HUMAN

Name: PETE KAISER
Age: 31
Residence: BETHEL, ALASKA
Occupation: DOG MUSHER/CONSTRUCTION
Years involved with Iditarod: 3
Iditarod Role: 2019 IDITAROD CHAMPION
Current Location: NOME, ALASKA
Date of Photo: MARCH 14, 2019
Temperature: 20F / OUTDOORS

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

WELL, I ENJOY THE DOGS AND THE LIFESTYLE, BUT HONESTLY I’VE BEEN KEEPING AT THIS TRYING TO WIN IT, SO IT’S KIND OF A RELIEF NOW. AND IT HASN’T ALL SUNK IN YET, BUT THAT’S KIND OF BEEN OUR GOAL SINCE WE STARTED, TO WIN. AND NOW THAT WE’VE DONE THAT, IT’S KIND OF LIKE “WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?” SO I GUESS WE’LL FIGURE THAT OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

WATCHING THE TEAM COME TOGETHER AND PERFORM REAL WELL AFTER A TOUGH SEASON OF TRAINING WAS PRETTY REWARDING. I KNEW IT WAS A TALENTED GROUP OF DOGS, BUT OUR TRAINING WAS SUCH THAT I WASN’T SURE HOW IT WOULD ALL PLAY OUT. IT WAS JUST REAL REWARDING TO SEE THEM COME TOGETHER AND REALLY TAKE CONTROL OF THE RACE THERE LATE. SOME CHALLENGES WERE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF TRAIL THAT WERE – LIKE ONE IN IDITAROD; REAL BUMPY AND 20 MILES OF THAT. AND THEN THE RUN FROM EAGLE ISLAND TO KALTAG WAS REAL TOUGH. A LOT OF ICE AND SLUSH AND OVERFLOW. BUT A LOT OF THOSE ARE JUST TYPICAL IDITAROD CHALLENGES. YOU GO 1000 MILES ACROSS THE STATE, YOU’RE GOING TO RUN IN TO STUFF LIKE THAT. SO RUNNING DOWN FRONT STREET, WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? THAT WAS AMAZING. YOU KNOW, SEEING THIS CROWD AND PEOPLE FROM BETHEL AND ALL OF RURAL ALASKA COMING IN HERE TO SUPPORT ME. IT MEANS EVERYTHING HONESTLY, YOU KNOW. I SAID IT THE OTHER DAY, BUT THE TRUCK AND THE CHECK AND THE TROPHY IS ALL AWESOME, BUT TO SEE THESE PEOPLE SO EXCITED ABOUT SOMETHING, IT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT, REALLY. AND THAT’S REAL NEAT.

What do you know for sure?:

JEEZ, I DON’T KNOW. I KNOW THAT I HAVE THE MOST AMAZING SUPPORT GROUP THAT I COULD EVER IMAGINE. AND WITHOUT THEM, I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THIS YEAR AFTER YEAR. SO I KNOW THAT FOR SURE. I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WIN, LOSE OR DRAW, MY FAMILY AND MY FRIENDS ARE THERE TO SUPPORT ME NO MATTER WHAT. THAT’S ALWAYS A GOOD FEELING.