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Jeff King (mushing)
Encyclopedia
Jeff King is an American
long distance musher
who is well known for winning both the 1,049+ mi (1,600+ km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska
(four times) and the 1,100 mi (1,600 km) Yukon Quest
Sled Dog Race across the U.S. and Canada
(once).
King moved to Alaska
in 1975 and began racing in 1976. A successful sled dog
racer, he won the Yukon Quest in 1989, and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1993, 1996, 1998, and most recently, in the 2006 Iditarod
. Four other mushers have won the Iditarod four times (Martin Buser
, Susan Butcher, Doug Swingley
, Lance Mackey
) and only one, Rick Swenson
has won it more often (five times). King was 50 years old when he won the 2006 Iditarod
, which makes him the oldest musher to win the event. As of 2006, he has competed in 16 Iditarods. His "Idita-Rider" for the 2005 Iditarod
was a child sponsored by the Make-a-Wish Foundation. King has also won many other sled dog races. He continues to race and has a kennel near the entrance of Denali National Park.
Jeff King likes to invent. Several years ago, he added a comfortable seat to his sled. After falling asleep and falling off the sled, King added a seat belt: "Musher Jeff King has developed a new, sit-down sled that some have labeled the Iditarod Barcalounger. King said it helps him get more rest, although he almost lost his team this year when he got to resting so well he went to sleep and fell off. He's since added a seat belt."
While on a training run in Denali National Park in 1980, Jeff's team became entangled with that of a new volunteer ranger, and thus he met his future wife, Donna Gates.
In 2006, King added a heated handlebar
to warm his hands and his food, which heats up to 200 degrees.
Jeff King was inducted into the Iditarod Hall of Fame in 1999.
Yukon Quest: 1989
Kuskokwim 300 (8): 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006.
Copper Basin 300 (2): 1995, 2010
Tustumena 200 (3): 2000, 2001, 2010
International Rocky Mountain Stage Stop Sled Dog Race: 1999
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
long distance musher
Mushing
Mushing is a general term for a sport or transport method powered by dogs, and includes carting, pulka, scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled on snow or a rig on dry land...
who is well known for winning both the 1,049+ mi (1,600+ km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
(four times) and the 1,100 mi (1,600 km) Yukon Quest
Yukon Quest
The Yukon Quest 1,000-mile International Sled Dog Race, or simply Yukon Quest, is a sled dog race run every February between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon...
Sled Dog Race across the U.S. and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(once).
King moved to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in 1975 and began racing in 1976. A successful sled dog
Sled dog
Sled dogs, known also as sleigh man dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs, are highly trained types of dogs that are used to pull a dog sled, a wheel-less vehicle on runners also called a sled or sleigh, over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines.Sled dogs have become a popular winter recreation...
racer, he won the Yukon Quest in 1989, and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1993, 1996, 1998, and most recently, in the 2006 Iditarod
2006 Iditarod
The ceremonial start of the 34th annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska began amidst the crowds of Anchorage on March 4, 2006, and the start of the competitive race, or "restart", began the next day in Willow...
. Four other mushers have won the Iditarod four times (Martin Buser
Martin Buser
Martin Buser is a champion of sled dog racing.Martin Buser began mushing at age seventeen in Switzerland. In 1979, Buser moved to Alaska to train and raise sled dogs full time...
, Susan Butcher, Doug Swingley
Doug Swingley
Doug Swingley is an American dog musher and dog sled racer who lives in Lincoln, Montana, who is a four-time winner of the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across Alaska. His first Iditarod was in 1992. His first victory came in 1995 and he followed it by winning in 1999, 2000, and 2001...
, Lance Mackey
Lance Mackey
Lance Mackey is an American dog musher and dog sled racer from Fairbanks, Alaska, who is a four-time winner of the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest and four-time winner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.-Career:...
) and only one, Rick Swenson
Rick Swenson
For the Saskatchewan politician see Rick Swenson .Rick Swenson, sometimes known as the "King of the Iditarod", , is an American dog musher who has won the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska more times than any other competitor...
has won it more often (five times). King was 50 years old when he won the 2006 Iditarod
2006 Iditarod
The ceremonial start of the 34th annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska began amidst the crowds of Anchorage on March 4, 2006, and the start of the competitive race, or "restart", began the next day in Willow...
, which makes him the oldest musher to win the event. As of 2006, he has competed in 16 Iditarods. His "Idita-Rider" for the 2005 Iditarod
2005 Iditarod
The ceremonial start of the 33rd annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the US state of Alaska began in Anchorage on March 5, 2005 at 10 AM AKST , and restarted in Willow the next day at 2 PM...
was a child sponsored by the Make-a-Wish Foundation. King has also won many other sled dog races. He continues to race and has a kennel near the entrance of Denali National Park.
Jeff King likes to invent. Several years ago, he added a comfortable seat to his sled. After falling asleep and falling off the sled, King added a seat belt: "Musher Jeff King has developed a new, sit-down sled that some have labeled the Iditarod Barcalounger. King said it helps him get more rest, although he almost lost his team this year when he got to resting so well he went to sleep and fell off. He's since added a seat belt."
While on a training run in Denali National Park in 1980, Jeff's team became entangled with that of a new volunteer ranger, and thus he met his future wife, Donna Gates.
In 2006, King added a heated handlebar
Handlebar
A handlebar is part of the steering mechanism, in lieu of a steering wheel, for vehicles that are ridden on, instead of in, such as bicycles, motorcycles, tricycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft. It may also be simply the handles on a device such as a zip line trolley or a floor buffer...
to warm his hands and his food, which heats up to 200 degrees.
Jeff King was inducted into the Iditarod Hall of Fame in 1999.
Major Mushing Victories
Iditarod (4 times): 1993, 1996, 1998, 2006Yukon Quest: 1989
Kuskokwim 300 (8): 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006.
Copper Basin 300 (2): 1995, 2010
Tustumena 200 (3): 2000, 2001, 2010
International Rocky Mountain Stage Stop Sled Dog Race: 1999