Buddy Streeper built up such a time advantage over the first two days of the 2023 Fur Rendezvous Championship Sled Dog Race that he could allow himself to soak up the moment during the third and final leg on Sunday.
Buddy Streeper leaves the starting line for his third leg.
The Fort Nelson, British Columbia musher departed the starting line wearing the number 1 bib, a familiar sight to sprint racing fans, and owning a nearly insurmountable seven-minute lead over the next closest musher. As he passed hundred of fans along 4th Avenue he was all smiles and waves, even taking a moment to entertain the crowd by “slaloming” his sled back and forth.
Streeper returned to to the start/finish line one hour, 24 minutes and 57 seconds later with his record-tying 10th World Championship title, huge smile, and raised fist. After parking his team, he shared some long celebratory hugs with family, dogs and handlers.
Buddy Streeper tends to his dogs after winning the title.
“It takes a lifetime of work and commitment,” Sreeper said of the accomplishment. “Getting just one win is a big deal.”
The Fur Rondy dog sled races have a history going all the way back to the mid 1940’s. There was a time in Alaska where the Fur Rondy World Championship sprint races every February were considered the “Super Bowl” of sporting events in Alaska and names like George Attla, Roxie Wright, and Dr. Roland Lombard are part of Alaska’s sports history lexicon.
George “The Huslia Hustler” Attla was so famous during his peak in the 1970’s that Hollywood produced a movie about him (Spirit of the Wind). He was Alaska’s first true celebrity athlete and was a member of the charter class of inductees into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame.
The event doesn’t attract as much attention as it once did, but mushers like Streeper and Willow’s Egil Ellis have helped keep spring mushing relevant. One look at the crowd lining 4th Avenue let’s you know Fur Rondy is still a big deal.
A for Streeper, having his name placed next to a legend like Attla is a big deal.
“It’s amazing to share ten wins with him,” he said as he fed and watered his team in front of a throng of spectators. “He was a good friend of mine.”
Fur Rondy race fans stopping to admire Buddy Streeper’s dogs.
Streeper who started with an impressive team of 20 dogs on the first day and raced the final day with 16 dogs, finished with a final three-day time of four hours, 22 minutes and 20 seconds.
And he made it clear to media members that he plans to come back next year with an eye towards the record.
Greg Taylor finished with an overall time of four hours, 32 minutes, and 23 seconds. An outstanding third day performance moved the Fairbanks musher into second place, 44 seconds ahead of Michael Tetzner of Germany in the final standings.
See full 2023 Fur Rendezvous Championship Sled Dog Race results here.