To start this week off, I have two items on Alaska sports news. I’m not a sports guy, but these are not millionaires throwing a ball around; these are local people doing things they love.
First: We have an Iditarod winner, and it’s his first win in eight attempts:
Jessie Holmes raced into Nome early Friday, winning his first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on the longest trail ever.
The 43-year-old musher and his team of 10 dogs were escorted by a convoy of police cars down Front Street in Nome. The team, led by Polar and Hercules, ran under the arch at 2:55 a.m. in temperatures hovering around zero degrees, to hundreds of cheering fans.
“It’s hard to put into words, but it’s a magical feeling,” Holmes said.
He’s been waiting for this moment for years.
“I have nothing to stop smiling about,” he said. “I have everything going for me. And, you know, I shouldn’t ever feel a down moment in my life. If I died tomorrow, I’d just die the happiest man.”
Jessie’s dogs get a lot of the credit, too, of course, and I’m certain Jessie would agree. All the mushers we know would agree as well.
Alaska Man score: 5 moose nuggets. Congratulations, Jessie!
See Related: Alaska Man Monday – Local Saloons and Cold Water
Second: Alaskan kids are winning big at the Special Olympics World Winter Games!
Two Alaskan athletes competing in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in the Italian Alps have won gold medals.
When she last spoke with Alaska’s News Source Tuesday, Sulynnette Vega Ledesma of Anchorage had just won a bronze medal in the advanced giant slalom. Since then, she earned another bronze medal in advanced slalom Wednesday, and now a gold medal in the advanced Super G category.
“It was very honored to do it because every event that I had, a little group of Alaska people come and cheer for me and celebrate,” Ledesma said.
On Wednesday, another Alaskan, Nathaniel Hunt from Wasilla, earned his gold medal in the intermediate giant slalom skiing category.
“I feel happy that my Alaska President, CEO, put the gold on me … I just want to thank everyone for supporting Special Olympics.“
Yeah, and someone probably won some other medals, too. But they weren’t Alaskans. These are all of our kids up here, and we’re delighted for them. There was also a special member of the delegation representing President Donald Trump at the event:
I am honored to have attended the Special Olympics World Winter Games with the Presidential delegation. Thank you, @SpecialOlympics, for such a warm welcome and for fostering a community full of inspirational athletes and strong leaders. Go Team USA! pic.twitter.com/EPYwwUYHET
— Second Lady Usha Vance (@SLOTUS) March 10, 2025
Alaska Man score: 5 moose nuggets. You made us all proud!
Now, here’s a dumb crook that subjected someone to a really s***ty situation:
On 3/11/2025, Alaska State Troopers in Anchor Point responded to a residence for a report of a disturbance. Subsequent investigation determined Christopher Robison, age 41, had thrown the contents of a “honey bucket” at someone, subjecting them to offensive physical contact with human fecal matter. Christopher was arrested and remanded on 1x count of harassment in the 1st degree and violating his conditions of release.
I can’t… I mean, what the heck makes someone think this is the proper reaction to, well, anything? But then, we call them dumb crooks for a reason, and dumping a bucket of Democratic Party talking points on someone is pretty dumb.
Alaska Man score: Mixed bag. No moose nuggets for the crappy perp, but 4 sympathy moose nuggets for the smelly victim, who loses a point for being in the vicinity of a dumb crook.
See Related: Alaska Man Monday – One Dumb Crook and One Big Race
And I have some thoughts on volcanoes. Watch:
