Alaska style

December 3, 2006

By Michael Rovito

Frontiersman

TALKEETNA - The folks in Talkeetna must have been doing something right with their annual Wilderness Woman competition. This year's event, which may be the last unless someone is willing to take the reins for future contests, brought a camera crew and TV personality from &#8220The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” all the way from the warm California coast to Alaska.

The contest also brought the most participants in many years, with more than 30 single women - all 21 or older - decked out in Carhartts and bunny boots.

&#8220We only had about a dozen last year,” said longtime event organizer DX Russell.

Russell said there are a few people who have expressed interest in taking over the event, but as for her, this year was definitely her last.

Even so, Russell showed enthusiasm as the first event of the afternoon began under the low-hanging pre-winter sun.

This year's Wilderness Woman contest marks the 21st year that hardy Alaska women have laced up their mukluks and trekked into Talkeetna, bringing the town to life long after summer's tourists departed.

The contest was added to the Talkeetna Bachelor Auction in 1984, giving women the chance to prove they have the right skills to attract a Wilderness Man. Ever since then, the competition has coincided with the 26-year bachelor auction, which came to life when a few lonely sourdoughs concocted the idea in an attempt to attract the fairer sex.

It worked then, and has continued to work ever since.

As spectators lined Talkeetna's main thoroughfare Saturday, those bunny boot-clad women squared off in a test of speed, endurance and strength as they ran the length of the road to fetch two 5-gallon buckets of water, then carried the buckets back to the start line.

With a sheen of ice growing ever slicker on the street, the inevitable wipe-out happened more than once.

Events at the Wilderness Woman competition are designed to simulate Alaska Bush life. Since the contest is followed by the famed bachelor auction, contestants are, in essence, showing off their skills for that night's bachelors.

Events such as the water fetch, driving a snowmachine around a predetermined course, and catching a salmon - albeit a fake one off the street - show the men of the evening just how hard-core the wilderness women are.

Kaki Russell, who is of no relation to DX Russell, was participating in her first ever Wilderness Woman Saturday. The one-time Talkeetna resident, who is now a student, said she was looking forward to running the races, and showed that enthusiasm as she sprinted the 100 yards to fill water buckets, then struggled with the weight on the way back.

She had nothing but optimism when asked why she signed up to compete.

&#8220Because I'm tough,” Russell said, adding with pride that she is from Texas.

As the action moved to a contest that pitted the Wilderness Women against each other in proving who could best bring a sandwich and beer to a bachelor then gather firewood, race around a track on a snowmachine and dump it near a bonfire, all the attention seemed to be focused on Cat Deeley, a British television personality who was on hand with the Leno crew.

Sticking out in her purple, one-piece Gucci-like snowsuit, Deeley struggled with the snowmachine as the bachelors cheered her on, and the Carhartt-clad women seemed secretly pleased.

A representative from the Leno show said the bit should air in January or on Valentine's Day, although there are no confirmed programming plans yet.

While the sun skirted the horizon and the mercury plunged, the cheering crowd could be heard even from the outskirts of downtown.

Contact Michael Rovito at 352-2252 or michael.rovito@frontiersman.com.