Published March 16, 2009 on LA2DAY.com
VENICE, March 7, 2009. Teams gathered at the starting shoot, fresh and eager for the trail. Mushers made last-minute adjustments to their sleds. Dogs took their fill of food and drink, knowing instinctively that proper hydration was imperative to peak performance.
The bark of a bullhorn signaled the beginning of the race. Finally unleashed, hundreds of bodies careened toward checkpoint number one, Baja Cantina by Washington and Pacific Ave.
Using shopping carts in place of sleds and donning costumes instead of parkas, the pack intermittently ran and walked down the Venice Boardwalk stopping at various checkpoints to refuel on cheap beer and boxed wine. A teammate and I took advantage of one of the rest periods to pose for an “action photo.”
Though no one actually wins this Iditarod, Made Of Win (see title photo) made a good case for being crowned race champion. Any team who’s ballsy enough to wear gold lame spandex onesies wins by default in my book.
Partying at the Iditarod is a Dogtown right of passage that may soon become co-opted, if not extinct. Details aren’t released until close to race day and only registered team leaders are privy to the information. But the Venice police got wind of the event much sooner than last year. They escorted us through the course, making sure to let us know when we’d overstayed our welcome. So if you’re like me and you love day-drinking, costumes and athletics, make sure to get in on the action next March before this party gets iced.
THE DETAILS: Urban Iditarod
The 3rd annual Urban Iditarod, which took place last Saturday, March 7, attracted Angelenos of every borough to the colorful streets of Venice Beach. The event was held in tandem with (and in celebration of) the start of the Iditarod, a 17-day-long sled dog race covering 1,150 miles of Alaskan wilderness.
Photos Courtesy VenicePaparazzi.com
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