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King Reflects on Dog Training, Innovation

Even on the Race, Jeff Works to Improve Equipment

by Andy Moderow

03/16/2006

Sitting on the stage of Nome’s Mini-Convention Center, a tired Jeff King fought off the urge to sleep shortly after 2 AM Wednesday, giving those who gathered a chance to question him about his run. While at times the recently crowned champion almost nodded off, everyone who heard him speak got a glimpse into the life of Jeff King, an innovator who, even on the trail, continues to better the sport.

Jeff addressed the crowd about his team of dogs, and compared his role as a musher to that of a schoolteacher: With a combination of raw talent and good educators, he believes that a dog team is likely to excel. He acknowledged that his family and staff played an integral role in the training of his pupils, and his sincere thanks was implied by the words he chose to describe them. I spoke to one of his handlers at the finish as we waited for him to arrive, and her excitement and pride in the dog team was evident: It was quite clear that more than one person felt like a winner when he headed under the arch.

Beyond respect for his team and those who assisted in their training, ‘Innovation’ was another theme that sparked Jeff’s interest during his conversation with the crowd. There is no doubt that King partly credits his recent successes as a result of several of his innovative equipment designs. Many may recall the ‘Old Man Sled’ that made its debut during last years racing season: This sled, also known as a ‘Tail Dragger’, was a Jeff King innovation, and at least a dozen variations of his design were used by frontrunners in this years race. This new design has one feature that is not found on a traditional sled: It includes a large seat to sit on, while remaining roughly the same weight as a ‘normal’ dogsled. Driving the rig, the musher stands in the middle of the runners, with one compartment behind him or her, and one in front: This allows the mushers to sit on the back compartment, reducing the fatigue that comes from standing upright for days on end. King said that competitor Ed Iten, from Kotzebue, claimed that the design will add years to his Iditarod career, because the run from Anchorage to Nome won’t be as physically demanding.

Yet King wasn’t done tinkering at the end of last year. In this Iditarod, Jeff took last years design and improved it further; many competitors in the field envied his work product. In addition to constructing a sled out of lightweight aluminum, creating the strongest and lightest ‘Tail Dragger’ yet, King figured out how to heat his handlebars. Using an open flame and a wick, King had toasty hands the entire way from Anchorage to Nome. This allowed him to work quicker: Cold hands often slow mushers down, as chores requiring dexterity take longer to complete. But his system also had its dangers: At one checkpoint, Kings sled caught on fire. This fire danger isn’t going to prevent him from using his contraption in future years, though: Jeff plans to research flame resistant sled bags during the off-season, continuing a process of innovation. He also realizes that experimentation is inherently risky, but he also knows that without it, winning is difficult.

Don’t think that Jeff tries really hard to innovate: It appears to come completely naturally to him. This year on Iditarod, when temperatures fell to –40 below zero, Jeff’s newly designed hand warmers weren’t performing as well as he liked: The ‘wick’ didn’t produce enough heat in those brutal temperatures. The crowd gathered in the Convention Center chuckled as King described modifying his contraption out of things he had with him: A dog coat, his Leatherman, and a few other random things. While traveling down the trail, racing for a win, King took the time and used the mental energy necessary to modify his sled on the fly.

Some small things can be credited as factors that separate a competitor from the rest of the pack, but Jeff’s ability to innovate is by no means a small detail. Jeff isn’t the only one on the trail who continually tries to improve on the basic equipment used by all: Other mushers experiment too. Yet King’s ability to envision radical changes and make them a reality is truly remarkable. The sport is lucky to have such a visionary musher who, in the quest for a perfect race, improves the sport for all.