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Skrevet av: Jeff King
Dato: 19.03.2011 08:00
A night to Remember.
Yesterday 10:20am Roger Dahl pulled out of the Karasjok checkpoint with a willing 8 dog team of Alta bound huskies. One leader in particular charged out the corralling area and down the trail like he was fresh off the start line from days ago. As I wished Roger farewell and good luck, he responded, " I am gonna need it with that skinny young girl chasing me like that!" He was of course referring to Sigrid Ekran. At thirty years of age Skrid is exactly one half the age of Mr.
Finnmarkslopet, Roger Dahl.
1 hour and 50 minutes behind Roger, Sigrid's team barked and lunged to begin their last leg of the 1000k journey. Roger has 30 years more experience than Sigrid, and Sigrid has 30 less years of wear and tear on her body. It made for a fabulous race.
Stiff winds buffeted both racers on the long 10 hour run to the finish line. What changes have occurred for Sled Dog race fans! To watch the teams approach and wrestle for position on the trail, all from the
comfort of our lap top commuters! The GPS tracking is a HUGE advancement
in the world of sled dog sports! How fun and engaging to check in with the commuter tracking to see the progress of the teams!
As the town of Alta watched the race near the town center, a crowd of hundreds swelled to easily more than 1000 race fans. Maybe 2000. Cheering and excited the crowd lined 10 persons deep both sides of the street as 60 year old local hero and Finnmarkslopet legend Roger Dahl arrived to win his 4rd Finnmarkslopet Championship. Clearly this town loves this man and his dogs. The cheering, screaming, dancing and emotion was comparable to any Iditarod finish I have ever been to. And I have been to a lot of them. The music, the lighting, the stages, the Sponsor backdrop, the Ice 'stage", the weather. Oh what a night.
Roger's team finished standing up wagging their tails and looking for dinner. A great finish to a long long race.
Having made up literally hours on Roger in the past couple of days, Sigrid Ekran arrived about an hour behind. Her dogs were even more lively than Roger's. Wagging from nose to tail, more common from a Golden Retriever, Sigrids dogs looked like they could have gone on down the trail for hours to come.
Sigrid's enormous welcome from the fans will be a no doubt make for a night she will long remember.
Clearly she his headed to the winner's circle of many races for years to come.
By the time Robert Sorlie arrived in third place, much of the crowd had gone home. Robert's welcome was smaller, but none the less emotional as this Norwegian Iditarod Champion was greeted the congratulated by dozens of family and friends, not the least of which was his mushing student of many years, Sigrid Ekran. If a guy's got to get beat in a race, it sure is nice to be beat by good friends and
mushing talent you helped create.
Well done, one and all.
Jeff King
Previous Kings Corner:
Kirkenes Checkpoint, Northern Norway