Fun Run #6 Race Results
March 25, 2001
20 degrees F

Making the largest turnout in recent club history, 48 competitors and 76 dogs descended on the Jeff Studdert Racegrounds and Dog Mushers Hall for the final Alaska Skijor and Pulk Association (ASPA) Fun Race of the season.  Participants got to refuel after the race at the ASPA-sponsored barbecue. 

After the regular race, eighteen people participated in a one-dog, one-mile LeMans-style mass start event.  Competitors had to run with their dogs fifty yards to their skis and poles, put their skis on, and head out onto the course.  Jim Lokken was the first person into the start chute but quickly dropped to the back of the pack when his dog tried to run the wrong direction.  Jessica Larsen worked her way to the front of the pack with 400 yards to go to win the race by five seconds.  Iris Wood, Sara Elzey, and Julie Rowland were close behind, but Sara was later disqualified for finishing with two dogs after she caught a dog that ran to the front of the pack when another competitor's panic snap inadvertently released.  Jim Lokken overcame his rough start to finish fourth.

Competitors race to their skis and poles with their dogs during the LeMans-style start as ASPA's Fun Run #6.  Jessica Larsen, in orange at the right side of photo was the eventual winner of the 1-mile race.  Photo by Jim Herriges.

ASPA co-founder Carol Kaynor returned to skijoring for the first time in ten years and won the 3.7 mile 2-dog class.  Carol ran two retired limited class dogs, Yogi, age 10, and Fudge, age 8.  The last time Carol raced, she won the red lantern at the Gold Run in 1991.

Board of Director elections were also held.  Pat DeRuyter will serve as President during the upcoming year and Mike Malvick will serve as Vice-President.

Thanks to our Sponsors: All Weather Sports, Holmenkol, Wendys, 49er Feed, Beaver Sports, and RIMPAC Equipment for providing the race prizes.  Thanks also to the Alaska Dog Mushers Association for use of Mushers Hall as race headquarters.  Nancy Hausle Johnson again provided a custom skijoring tile for the "Friends of Creamers' Field" raffle.

The event could not have happened without the help of many volunteers.  Thanks to Carol Kaynor, Chris Terzi, Sara Elzey and Cindy Salmon for working the registration table; Jim Herriges, Tone Deehr, Cheryle Barrett, and Steve Barrett for helping time and compute results; Chuck Deehr, Chris DuBois, and Mike Malvick for providing barbecue grills; Alina Evans for the use of her pick-up truck; Sandra Malvick for making the Sam's Club run; Jess Ryan, Sandra Malvick, Eric Breitenberger, Steven Sheehy, Carolyn Sheehy, Jim Lokken, and John Hallsten for cooking at the Hall; the multitude of people who pitched in to clean up Mushers Hall after the party was over; and Edo and Jeanette Van Bueren for videotaping the event and giving ASPA access to the Hall.  If anyone was missed in the above list (and there most definitely was), drop Mike Malvick an e-mail.

The next ASPA function will be a Lead Dog Training Workshop at Creamers' Field on Saturday, March 31.  There will be two one-hour sessions scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.  (Note that all skijor dogs are lead dogs unless you run two or more dogs in tandem.)  Beginning and experience skijor dogs are welcome.  Bring your skis, belt and line or go through the training with your dog on a leash.  A course will be set up to practice commands (gee, haw, come haw, etc.).  A handout with basic commands and ideas for summer training will also be offered.  Learn what to do now and in the summer to have a well-trained dog for the fall skijoring season.

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