Another trail word Tuesday has arrived, and this time we bring you the one-and-only… Jon Van Zyle! You cannot be around Iditarod long without knowing exactly who this extraordinary and talented man is. He not only completed Iditarod twice, he became the official Iditarod artist in 1973. He has created the yearly Iditarod poster while also being inducted into the Iditarod Hall of Fame in 2004. His art career has spanned over 5 decades where he has become one of the most well-known and respected Alaskan artists. He and his wife, Jona, also an incredible artist in her own right, make their home in Eagle River where they raise and train Siberian Huskies. Keep reading to hear Jon’s inspirational words about perseverance!
“Perseverance …. primarily it takes perseverance to COMPLETE Iditarod. It’s not just the few days they now spend on the actual race, it’s the years of training, cost, and dedication to the sport (not only to the race aspect). In the beginning years of the race, 1970’s when I was running it, it took us an average of 25 days to complete it. Today that has been cut in more than half, (due to the trail, we snowshoed alot), new inventions(cook stoves etc… we built fires), easier communications, (we had none outside of the race, as it was a disqualification if you did, all we had was a ham operator at a village who might be able to get a message out). Now, today, they all carry cell phones and emergency beepers. New, faster-bred dogs, almost specifically only for Iditarod style races, and lots more. BUT, the main thing that has not changed is the mushers’ NEED for PERSEVERANCE! That is the main reason why Jona and I created our Perseverance Award that we give to a worthy musher every year, (although Iditarod does not recognize it).” Thanks -Jon
Trail Word Tuesday Poster-Jon Van Zyle
