail conditions at Saturday's start of the Knik 200-Joe Redington Sr. Memorial Sled Dog Race.

Joe Redington's grandson wins Knik 200 race

Dog mushing's first family brought home another victory Sunday, this time in the race named after its patriarch. Ryan Redington, grandson of the Iditarod founder, won the Knik 200-Joe Redington Sr. Memorial Sled Dog Race on Sunday morning, beating Ken Anderson and Dan Kaduce to the finish by about 38 minutes.

ALASKA SPORTS ROUNDUP

Ellis leads Day 1 of Su Valley race

Going for his third title in four years, Egil Ellis of Willow took a 31-second lead in Day 1 of the Montana Creek Dog Mushers Association's Su Valley Championships.

More video

Solstice cemetery tour

Bruce and Audrey Kelly narrate a guided tour of historical grave sites at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery on the official first day of summer Tuesday, June 21, 2011, during the 17th annual Solstice Cemetery Tour.

Memorial for Capt. Ridgley

A memorial ceremony was held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Tuesday, May 2, 2011, honoring Capt. Charles E. Ridgley, Jr., of the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, who was killed when a suicide bomber dressed as an Afghanistan National Army soldier detonated explosives at a military base in Nangarhar Province in Eastern Afghanistan last month.

Skeet tradition

Staff Sgt. Brandon Pellowe of Eielson Air Force Base had his hat shot by fellow competitors after he shot his first 25-straight in the 28-gauge event during the Alaska Armed Forces Skeet Championships--Vern Roth Memorial at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Sunday, May 1, 2011.

Baby musk ox

A newborn musk ox calf was not recognized and cared for by her mom shortly after being born, leaving Musk Ox Farm staff to bottle-feed her.

Junior ROTC jump training

About 30 Junior ROTC students from Eagle River High School spent the day at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage on April 20, 2011. The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division hosted the group for a few activities, including a "jump" from a platform 34-feet high in a training tower. Students were harnessed to a zip line for the descent in an exercise designed to simulate a jump from an airplane.

Through the ice at the Dog Park

Andrew Weare was walking his dog at the University Lake Dog Park when he decided to cross the frozen lake to inspect a beaver encased in ice. With the spring thaw upon Anchorage, his stroll suddenly turned harrowing as the ice broke beneath his feet and he found himself submerged in water.

2011 Iditarod: Mackey in Nome

Lance Mackey arrived in 16th place today at 8:55 a.m., saying he's rebuilding his sled dog team around new leader Wilson and looking ahead to 2012.

2011 Iditarod: Baker reflects

2011 Iditarod champion John Baker talks to reporters about his response to the Alaska Native drumming that met him at the finish line, and winning his first Iditarod after 15 years of top finishes.

VIDEO

Artillery live-fire training

Paratroopers with the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, fire M-119 A2 105mm Howitzers during gun training.

2011 Iditarod: Baker's win

Kotzebue's John Baker won the 2011 Iditarod in record-breaking. But his accomplishment as an Alaska Native added a historic touch to the race.

Skating Eagle River

About two dozen skaters put in near the parking area at mile 7.4 of Eagle River Road. The group encountered shell ice, overflow and rough surfaces in some areas, but many stretches of the river were in excellent shape for skating in the shadow of the Chugach Mountains.

2011 Iditarod: Ceremonial Start

Crowds line the streets of Anchorage, Alaska, as the ceremonial start of the 2011 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race gets underway on Saturday, March 5, 2011. Four mushers discuss what's on their minds during the event that celebrates the sport and marks the beginning of a 1,000-mile journey.

'Dancing Man' farewell

For nearly five years, Andrew Kerosky could be seen every Friday at rush hour dancing on 15th Avenue in Anchorage. Over the years he's become a recognizable character in the city. On Friday, December 17, 2010, he gave his last performance.

VIDEO

Wasilla fireworks