Iditarod moves restart to Willow, again

Feb. 23, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - For the fifth consecutive year, the official restart of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will be staged outside of the official home of the Iditarod restart.

The Iditarod Trail Committee announced Friday it has scratched any plan of hosting the event in Wasilla, and will move the restart north to Willow.

Once again Willow Lake has become the home of the Iditarod restart, which is slated to begin March. 4 at 2 p.m.

The ITC cited conditions in the Wasilla area not conducive to racing as the primary reason for the switch.

&#8220We just have not had enough snow to pack the trails,” Iditarod director of public relations Chas St. George said Friday afternoon.

St. George said not all of the trail in the Wasilla area is bad, but recent temperature fluctuations have had a washboard-like effect on certain portions of the route.

&#8220We are committed to making sure we have the safest possible route for all of the athletes,” he said.

St. George said there are many variables that are factored into the decision that ultimately sent the restart back to Willow for another year.

Wasilla is still known as the traditional home of the restart, and the ITC has a strong relationship with the city, St. George said.

There is also a cost of moving the event out of Wasilla.

St. George estimated the move of the restart will cost the ITC, &#822030,000.”

&#8220The city of Wasilla does a tremendous amount of work,” St. George said. &#8220And now the cost is ours.”

St. George cited a laundry list of expenses ranging from acquiring the necessary permits to host the event in Willow to providing Porta Potty units for the spectators of the event.

The ITC will provide shuttles, at a free cost, to fans seeking a lift to the event. Shuttles will take spectators from Wasilla High School, Wasilla Middle School, Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex and Houston High School to the restart site. Shuttles will also bring fans south, from Sunshine Tesoro in Talkeenta and the Mile 73 parking lot on the Parks Highway, to Willow.

Parking is available at the Willow Airport, St. George said, but there is a fee of $10 per vehicle.

The ITC waited until Friday to make the final decision on the site of the restart, but with the race just more than a week away St. George said the ITC formulated separate plans to hold the event at each site.

Earlier this winter, the Valley experienced weather conditions ideal for hosting the start of the mushing's most recognized long-distance race. But in the last several weeks, conditions continued to deteriorate.

Considering this is the fifth straight year the ITC has been forced to move the restart outside of Alaska, the board discussed the long-term future of the restart, St. George said.

Weather patterns in recent years and the tremendous growth and development of the Wasilla have become hurdles for the ITC, in its effort to keep the restart in Wasilla.

Some have sited the need for a dedicated and maintained trailhead to host such events as the Iditarod restart.

&#8220One of the most important factors for us to look at, is taking a close look at how we can dedicate a trailhead that can tie into the Iditarod Trail,” St. George said. &#8220

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.