The Underdogs Ep1: Honey and vinegar

Outside/In host Nate Hegyi gets a surprising tip that leads him into the frozen and tight-knit world of competitive sled dog racing in Alaska.

More about Outside/In presents The Underdogs: 

A few months ago, Outside/In host Nate Hegyi got a tip from the highest levels of the dog sledding community. It was about the first team from New Zealand to complete the Iditarod, a 1,000-mile race across some of Alaska’s harshest terrain. Over the past decade, Curt and Fleur Perano have transformed their success on the trail into a flourishing mushing tourism business in their home country’s south island. Some of their dogs have even appeared in a Marvel movie and a Taylor Swift music video. 

But behind the scenes, in the usually-guarded world of competitive dog sledding, the Peranos have burned bridges, destroyed friendships, and left a trail of debt totaling tens of thousands of dollars. 

In this special Outside/In mini-series, Nate investigates a story one musher describes as “one dead body away from Tiger King,” and exposes the singular culture within the world of elite mushing.

Featuring: Jodi Bailey, Austin Sorem, Dan Kaduce, Jamie Nelson, and Marine Kuhn.
 

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LINKS

Check out the results from the 2023 Iditarod

Read the actual Iditarod rule (Rule 34) that states wild game animals killed in self-defense must be gutted and reported to a race official at the next checkpoint. 

To learn more about the physiology of Alaskan huskies, check out this TEDx talk from Michael Davis: “Canines in Combat and Competition”

Read a review of Blair Braverman’s memoir, “Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube”. 

CREDITS

Host: Nate Hegyi

Reported and produced by Nate Hegyi

Edited and mixed by Taylor Quimby

Editing help from Rebecca Lavoie, Jack Rodolico, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, and Jessica Hunt

Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer

Music for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, Dylan Sitts, Rand Aldo, and Amaranth Cove. 

Outside/In presents The Underdogs is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio