Meeting Mushers at the 35th Iditarod Banquet

Doug Swingley, Jeff King, Dee Dee Jonrowe, John Baker, Jacques Philip, Martin Buser, Rick Swensen, and Aliy Zirkle all took time to talk to me and autograph my 2007 Iditarod calendar! It will be fun to see if one of these mushers wins this year. I'm betting on Doug! The mushers banquet was held in the arena where UMD plays Anchorage in hockey. The entire floor was filled, absolutely filled, with fans at round tables. You could buy Iditarod t-shirts, books and coffee mugs, etc. And I did! On stage, each musher was introduced then gave a short speech before choosing a starting position. Afterwards, they were interviewed by television and news media before making their way through a long line of autograph seekers. Its amazing how so many people follow this sport here!