HUMAN

Name: MARTIN BUSER
Age: 60
Residence: BIG LAKE, ALASKA
Occupation: DOG MUSHER
Years involved with Iditarod: SINCE 1980
Iditarod Role: DOG MUSHER
Current Location: WHITE MOUNTAIN, ALASKA
Date of Photo: MARCH 14, 2019
Temperature: 26F / OUTDOORS

What is your Why?.. Why are you here today and involved in Iditarod?:

I THINK I’LL CALL IT THE RESET BUTTON. I LIKE IT TO DO A COMPARISON: THE ACCOUNTANT HAS FISCAL YEARS, THE STUDENT HAS SCHOOL YEARS, THE FAMILY HAS CALENDAR YEARS, ETC. I HAVE IDITAROD YEARS BECAUSE MY LIFESTYLE AFFORDS ME TO LIVE WITH MY DOGS, SO I RUN THE IDITAROD TO RESET THE BUTTON FOR THE NEXT SEASON TO START.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

THERE’S SO MANY. I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO TALK ABOUT THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP. YOU KNOW, SO MUCH WORK GOES INTO IT. IN FACT, THIS YEAR BEING 2019, THERE’S A LOT OF PARALLELS BETWEEN PETE KAISER WINNING HIS FIRST AND US WINNING OUR FIRST. YOU KNOW, AS I’M CAMPING MY WAY TO NOME, I’M THINKING ABOUT HIS YOUNG FAMILY AND HIS BIG SUCCESS. HE WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT NOW HE HAS WON THE IDITAROD. SO THERE ARE SO MANY PARALLELS. WE WERE PROBABLY THE SAME AGE WHEN WE WON OUR FIRST IDITARODS. JUST A BUDDING FAMILY AND BIG SUPPORT AND LOTS OF EXCITEMENT AND ALL THAT. SO THAT MEANS, IN 2019 I’M JUST AS EXCITED FOR HIM AS I WAS FOR MYSELF IN 1992. YOU KNOW, THAT’S DEFINITELY A STANDOUT VICTORY.

What do you know for sure?:

WELL, I KNOW FOR SURE THAT THE DOGS ARE TRUE. AND I THINK THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS WHY I KEEP DOING WHAT I’M DOING WITH MY ANIMALS. THEY ARE JUST – WE CALL IT LESSONS FROM THE DOGS. THEY DON’T B.S. THEY DON’T LIE. THEY DON’T. IF THEY’RE TIRED, THEY TELL YOU “I’M TIRED.” IF THEY WANT TO GO, THEY WANT TO GO. THEY’RE NOT HUNGRY, THEY JUST DON’T WANT TO EAT. AND IF THEY’RE HUNGRY TO EAT, THEY EAT. THEY’RE SO, WHAT I CALL, “IN THE MOMENT.” AND I HAVE TRIED TO LIVE A LOT LIKE THAT. TRUE AND VERY BASIC, BUT VERY, VERY TRUE. AND I THINK SOCIETY IS LOSING THAT TO A DEGREE. I LISTEN TO PEOPLE TALK NOWADAYS AND THEY’RE NOT EVEN – THEY KNOW THEY’RE NOT EVEN TELLING THE TRUTH, BUT THEY’RE TALKING TO PEOPLE LIKE THEY’RE JUST PUTTING WORDS TOGETHER AND MAKING A SENTENCE THAT’S TOTAL B.S. BUT THEY WERE TALKING TO A MICROPHONE OR TO A PERSON. AND EVERYBODY AROUND THEM LOOKS LIKE, WELL, THIS IS TOTAL FALSE ADVERTISING. I THINK WE HAVE COME SO FAR IN OUR VERBIAGE, IN OUR LINGUISTIC USE OF BEING ABLE TO SAY ANYTHING, EVEN IF IT’S NOT TRUE. YOU KNOW, DOGS NEVER DO THAT. DOGS CANNOT CONNIVE OR PRETEND. THEY ARE. AND THAT’S HOW I EMULATE. THAT’S WHY IT’S A TWO-WAY STREET: THE DOGS TEACH ME AND I TEACH THE DOGS.