Bundle up for a snowy take on the adrenaline-fueled tradition.
The yr is 2007.The place , theFur Rondy Winter Festivalin Anchorage , Alaska — a.k.a . Fur Rendezvous , a.k.a . “ the Rondy . ” It ’s impractical , and insensate , the temperature topping out at a chilly 20 level Fahrenheit . Downtown , a team of athletes are wrapping up a Norwegianskijoringexhibition where instead of using dog to force their skis , they use merry — and , plainly , wiggly — reindeer . As the animals are filing back into the trailer to maneuver a few miles home toWilliams Reindeer Farmin Palmer , one furry friend decides to make a break for it . He shimmy , he shake , and he get loose . chaos ensues .
The safety valve artist gallops down Anchorage ’s main stretch , luckily fenced off for Fur Rondy events like theOpen World Championship Sled Dog Races , which launch earlier that Clarence Day . Recently enough , in fact , that when the caribou zip by , the crowds are still mill around Fourth Avenue and the sport announcers are conveniently still in their stall .
“ They were just talk and then they state , ‘ Oh look at that ! Oh way to go , means to go reindeer ! ’ ” remember John McCleary , the festival ’s executive director . As the handler slip one’s mind and slid on the C trying to round up the malcontent creature , the announcers continued with their play - by - shimmer . “ [ Announcer and radio DJ ] Bob Lester enjoin , ‘ You know this is really cool , we ’ve amaze our own run of the bulls in Anchorage , it ’s calledRunning of the Reindeer ! ’ ” Thus , an musical theme was born . And thisFebruary 23 , the festival kicks off yet another year of pavement - pounding havoc .
There is only one main character.|Courtesy of Visit Anchorage/JodyO.Photos
It took a year to get the logistics down . First of all , would the reindeer seek to , like , gore people ? “ Afterwards we thought , ‘ yeah , right , like they ’re going to permit a bunch of the great unwashed running with reindeer horns , ’ ” tell McCleary . But it turn out , reindeerreallyhate anything touching their antlers . And , personality - wise , they ’re as gentle as can be , a trait that was affirm by insurance risk - managers . “ There ’s never been an incident they could find where a reindeer has in reality ever attacked , whether it ’s the James Leonard Farmer or someone else . ”
In fact , the non - native reindeer — first shipped to Alaska from Siberia in 1892 to aid feed the Inuit people ( a case ofmistaken benevolenceby the US government)—are inherently herd animal . Which is why that follow year , in 2008 , the first functionary run of the Reindeer benefiting Toys for tot at the request of its inventor , Bob Lester , went off without a hitch . 500 women , 500 work force , and 12 Rangifer tarandus participated .
As if by instinct , the human runners wear creative outfits . One person show up in a Daucus carota sativa costume , another as lichen — both favored caribou food — and one dame taunted with a bullseye on her back . ( When it comes to celebration , Fur Rondy is patently “ theMardi Grasof the North , ” says McCleary.)One accountreported the reindeer looked confused at first . But when they were released from their animal trainer — after giving the racer a hefty caput scratch — they sleep together what to do .
Don’t miss the doggies at the Open World Championship Sled Dog Races, another Fur Rondy event.|Anchorage Daily News/Tribune News Services
They bob and wove their elbow room through the crowd , keep the ruck together and leaving the humans in the detritus . They reiterate their winnings year after year . “ There ’s only been two smuggler that beat the Rangifer tarandus , ” says McCleary . “ They ’re moving to the left field , move to the right , they do n’t care about the hoi polloi — they’re just trying to get to their protagonist . ”
Over 16 years later , and they ’re still trying to get to their buds , though the group has expanded to 20 to 25 Rangifer tarandus . Human numbers have ballooned , too : In 2011 and 2012 , there were about 2,500 participant , while last class there were 1300 , raise $ 13,210 for Polemonium van-bruntiae . And as the Book of Numbers develop , the costumes have grown more elaborate and , in some cases , risqué ( click at your own risk ) .
There ’s no official prize for the first human to queer the tune , but really , everyone ’s a succeeder . “ You come through having a adept time with friends , saying that you ran with reindeer , and hopefully someone take a picture of you when you were running , ” says McCleary . Miraculously , there ’s never been an fortuity — not with the Greenland caribou , anyway . “ We had a few people that slip and fell because they had a pub crawl before they got into the herd . ”
Making friends.|Courtesy of Visit Anchorage/JodyO.Photos
A festival rooted in Alaska itself (cabin fever and all)
The run of the Reindeer may be comparatively raw , but the Fur Rondy stretches back decennium to the winter of 1934 . Back then , Anchorage was a town of just 3,000 people . The season ’s nights were long and dark . meter was focused on surviving the elements . Plus , sports .
That class , an genial field hockey enthusiast named Vern Johnson made his way up to Fairbanks for a tourney , an upshot that also include an Ice Carnival and Dog Derby . His team lost but while they did n’t come back with a trophy , they did tally an idea to combat cabin feverishness in Anchorage . “ He talked to some of his friends who were community drawing card , ” enunciate McCleary . “ They all agreed , ‘ Why do we have to go toFairbanksto play in a field hockey tournament ? Why don’twehave a sportswoman tourney ? ’ ”
The first festival , dubbed the Winter Carnival , set in motion in 1936 , timed to the February weekend when pelt trappers and miner brought their yield down to Anchorage to deal . It was three days of winter variation , with a children ’s sled race , hockey , hoops , skiing , a bonfire , and a torchlight parade . Almost all of Anchorage ’s 3,000 residents attended .
Everybody loves an outhouse race.|Courtesy of Visit Anchorage/JodyO.Photos
The name was eventually changed to the catchier Fur Rendezvous , with traditional competition and wacky deviltry lasting 12 packed days . Besides the World Championship Sled Dog Race and the Running of the Reindeer , there ’s theAlaska State Snow Sculpture Championship , curling matches , crank bowling , a hockey tournament , and outhouse races . There ’s also cornhole championships , pickleball , a mute disco music and something call Polka Palooza , a frostbite invertebrate foot race ( which this year will also admit a costume dog jog ) , fun runs , theatrical productions , and nation pickle . Plus a grand parade with march bands , and the preliminaries of theGreat Alaska Talent Competition . Emma Broyles , who in 2021 became the first Miss Alaska to be crown Miss America , is one of the gift competition ’s most prominent alumna .
In an homage to its namesake and the pelt trade ’s historical economic importance , the event also spans four days of fur auction sale . Three are hosted by the South Central Chapter of the Alaska Trappers Association , and the fourth by Alaska Fish and Game . “ They [ sell ] animal furs , horns , thing they have confiscated over the years because of illegal hunting , so they can fund more protection of wildlife here in the state , ” says McCleary .
TheCharlotte Jensen Native Arts Marketruns five days ( February 29 to March 3 ) , with approximately 139 artists from all over the state of Alaska sell their crafts . Since 1950 , Native civilisation has also been represented by showcases , tribal dance , and demonstrations of the Blanket Toss . An ancient practice akin to “ binoculars , ” Alaskan Inuit would make a cover , ordinarily out of seal of approval or seahorse pelt , gather around it , and use it to launch a lookout straight up in the air .
Not a snowman. A snow sculpture.|Courtesy of Visit Anchorage/Wayde Carroll
“ That was a fashion for people to see over the methamphetamine flows to see if there were any seal or whales , how they acquire up gamey to see out , ” says McCleary . For the Fur Rondy , the cover is loaned by theWorld Eskimo - Indian Olympicsand operate by volunteers , who recruit bystanders to help the launching . But sadly , the chore of human projectile is earmark for the skilled . “ Typically , it ’s one of their fellow member from the World Eskimo - Indian Olympics that will really be the somebody on the blanket , ” excuse McCleary . “ It does take a little snatch of knowing what to do with your knees , your consistence , and everything else . ”
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Fur Rondy attendees identification number over 110,000 , though it ’s impossible to keep count . Onlookers just roll on through and stop to look at anything interesting . “ We do n’t have a logic gate where we can weigh heads or tickets , ” says McCleary . “ Our pyrotechnic show is held over the port of Anchorage , so literally people will park , cease their railroad car , watch the show , get back in their cars , and drive aside . ”
Since 1973 , the street have been lined with spectators for the ceremonial start of theIditarod , an 11 - mile sled dog exhibitionheld on the morningof the running play of the Reindeer ( this twelvemonth , it lessen on March 4 ) . Though they ’re separate events , they merge peacefully , and even portion out resources .
“ The snow that has been brought in and position by the metropolis for the dogs to run on check , so the Greenland caribou get to be given on that nose candy about three time of day after the ceremonial start , ” say McCleary . “ And the snow fencing material they put up is pass on so we can have our Running of the Reindeer . ” It ’s a proficient thing – would be a shame if one of those bozo flummox away … again .
Trying out the blanket toss.|Lance King/Getty Images Sport
