Knik 100 race canceled, 200 on track

WILLOW – Even with a changed course and the cancelation of the shorter race, the Knik 200 Joe Redington Sr. Memorial Sled Dog Race will go on.

“We had to strip out anything we could and just concentrate on the 200,” said race manager Bob Sexton.

Though the race is shorter than usual — two 80-mile “laps” from Deshka Landing to Yentna Station and back — it’s enough to count toward the Iditarod’s qualifying requirements.

“This is the best we could come up with to help rookies qualify for the Iditarod and the (Yukon) Quest. We didn't wanna let anyone down,” said race volunteer and former organizer Kit Braden.

Braden said they’ve had to cancel the Knik 200 several times and more often in the last few years, but between the memorial, the race’s standing as an Iditarod qualifier and the now 31-year history of the event, organizers want to do everything they can to keep it running.

That attitude has paid off. Sexton said the trail crews have been monitoring the course every three days, and with about a foot of new snow, everything seems to be ship-shape.

“The trails are beautiful,” Sexton said Wednesday.

Unfortunately, with the postponement, several mushers had to drop out on account of their participation in the Yukon Quest, which starts Feb. 7. Ray Redington Jr., for example, is flying out this weekend for some mandatory pre-race preparation as a rookie runner in the 2015 Quest.

It’s up to his younger brother Robert to represent the Redingtons in the Knik 200.

The brothers have run the race together before, but Robert said he’ll be missing Ray this year.

“I kinda wish he was in there so I can see how close I can get to him in this race,” he said.

This year is a bit more significant for Robert since the 200 is his last qualifier — basically, as long as he finishes, he’ll have a chance to be in the running of the 2016 Iditarod.

(According to the official rules, rookie Iditarod runners must complete two 300-mile qualifiers and one other approved qualifier, for a total of 750 miles. Also, a musher must finish within the top 75 percent of the field or in a time no more than twice that of the winner.)

Robert finished 12th in the Copper Basin 300 this year and sixth in the Northern Lights 300 last weekend. He’s moved up a few places in the top 20 in the last two years of the Knik, and the trend will likely continue, but he’s not too concerned about where he comes in.

“We’re gonna have fun,” he said. “There are a couple strong teams in (the race) that should be tough, but yeah, we’ll see how we look compared to them.”

Musher Tim Pappas, originally from Wyoming, is also looking to use the Knik race in his pursuit of the 2016 Iditarod, after discovering his love for sled dog racing.

“I was looking for something to do for the winter and mushing sounded like a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s just kinda become a passion.”

Pappas recently moved to Big Lake after spending two summers in Juneau, giving sled dog tours on Mendenhall Glacier. It was there that he encountered Martin Buser’s dogs, and was eventually contacted by the four-time Iditarod champion himself.

Now he works as a handler for Buser at Happy Trails Kennels, and is running some of the younger and less-experienced dogs in the Knik 200, as well as the upcoming Snowy Mountain Trapper 250, which starts Feb. 13.

His first big race was the Northern Lights 300 last week, in which he finished around 23rd place.

“Our team’s probably not gonna win but we’ll keep a pretty good pace,” Pappas said of the Knik race. “Trying to get all the dogs to the finish line, that's kinda the goal.”

Joining Pappas and the youngest Redington in the 2015 Knik 200 are 32 others, including the famous DeeDee Jonrowe; 18-year-old Ben Harper, Ray Redington’s neighbor; and Becca Moore, co-owner of Homestretch Kennel with Ramey Smyth.

For a complete roster, visit knik200sleddograce.com.

The race will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 at Deshka Landing. Parking will be available for $5 per vehicle.

Earlier this week, Kristy Berington won the 2015 Northern Lights 300.

2015 Northern Lights 300 finish order

1. Kristy Berington ; 2. Anna Berington ; 3. Charley Bejna; 4. Darrin Lee; 5. Jodi Bailey; 6. Robert Redington; 7. Timofei Gynuntegin; 8. Noah Pereira; 9. Becca Moore; 10. Dave Delcourt; 11. Lev Shvarts; 12. Kristin Bacon; 13. Damon Tedford; 14. Larry Daugherty; 15. Gwenn Bogart; 16. Seth Barnes; 17 Mark Selland; 18 Patrick Beall; 19 Alan Stevens; 20 Kim Franklin; 21 Mary Helwig; 22 Maliko Ubl; 23 Tim Pappas; 24 Thomas Jamgochian; 26 Christine Roalofs; 28 Vern Halter; 29 Cindy Abbott; 30 Tom Schoenberger; 31 Ellen Halverson

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.