On the ice-covered harbor of Nome, four rows of snowmachines sat stationary as racers laid on their backs. The competitors stared into the overcast sky, waiting for the sound of a start gun.
“You get the feeling you could hear your heartbeat,” Shayla Johnson said. “You don't know when they do it, but you're ready to get up and go."
Race organizer Chugie Farley squeezed the trigger of a horn, setting each row of racers into motion. They sprinted to their machines, struggling to stay upright as they trudged through the half-feet-deep snow.
After jamming their keys in the ignition, the racers accelerated through a tight 180 and toward the sea.
This was 19-year-old Steffen Booth's fourth Cannonball. He was the first of the 0-600 class racers to clear the harbor, earning the hole shot award along the way.
“Leaving the start there is really nervous, adrenaline pumping, just trying to calm myself down," Booth said.
After leaving the harbor, the course sharply turned east and hugged Nome’s rapidly melting shorefast ice.
“That was really cool with the water. There's a couple spots where it's just a little bit bigger than a sled length between the rocks and the ocean," Booth said.
But Booth’s lead didn't last long as mechanical problems force him out of the race. Iron Dog veteran Mike Morgan surged into the lead with his open-class sled, and established a sizable gap by the end of the first lap.
State Representative Neal Foster walked out on the ice Saturday to take in the race. He took a break from the legislature to take in the city-organized Investment Summit, but said he wouldn't miss his chance at witnessing another Cannonball.
“This is just one of those long traditions that I’ve been watching since I was much younger than I am now. I mean, your body takes a beating even if you don't crash," Foster said.
At the end of the third lap, teams dove into the pit area to take on fuel and fix mechanical problems. For some, they were in and out in seconds. Others, like Dawson Schaeffer, spent a minute and 18 seconds stationary working on his sled.
By the final lap, Morgan’s fate as fastest overall was all but sealed. He took a final pit stop and set off on the 29 mile loop, finishing the race just a half hour later. Morgan earned first in the open class.
Fellow Iron Dog competitor, Wilson Hoogendorn, finished third in the 600 class. Hoogendorn said he was just glad to complete the race.
“It's so whiteout today, it's like by the ocean, the clouds are kind of dark, so you can see the bumps, but once you get back in the hills, can't really see very much," Hoogendorn said.
The Iron Dog Rookie of the Year has already set his sights on next year’s Cannonball. He also competed in the Nome-Golovin and Archie Ferguson Willie Goodwin Sr Memorial Race races this season.
“It's kind of a relief this year because I've done so much racing this year," Hoogendorn said. "I'm looking forward to next year, that's for sure.”
Shayla Johnson claimed the top spot in the women’s class and Nick Reader earned first in the 600 class. Kevin McDaniel-Farley earned first in the youth class.
The Bering Sea Lions Club awarded over $11,500 in cash prizes to the top three finishers in each class, with the 600 class winner taking home the largest prize of $2,000.
