Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race sign-up takes on new importance

DARRELL L. BREESE

Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA - The Last Great Race isn't set to begin until March 4, but for the mushers, the race began June 21 when they began lining up at Iditarod Trail Committee Headquarters.

A rule change in how starting positions will be determined for the 2006 race to Nome has led to the race to get in line early.

G.B. Jones, who traditionally camps early to be the first to sign up each year, found the parking lot at Iditarod Headquarters crowded when he arrived at 6:50 a.m. Thursday. Lori Townsend, of Willow, had already set up camp.

Townsend, who ran the race in 1996 and 1997, said she thought of camping out Monday, but decided Tuesday would be early enough. She was surprised that she was in line before Jones.

With 251 days and 21 hours until the official start of the race, the atmosphere at race headquarters took on the feel of a race checkpoint Saturday morning. Musher after musher quickly set up camp following the 17 competitors, who had camped out overnight in the parking lot after declaring their 24-hour layover, and welcomed the newcomers as they trickled in.

Four-time champion Martin Buser rolled in around 7:30 a.m. to a little good-natured ribbing from fellow four-time champ Doug Swingley, who asked where the doughnuts and coffee were. After registering on the check-in sheet, Buser retired to his car to catch a quick catnap before the official registration began at 2 p.m.

Eventually 41 mushers paid their $1,850 entry fee by the end of the day. Nenana musher Aaron Burmeister and rookie Kim Kittridge of Eagle River won the random drawing that returned their entry fee.

A rule change implemented by the Iditarod Trail Committee for selecting starting position means mushers will no longer take part in a random drawing during the pre-race banquet. Instead, each musher will pick his/her starting position from those that haven't already been picked when that musher goes to the podium at the

banquet.

The order in which mushers signed up for the race Saturday determines when they will step to the podium to choose their starting position.

The change upset some of the out-of-state mushers who now have the added cost of traveling to Alaska for registration.

"It's really unfair to us," John Barron of Montana said Saturday morning as he waited for registration to begin. "On top of the registration fee, we have the added cost of airfare, car rental and lodging. And the guys who live up the road in Big Lake and Willow can just drive in this morning."

Out-of-state mushers could mail in their entries, however, they would not have been posted until after 5 p.m. Saturday, behind all those present for the opening day of registration.

"We have to be here if we plan on being competitive and want a good starting position," Swingley said. "With the selection of starting position tied to where we register, we can't afford to mail in our entry. It's too much of a risk."

Townsend was not afraid to reveal her strategy for choosing a starting position, indicating she was eying one of the first five bib numbers.

Other mushers were hesitant to reveal any race strategy and indicated they would wait until the banquet to let everyone know where they plan to start.

"The chess game has begun," Swingley, who was the eighth entry Saturday, said. "No one wants to reveal their hand until they have

to."

Some mushers expressed a desire for a early start position, insuring good trail conditions for the first leg of the race. Others contemplated the benefit of starting later in the day as temperatures would be cooler for the dogs.