Egil Ellis approaches the College Road crossing on the second day of the Open North American. Photo by Dave Partee/SledDogStudio.com
Two men came to mind after Egil Ellis achieved Open North American Championship immortality on Sunday — George Attla, with whom he had been tied at eight wins, and Bengt Ellis, his late father who introduced the Swede to mushing.
An emotional Ellis hugged one of his leaders, Ruby, and his wife, Helen Lundberg, after dramatically coming from behind to win his ninth title in 11 years by 4.5 seconds over Canadian Buddy Streeper.
“This is the best win,” said Ellis, who moved to Willow with Lundberg in 2001. “It was the most exciting of all the nine races I won and the closest for sure. … It’s just pure joy.”
Ellis said he “kind of revolutionized” the sport of sprint mushing by bringing a cross between huskies and short-haired pointers to Alaska. The dogs are a breed he was happy to share, and now the breed is used by all the top racers.
That wouldn’t have been possible had Bengt Ellis and his brother not imported sled dogs from Greenland more than 50 years ago.
“His dad was one of the first that actually had sled dogs in Sweden in the mid-1940s after the second World War,” Lundberg said.
Egil was 12 when Bengt got him started with dogs.
“He was with me all the time and showed me things (about dogs) and traveled with me,” Ellis said. “He was a true inspiration for me, so I think he was with me all this weekend, too.”
Bengt Ellis died two years ago this summer.
“(His dad) was his biggest fan,” Lundberg said.
Ellis has another fan in Attla, the “Huslia Hustler” who won eight ONAC titles between 1969 and 1987. Attla last ran the ONAC in 2004 at the age of 70.
“Oh, you’re doggone right,” Attla said when asked by phone in Huslia whether he was rooting for Ellis on Sunday. “Records are made to be broken.”
Attla still holds the record at Anchorage’s Fur Rendezvous World Championships with 10 wins.
Attla, 75, was unable to pick up the Internet broadcast of the race on Sunday, so he called a friend in Fairbanks who held the phone up to a radio for him.
“I am very proud of him for the simple reason that I think other dog teams were there that can actually beat him, but (Ellis) is the racing man,” Attla said.
Attla said he still has a dozen dogs but has only hooked them up once this winter due to poor health. Earlier this month he visited with Ellis at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race start.
“I was very fortunate that I was able to hang on as long as I did,” Attla said. “And then Egil came along with a better breed of dogs … and a better way of feeding them.”
Ellis shared his admiration for Attla.
“He’s a real sportsman and a real gentleman, so he’s cheering me on. We have a good time together,” Ellis said.
Though Ellis eclipsed his record, Attla still has bragging rights for the closest win ever: In 1975, he nipped Harvey Drake by 2.4 seconds.
Ellis had a couple of seconds to spare Sunday, but it took an all-out effort during the final five miles after he loaded a dog in his sled bag for the second straight day.
“I told myself, ‘I’m down seconds. I gotta get every second I can from that load to the finish,’” said Ellis, whose slim build and desperate foot pedaling aided him down the homestretch. “And I just pumped and pumped the whole way.”
Attla couldn’t see Ellis’ final charge but was impressed nonetheless.
“When you watch them race, it seems like Egil’s dogs got eight legs and a tail, and all the other dogs just got four legs,” Attla said.
–Originally printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner