This evening I found myself drawn into the Versus channel. No, I wasn’t watching the Volvo coverage that I missed; I was actually watching the first two episodes of the 2009 Iditarod. I was mesmerized watching the programming, and to be honest, I just finished checking out the website and seeing who won, which was really exciting (mainly because I watched the TV shows and was itching to find out)! Apparently the Iditarod has been coined, “The Last Great Race on Earth”. Needless to say, I was intrigued by this boastful claim; what I’ve come to find is that the Iditarod, is an epic race. (Check it → www.iditarod.com) The race traverses Alaska, East to West (Anchorage to Nome) and covers 1150 miles. With a 24-hour mandatory rest point, the winner finished in 9 days, 21 hours, 38 minutes and 46 seconds. Second place was a full 8 hours behind! I find this REMARKABLE. I will likely never come close to doing the Iditarod, I’ll be lucky if I get to be pulled on a sled by 16 racing machines (how cool would that be), but I do hope to accomplish something epic like that one day. What I think hooked me in during the two hours of sled racing that I watched, was that I learned about the rivals, about the dogs, the terrain, and about the men and women who compete in the Iditarod every year.
There are favorites just like any other sport, and there is strategy, but most of all there is an overwhelming since of pride and accomplishment that comes with competing, and if you’re lucky, winning. At one point I caught a glimpse of a trophy, but it was brief. I don’t even know if these people win money, what I do know is that all the people are passionate about the Iditarod and dog sled racing, they love their sport at it’s core, and I find this so refreshing. Now, I can’t imagine that being pulled by 16 dogs across Alaska is something that many people can relate to…I certainly don’t relate…but this is prime time television for Versus. I would like to think sailing could take a hint from this, but I like to think that in the end, we are all out there for pride. Maybe instead of our media focusing on the court battles, and the millions of dollars being spent on AC and Volvo programs, we can really get back to why we all race sailboats, for the opportunity to succeed, and the joy of being on the water…for the passion and pride of a sport that we love. So in my media plea…PLEASE tell us the stories of the people sailing these races, don’t sensationalize it…simplify it. When I watch the AC (if it ever happens) tell me all of Dean Barker’s resume, but then actually tell me about HIM, and tell me about the grinder and the bowman on Team Origin, not just about Ben Ainslie and Ian Percy. Make our rock stars relatable people, and don’t worry, the fans of the sport will still put them on a pedestal (I know I will)! And who knows, maybe the people looking in won’t think we are all blazer wearing yachtie’s, maybe they will see the similarities rather than the differences, and this will draw them in. And hopefully they will recognize, that in the end, no matter what we are competing for, we are all in pursuit of the same goal…the joy of participating in something we love, and the pride that comes along with hard earned success.
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