Talkeetna bachelors go on the auction block

JOHN DAVIDSON/Frontiersman reporter

TALKEETNA -- Any way you look at it, Talkeetna is kind of a bizarre place. Tucked away in the northern reaches of the Mat-Su Borough, at the foot of Denali and the confluence of three rivers, the historic town is known to Alaskans for great fishing, hiking and mountaineering.

With a huge influx of seasonal workers and a string of festivals and fairs during the summer months, the community has a reputation for openness, hospitality and good times. Many Talkeetna residents are from elsewhere, having moved to Talkeetna to experience the rustic life in a tightknit community.

But to the rest of the world, apparently, Talkeetna is known for the annual Wilderness Woman Contest and Talkeetna Bachelor Society Bachelor Auction and Ball.

This year marks the 24th-annual Bachelor Auction and the 19th-annual Wilderness Woman Contest. These charity events have drawn international media attention in past years, but never to this scale, says volunteer DX Russell, who is helping organize the weekend events.

"This is probably as much attention as we've ever had," Russell said. "The Europeans like it, they really do. They're more cognizant of it than Americans."

And there will be plenty of Europeans on hand for Saturday's festivities. A Belgian film crew arrived in town this week with a contestant who will be competing in the Wilderness Woman competition. The film crew is shooting part of a television series on different competitions around the world.

Four Britons will also be on hand, two with a film company and two journalists. Russell said last year a British journalist showed up with a photographer the day before the auction and wanted to participate.

"These people just show up sometimes, they just appear out of nowhere," Russell said.

In addition to the Belgians and the Brits, a German television station out of Los Angeles will be filming the weekend's events, along with a game show network with a crew of eight people.

But the American press will also be represented this year as well. People magazine is sending a reporter and a photographer; the reporter will be competing in the Wilderness Woman Contest.

Last year, the competition and auction attracted coverage from such publications as Marie Claire, GQ, and a French magazine, Le Journal Hebdomadaire.

"It's wacky," Russell said. "I don't have any idea why there's so much interest. It's the concept, I guess -- the wilderness women, the bachelors, I don't know."

The internationally recognized Bachelor Auction will kick off Saturday night, with about 30 bachelors looking to score big on the auction block. During the day, anywhere from 15 to 20 women will take part in the Wilderness Woman Contest. Russell says these numbers are about average compared to past years.

The Wilderness Woman Contest kicks off at noon Saturday at the Village Park in Talkeetna. The Bachelor Ball begins at 7 p.m. at the VFW Post. Only single women, media and bachelors are allowed at the auction, but all are welcome to the Bachelor Ball, which begins at 10 p.m. at Sheldon Community Arts Hangar.

Contact John Davidson at john.davidson@frontiersman.com.