Julie St. Louis/Turnagain Times
Girdwood’s Nicolas Petit receives the Jerry Austin Rookie of the Year Award at the Iditarod Finisher’s Banquet in Nome.
By Julie St. Louis,
Turnagain Times Correspondent
Girdwood was proudly represented in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race – in a big way – as Nicolas Petit, 31, was named the 2011 Rookie of the Year, for being the first of 13 rookie mushers to cross the finish line under Nome’s famed burled arch.
Petit finished in 28th place overall, out of 62 entrants and 47 finishers, with a time of 10 days, 43 hours, 15 minutes and one second. Nine dogs out of the starting 16 brought him off the sea ice and up onto Front Street in the early morning hours of March 17 to welcoming friends, sponsors and race officials.
Even with the sunny skies and warmer temperatures of this year’s race, the 1,000-plus mile trail proved challenging for all, including some veteran mushers who scratched early.
Julie St. Louis/Turnagain Times
Girdwood musher Nicolas Petit signs in his trail mail with the offi cial checker at the Iditarod finish line in Nome.
Petit even had to overcome the pain and swelling of a broken bone in his foot, occurring at some point and by a cause unknown to him on the trail.
“My foot swelled up like a melon,” he said.
Putting pain and the inevitable sleep deprivation aside, Petit pushed through to the finish line.
After the race he praised his lead dog October.
“Without that big guy in front we wouldn’t be here,” he said.
Many Girdwood residents, family and friends all over the world were keeping an eye on Petit’s progress over the 10 days via updates on his Facebook fan page (Girdwood 2 Nome) and the Iditarod’s GPS tracking site.
Julie St. Louis/Turnagain Times
Petit leaves Koyuk checkpoint during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Through the Iditarod’s education program, some classrooms selected him as their favorite musher to follow. Since Petit was born in Normandy, students in parts of France were monitoring the tracker and cheering “Allez Nico, allez, allez,” as he and his team moved closer to Nome.
One student in Ohio, whose first name is also Nick, displayed a picture of his poster project about Petit on the Girdwood 2 Nome fan page.
Petit’s entry in this year’s Iditarod was a bit unusual in that he jumped on the runners in the “Last Great Race” immediately after completing the required qualifying races, leaving him only six weeks to prepare all his gear and raise necessary funds. Normally mushers qualify the previous year and then set about raising money, packing gear and training.
Petit’s break came when 14-year Iditarod race veteran Jim Lanier, who Petit was training under and handling dogs for, could no longer put off a hip replacement.
Lanier having already registered months prior to the entry deadline asked Petit to run his dogs for him.
“I am thankful to [Lanier] and his family for this opportunity,” said Petit.
After the race, he graciously shared his Rookie of the Year winnings with Lanier, recognizing the importance of Lanier’s experienced dog team and trust.
During Petit’s acceptance speech of the Jerry Austin Rookie of the Year Award at the finisher’s banquet in Nome, he also thanked the many other people who helped him get to the starting line, including the community of Girdwood.
“Girdwood’s a great little town by Anchorage,” he told the sold out crowd. “Without Girdwood, I wouldn’t be here. The boy scouts helped me, everybody helped me.”
The top 30 finishers receive a percentage of the overall Iditarod purse, take home a trophy marked with their finish time, and, as tradition dictates, all finishers receive an official Iditarod belt buckle.
Since the start of the Iditarod in 1973, fewer than 700 men and women claim ownership of the coveted buckle for showing the mental and physical endurance and extraordinary care of the dogs that carry them to Nome.
As for what’s next for Petit, he says he’s catching up on a lot of lost sleep, cleaning and putting away all the dog jackets, blankets and booties from the race, and giving himself time to consider options for the future.
After the race, a few veteran mushers approached Petit with offers to run their dog team next year or perhaps put together his own team. For now, though, he’s appreciating life at a slower pace.
Many businesses in Girdwood, Anchorage and countless individuals donated time or money to support Petit’s goal of “Girdwood 2 Nome.”
In Girdwood those businesses are: Alaska Dog Sledding Center, Alyeska Media Services, Coast Pizza, The Great Alaskan Tourist Trap, Girdwood Laundromall, Girdwood Ski & Cyclery, Glacier City Realty, Glacier City Snowmobile Tours, GRRdwood Pets & Green Goods, Java House, Maxine’s, and the Silvertip Grill.
Outside of Girdwood, Alaska Spirit Crafts, Far North Yarn Shop, GFP Engineering, Janssen Funeral Homes and the Mushin’ Mortician, Pepe’s Turnagain House, and See Meez dog apparel pitched in their support.
To learn more about Petit and the 2011 Iditarod go to www.facebook.com/Girdwood2Nome and become a fan.
