ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) β If you thought mushing was limited to Americans and Canadians, you’d be wrong.
This year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race features a Swede and five Norwegians, including Robert Sorlie, the 2003 and 2005 champion.
A contingent of racing officials from Norway and Sweden visited Alaska last summer to look for ways to promote the sport even more in their countries.
Mushing also isn’t limited to Arctic nations. This year’s field also includes mushers from Australia, New Zealand and even Jamaica.
But of all those entries, it’s the Norwegians who are causing the most worry for the North Americans. That’s because they’re tough, they’re experienced, and they’ve been training in fluffy, deep snow. Alaska mushers trained on hard-packed trails.
Veteran Alaska musher DeeDee Jonrowe says that could be either an advantage or a disadvantage for the Norwegians.
