It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome Libby Riddles to our Forum and to our Ask The Musher thread. I can truly say there was nothing more exciting for me than Libby responding in the affirmative when I asked her if she would consider doing an Ask The Musher with us, especially as this year marks the 25th anniversary of her historic win! Libby will be answering our questions for one week from January 25th through 31st. So join with me in welcoming an Iditarod icon to our forum!
March of 1985 not only brought the Iditarod to the national news (see link at bottom) but also to the local Chicago news where I first heard about Libby and the race. It is, to me, the greatest sports story of all time, and Libby Riddles is the reason I became a follower and fan of the Iditarod. So welcome to our forum Libby and thanks.
Libby Riddles was born in Madison Wisconsin. She moved to Alaska just before her 17th birthday, and has been a musher since 1976.
In 1985, Libby Riddles made history. Unable to find sponsors for the Iditarod, she covered her costs by sewing and selling fur hats and giving sled dog exhibitions for tourists. Once the race began, her team ran away with her sled, she broke a sled brake, and some of her dogs succumbed to an energy-draining virus, cementing Riddles' role as the quintessential underdog. Favorites to win the race included Rick Swenson, a four-time champion, and Susan Butcher, who had twice placed second.
By the time the pack reached Shaktoolik, Butcher had dropped out of the race and a raging storm halted the leading mushers, including Swenson, in the village checkpoint.
While everyone was hunkered down in Shaktoolik to ride out the storm, Libby seized the moment and set out alone with her thirteen dogs and plunged headlong into the storm and onto the sea ice of Norton Sound. After three hours running against the forty-knot winds, Libby’s team was exhausted. For the next twelve hours, the dogs slept on the snow and Libby huddled in her sleeping bag. The blinding storm was still raging as the dogs awoke, but the team was rested and ready to run.
Taking over first place and determined to keep it, Libby and her dogs broke trail through blowing snow in numbing cold. Libby’s bold move paid off, and when the storm ceased, she maintained her lead. 3 days later on Wednesday, March 20th she arrived in Nome three hours ahead of hear nearest competitor, finishing in 18 days, 20 minutes, 17 seconds and becoming the first woman to win the Iditarod.
"When I started out across the Sound, it just really looked pathetic because you couldn't even tell one marker from another," Libby said after the race. "But I figured if it does pan out, it might help me win the race. So I'm going to try it even if it's crazy…. I thought I had the team to do it. I didn't know if I could keep up my end of it."
To further support her sled dog habit, Libby writes books, dog wrangles in films, and gives lectures. In the summer, Libby lectures on Princess Cruises. She is the author of three books, "Race Across Alaska", "Storm Run", and "Danger the Dog Yard Cat." She also takes some excellent photographs of the Iditarod and Iditarod mushers. I personally like the one below.
(All pictures courtesy Libby Riddles.com)
She has received numerous awards and honors, such as, the Professional Sportswoman of the Year 1985 from the Women's Sports Foundation, Humanitarian Award for Best Treatment of Dogs: Iditarod 1985, John Beargrease Race, 1986 Kusko 300, 1997 Mushing Hall of Fame Charter Inductee Member, Victor Award for Excellence in Sports 1986, Parent's Choice Award: Danger the Dog Yard Cat, and Dog Writer Runner Up Award 1989: Race Across Alaska.
You can learn more about Libby and all of her adventures on her web page libbyriddles.com.
DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE LINK BELOW!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47IHF9YMVo8
For past 'Ask the Musher' segments go here: http://mushing.bssd.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=4
Vol 1: Karen Ramstead
Vol 2: Rick Holt
Vol 3: Paul Gebhardt
Vol 4: Team Norway (Bjornar Andersen, Kjetil Backen and Robert Sorlie)
Vol 5: Ken Anderson
Vol 6: Rachael Scdoris
Vol 7: Rohn Buser
Vol 8: Dee Dee Jonrowe
Vol 9: Lance Mackey
Vol 10: Mitch Seavey
Vol 11: Ed Iten
Vol 12: Jeff King
Vol 13: Mike Jayne
Vol 14: Brent Sass
Vol 15: Hugh Neff
Vol 16: Martin Buser