Iditarod prep in motion: inside the straw drop

Volunteers gathered at Air Land Transport in Anchorage are hard at work for the annual Iditarod straw drop, a key behind-the-scenes operation that helps prepare the trail for race day. The straw ensures sled dogs have fresh, dry bedding waiting at every checkpoint along the nearly 1,000-mile journey from Anchorage to Nome.

“The straw, of course, is used for bedding for the dogs when they arrive at the checkpoint or if the musher takes it out along the trail,” said Jennifer Ambrose, volunteer coordinator.

Nearly 900 bales of straw — each weighing about 42 pounds — are being packed, labeled and prepared for shipment along the Iditarod Trail. Volunteers place every bale into a plastic bag, secure it with a zip tie, and attach the required shipping labels before the bundles are flown out to checkpoints across Alaska.

“We are just getting every single bale put into a plastic bag, which we tie up with a zip tie, put the necessary postage or shipping requirements on it, and then it gets flown out to all those checkpoints,” Ambrose explained.

For many volunteers, the straw drop is more than just manual labor — it’s a chance to be part of an iconic Alaska tradition.

First-time volunteers, including missionary students with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said they were excited to lend a hand.

“It was my first time being able to help out with being able to experience it,” said Colby Wilcox from Idaho. “I’m just here serving as a missionary, and it’s been wonderful. It’s so much fun working for the Iditarod, so I’m honored.”

(READ MORE - youralaskalink.com)

Anchorage lineman becomes latest Alaskan to make it to the Super Bowl

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - With Sunday’s 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams, the Seattle Seahawks clinched a trip to Super Bowl LX, and — for the first time in over a decade — gave a chance for an Alaskan to play in the biggest sporting event of the year.

Seattle defensive lineman Brandon Pili, who starred for Dimond High School and signed with the Seahawks before the season, will become what is believed to be the fifth player born in Alaska to make it to a Super Bowl, ending the longest ever drought between Alaskan appearances since the first in 1992. The previous four that had made it appeared in a combined six, going 4-2 overall.

The last Alaskan to play in the big game was fellow Dimond graduate Chris Kuper, a backup offensive lineman on the Denver Broncos that, coincidentally, were the victim of Seattle’s lone Super Bowl win in February 2014.

(READ MORE - ktuu.com)

Bethel’s Pete Kaiser makes K300 history with 10th first-place finish

image from: kyuk.org

Bethel’s own Pete Kaiser has become the winningest musher in Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race (K300) history. The scene on the Bethel riverfront on the morning of Sunday, Jan. 25 was electric as family, friends, and fans cheered the hometown hero across the finish line at 10:40 a.m.

“Just reminiscing about the last 20 years and how we got here,” Kaiser told KYUK at the finish line.

Kaiser now has 10 first-place finishes in the race, breaking the nine-win record held for years by mushing legend Jeff King.

In this year’s race from Bethel to Aniak and back, Kaiser said that victory never felt assured.

“I thought, wow … there [were] six or seven different teams that could maybe pull this off if they kept having the run they were having. So no, I wasn't super confident,” Kaiser said.

(READ MORE - kyuk.org)

Alaskan skier makes history ahead of Winter Olympics with best American man finish in Tour de Ski

image from: https://alaskapublic.org/news/2024-02-19/schumachers-world-cup-win-after-two-tough-years-shows-world-class-talent-is-still-in-there

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Gus Schumacher is hitting his stride at the right time as the Anchorage skier strung together a historic set of six races in eight days in Italy.

Schumacher placed seventh overall in the multi-day Tour de Ski, the best finish ever by an American male, which was previously set at 13th place.

(READ MORE - ktuu.com)

ASAA Basketball Games

image from: https://asaa.org/activities/basketball/

There are 8 games for Alaska School Activities Association basketball today. The featured games are by Alaska School Activities Association top ranked teams #2 West Anchorage (Anchorage, AK) @ Dimond (Anchorage, AK), Bettye Davis East Anchorage (Anchorage, AK) @ #4 Service (Anchorage, AK), and #11 Chugiak (AK) @ Bartlett (Anchorage, AK). The first game, Ninilchik (AK) @ Susitna Valley (Talkeetna, AK), starts at 6:30p.

(READ MORE - maxpreps.com)